On the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network on Wednesday, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed the final AP Top 25 Poll, which was released Tuesday.
The final AP Poll features three ACC teams in the top 15 (No. 13 Pittsburgh, No. 14 Clemson, No. 15 Wake Forest) and four ACC teams in the top 20 (No. 20 NC State).
“Wait a minute, (ESPN analyst) Joey Galloway said the league stinks,” Packer said, when Durham mentioned the ACC having three teams in the top 15. “I’m not going to let that go away, because he was wrong when he said it eight months ago, and he’s been proven wrong again. So, I’m just going to reiterate, they’ve got three in the top 15. The league stinks, right?”
Durham pointed out that this year marks the second time in the last six seasons the ACC finished with four teams ranked in the AP top 20 (2016).
“The league stinks, remember,” Packer sarcastically responded. “Four in the top 20, three in the top 15, and we’re just going to bury the league before we see any games this year. That’s what I learned this year at ESPN. OK, I keep saying, can we just play the games and see where this goes? I’m just asking. Just asking. We ended up having four teams in the final AP top 10 (No. 3 Michigan, No. 5 Baylor, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Michigan State) that you couldn’t find them when the season started – four in the top 10. You gotta play the games. All that hype, all that nonsense, talking heads throwing stuff against the wall, wanting to be heard, put it on Twitter, social media, all that garbage – you’ve got to play the games, man. That’s why we love the sports.”
Durham also brought up the fact that Clemson (10-3, 6-2 ACC) finished No. 14 in the AP Poll despite a 2-2 start and three losses before the month of November, thanks to six straight wins to end the season.
Packer called out those at ESPN who said early in the season that Dabo Swinney’s dynasty at Clemson is over.
“Boy, the program’s dead, right? That’s what I heard on ESPN,” Packer said. “You’re afraid to say it. I’m going to say it. There were people on ESPN after the first week of the season that said, ‘It’s over.’ They finished what, Wes? How many wins they have? Double digits. ‘Program’s over. They stink. Forget about ‘em. Stick a fork in them, they’re done. Dynasty’s over.’ At some point, are we not held accountable for some of the garbage that’s spewed on radio and television? I’m just asking. I am asking that question. … I do have an answer. If I gave it to you, it’d be my last day at ESPN.”
Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.
Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help. #SaveNicks
