Oct 3 | Clemson

[irishfan]

Rain in Clemson on Saturday night? Saw it's 60% and will be rainy all week down there. This is one of the only games in recent memory where I think rain would actually help us.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Thanks IL!!

 

[GATTACA!]

Rain in Clemson on Saturday night? Saw it's 60% and will be rainy all week down there. This is one of the only games in recent memory where I think rain would actually help us.

This would be fantastic. Completely neutralize Watson and showcase our advantage in the trenches.

 

[Circa]

This may have been pointed out but just saying... Clemson lost to Georgia Tech 28-6 last Nov. I like our odds.

 

[wizards8507]

Has anyone been watching ESPN today? They're airing the Saturday Night Football commercial just about every single commercial break. Every time it comes on, I be like...

 

[IrishLion]

I do not watch ESPN unless it's live game coverage, or unless BK is scheduled to be on.

I may give SVP's new midnight SportsCenter thing a shot at some point.

HOWEVER, I have seen the spot for ND/Clemson on ABC and a few other stations. I share your sentiments.

 

[texbender]

Think ND can win if they don't turn it over, DBs play well, and Yoon hits his attempts. Think we can move the ball enough.

 

[wizards8507]

I think I might actually be more pumped for this game than the Florida State game, mainly because I was convinced we didn't have a shot in that one.

 

[Irish#1]

Has anyone been watching ESPN today? They're airing the Saturday Night Football commercial just about every single commercial break. Every time it comes on, I be like...

NO

 

[wizards8507]

NO

No? Don't be pumped about commercials for our big huge game on Saturday? How should they make me feel, sad? Hungry?

 

[ACamp1900]

I believe he was referring to watching 'that channel' today....

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Last defensive coordinator to shut out Clemson was <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> DC Brian VanGorder, who coached for Georgia in 2003 win over Tigers, 30-0.</p>— Tim Prister (@timprister) <a href="https://twitter.com/timprister/status/648954155223121921">September 29, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[wizards8507]

I believe he was referring to watching 'that channel' today....

 

[Blaise]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Last defensive coordinator to shut out Clemson was <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> DC Brian VanGorder, who coached for Georgia in 2003 win over Tigers, 30-0.</p>— Tim Prister (@timprister) <a href="https://twitter.com/timprister/status/648954155223121921">September 29, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I love when people tweet things that really doesn't affect this game... 2003 Clemson isn't the same team and BVG isn't the same coach lol

 

[Cackalacky]

Has anyone been watching ESPN today? They're airing the Saturday Night Football commercial just about every single commercial break. Every time it comes on, I be like...

Today has been retched. I work with a bunch of Clemson guys and they are just now starting to talk shit. I am going down the halls wishing I could do this:

 

[NDbrbkny]

Man dabo swinney need to shut the hell and go to god damn hell because he mad notre dame don't play 13 games hell why the hell does his AD schedule FCS teams...

 

[KPENN]

I love when people tweet things that really doesn't affect this game... 2003 Clemson isn't the same team and BVG isn't the same coach lol

He never said it did. It's just an interesting fact/nugget. Nothing more, nothing less. Stop trying to over analyze it.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

USA Today's Dan Wolken just published an article titled "Have a problem with Notre Dame's schedule? Put a blemish on it":

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney used 350 words Tuesday at his weekly news conference to explain that he doesn't care "one iota" what Notre Dame does with its schedule before getting around to saying what he and many other coaches think: That Notre Dame's independence, meaning a 12-game schedule with no conference championship to win, brings inequity into the College Football Playoff selection process.

"That's their business," said Swinney, whose team plays Notre Dame on Saturday. "But ask me the question or my opinion, yeah, I think they should have to play 13 games. I mean, to me, I feel, not just them, same thing with the Big 12. I don't think that's fair. I don't think it's equitable. I can't do anything about it, so I ain't worried about it. I (couldn't) care less."

Having spent a decent amount of time around Swinney, let's give him the benefit of the doubt for being earnest. Some coaches will avoid giving opinions on things unless the message is self-serving; Swinney is a fountain of opinions on just about everything.

But in this case, he's wrong, as are the dozens of other coaches who expressed similar sentiments to ESPN's Brett McMurphy in the preseason.

The notion that Notre Dame is unfairly advantaged because of its independence, or that somehow its schedule is set up to game the system, is nonsense of the highest order.

Year in and year out, Notre Dame plays one of the toughest schedules in college football with annual games against USC, Stanford and Navy plus an annual rotation of five ACC teams and usually one or two more high-profile opponents.

Just like with any team's schedule, some years are tougher than others because opponents may be up or down (Texas , for instance, wasn't the marquee opponent it was supposed to be). But on balance, Notre Dame's philosophy to play nine power conference teams plus Navy with only two "easy" games (Temple occupies one of those slots this year, which may not be so easy) is going to be enough to prove whether the Fighting Irish deserve consideration for the playoff.

Swinney doesn't agree. Like many of his colleagues, he has taken this Playoff concept and compared it to the NFL, where the schedules are more standard.

"How many, 32 teams? 32 NFL teams? Okay, well, if 27 of them have to play 16 games and then the other five play 15 games, well, that doesn't seem right to me, but that's the way it is," he said.

That logic is incredibly flawed.

Though on paper it may require Clemson to play 13 games to make the playoff, one of its games this year is against Wofford from the Football Championship Subdivision. In 2016, it will play South Carolina State. In 2017, it will play the Citadel and in 2018 it hosts Furman.

