This win earned 6.86 ranking points because Clemson defeated their in-state rival South Carolina by a solid 14-point margin (28-14), demonstrating clear dominance in a rivalry game that typically carries additional weight in ranking calculations. The point total reflects both the significance of beating a conference opponent and the convincing nature of the victory, though it's not at the highest tier since South Carolina likely wasn't ranked particularly high at the time of this matchup.