Clemson tops AP poll
» Dabo Swinney’s Tigers land preseason No.1 for first time.
Cross off another milestone for Clemson, college football’s newest superpower.
For the first time, the defending national champion Tigers are No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25.
Clemson won its second national title in three seasons behind freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence to claim equal standing with Alabama at the top of the sport.
The Crimson Tide, coming off a 44-16 loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff championship, is No. 2. Clemson received 52 first-place votes, and Alabama received the other 10. The Tigers snap a record-tying string of three consecutive years in which the Crimson Tide were the preseason No. 1.
Georgia is No. 3, followed by No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 5 Ohio State. Texas is No. 10, Texas A&M is 12th, and Iowa State is No. 21.
Wisconsin reinstates acquitted WR Cephus
Wide receiver Quintez Cephus was cleared to return to school and rejoin the Wisconsin football team after a jury acquitted him of sexual assault charges, but it was unclear when he will be eligible to play in a game.
The school announced Chancellor Rebecca Blank’s decision in a statement that said the university had obtained information that was not provided during a student conduct review. The statement said sanctions against Cephus have been “reduced” and his expulsion had been lifted, though some conduct violations were upheld.
The statement didn’t elaborate. Wisconsin spokesman John Lucas said he had no information on what the school had learned and declined to comment on what conduct violations were upheld.
Badgers coach Paul Chryst has said that he would welcome Cephus back, and the athletic department confirmed Cephus officially had rejoined the team. But in its own statement, the department said it was “working through eligibility issues before he can participate in a game.” The opener for 19th-ranked Wisconsin is Aug. 30 at South Florida.
Cephus was suspended from the team in August 2018 after he was charged with second- and third-degree sexual assault. Prosecutors charged him after two women accused him of sexually assaulting both of them on the same night in his apartment in April 2018 when they were too drunk to consent.
Cephus countered that the sex was consensual and was arranged by one of his accusers. The school expelled him earlier this year for violating its nonacademic misconduct code.
A jury acquitted him Aug. 2 after deliberating for less than an hour.
Cephus, a 6-1 junior, was a standout receiver for the run-first Badgers before he was expelled.
Odds and ends
Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson is taking a leave of absence while his wife fights cancer. Athletic director Terry Mohajir said Anderson was taking the leave indefinitely to be with his family and assistant head coach and defensive coordinator David Duggan will serve as interim head coach. Anderson has gone 39-25 record in five seasons at Arkansas State. The Red Wolves open the season Aug. 31 with a home game against SMU. … Illinois freshman defensive back Marquez Beason is out for the season with a knee injury. Coach Lovie Smith said Beason would have surgery after being hurt in practice last week. Beason was a consensus four-star recruit from Duncanville and the Illini’s highest-rated high school recruit in 10 years. He was the No. 91 overall recruit in the nation by ESPN, No. 108 by 247Sports and No. 108 by Rivals.