Kudos to Clemson for reserving a spot on its schedule every year to play an in-state team from a lower division and helping fund those schools' athletic departments, but let's get real. Those games offer no relevant data whatsoever about Clemson's worthiness to get into the playoff. And that isn't meant to pick on Clemson. A lot of teams schedule that way because it serves their needs. Just like Notre Dame's approach serves its needs.

And that's the difference between the College Football Playoff and the NFL. The NFL playoffs are designed to automatically reward division winners, which means it doesn't matter if the Carolina Panthers last year had a losing record. They won the NFC South, so they're in.

The CFP selection committee has a different job. It was put together to analyze what a team's record means based on the strength of who they beat and then pick the four most qualified teams.

And that's the way it should be, especially when even within the same conference teams can play wildly different schedules due to divisional play (Georgia, for instance, could end up playing just one top-25 team this season before the SEC Championship).

There has never been scheduling equity in college football and there never will be. If Notre Dame runs through its schedule unbeaten, it will almost certainly be among the four most accomplished teams in America and be in the Playoff. Got a problem with that? Beat them.

 

[yankeeND]

USA Today's Dan Wolken just published an article titled "Have a problem with Notre Dame's schedule? Put a blemish on it":

That is a fantastic article! I always get irritated when people whine about ND's schedule. We never play the sub-division teams but these aholes that do cry about us not playing 13 games. Get real.

 

[arahop]

Feeck dabo and clemson. We are going to knock over that stupid rock and piss golden shamrocks all over it. This is the game prosise gets into heisman discussions seriously. And the country will know we are for real!!! Lets go Irish!!

 

[wizards8507]

USA Today's Dan Wolken just published an article titled "Have a problem with Notre Dame's schedule? Put a blemish on it":

I honestly think all this bullshit from the ACC coaches is a coordinated effort starting with John Swofford to try and get Notre Dame to join as a full member. It has nothing to do with the playoff or fairness. It has everything to do with our money and our eyeballs. It's no secret that the ACC would love their own network and getting Notre Dame under their umbrella would go a long way to get ESPN to pay maximum dollars for their rights.

If Swarbrick can't win this PR battle, then the hybrid quasi ACC membership will prove to be his biggest blunder.

 

[koonja]

I'll bet up to a trillion vbucks on ND straight up if anyone wants to take Clemson.

 

[yankeeND]

I honestly think all this bullshit from the ACC coaches is a coordinated effort starting with John Swofford to try and get Notre Dame to join as a full member. It has nothing to do with the playoff or fairness. It has everything to do with our money and our eyeballs. It's no secret that the ACC would love their own network and getting Notre Dame under their umbrella would go a long way to get ESPN to pay maximum dollars for their rights.

If Swarbrick can't win this PR battle, then the hybrid quasi ACC membership will prove to be his biggest blunder.

Actually I have been thinking the same thing. A bid in the playoffs this year could go a long way to nip that in the bud.

 

[phillyirish]

Could you imagine Notre Dame making the playoffs 2-3 times out of the next 5 years at the expense of the ACC? How would the football alliance with the ACC hold up to that?

 

[PANDFAN]

USA Today's Dan Wolken just published an article titled "Have a problem with Notre Dame's schedule? Put a blemish on it":

My goodness that was refreshing

 

[koonja]

Could you imagine Notre Dame making the playoffs 2-3 times out of the next 5 years at the expense of the ACC? How would the football alliance with the ACC hold up to that?

They'd just beg harder for us. I'm feeling really good about this game. I think we come out and lay the hammer.

 

[NDohio]

im thinking of making the drive from gainesville fl, has anyone ever done that?

Thinking of staying in downtown greenville.

drive is about 7 hours, I don't have tix, would be flying by the seat of my pants here, you guys think its worth it?

If you do not have reservations, I highly doubt you are getting a room in Greenville. I tried to get three rooms and could only get two.

USA Today's Dan Wolken just published an article titled "Have a problem with Notre Dame's schedule? Put a blemish on it":

Gee Dabo, let's take your NFL example a step farther. If some NFL teams play 16 games against other NFL teams and some only play 15 games against other NFL teams, what do we do about those teams that play 15 games against other NFL teams and 1 game against a college team? How do we count that 1 game against an inferior opponent?


Clemson fans and sports talk radio here in SC are really getting on my last nerve this week. I can't wait for Saturday.

 

[Fbolt]

Really enjoyed the BK presser today. Having read it, seemed like he was really loose compared to most. Liked how he said players were keyed in (maybe the message from UMASS halftime stuck?) and that this is a big game. Sensing positive vibes. Chub starting. Plenty of green Kool-Aid. Time to call the bookie.

 

[NDinL.A.]

I honestly think all this bullshit from the ACC coaches is a coordinated effort starting with John Swofford to try and get Notre Dame to join as a full member. It has nothing to do with the playoff or fairness. It has everything to do with our money and our eyeballs. It's no secret that the ACC would love their own network and getting Notre Dame under their umbrella would go a long way to get ESPN to pay maximum dollars for their rights.

If Swarbrick can't win this PR battle, then the hybrid quasi ACC membership will prove to be his biggest blunder.

That's not what happened here at all. It started with a national writer (I'll check his name later) asking the question to Gary Pinkell at the SEC conference media day. He got a response he could run with, so he started asking coaches from the all over the South about it. Coaches were asked that question out of the blue. There was no concerted effort on the ACC's part...it started with a writer with an agenda asking the SEC coaches the question.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

They'd just beg harder for us. I'm feeling really good about this game. I think we come out and lay the hammer.

Koon just jinxed us...Clemson will roll now


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