Category: College sports

Social media reacts to Nick Saban joining ESPN College GameDay

Twitter/X reaction to the news of Nick Saban joining ESPN’s College GameDay.

Almost no one suspected that Nick Saban would fade completely away from the college football world after the 72-year-old Saban announced his retirement from coaching on January 10.

Less than a month later, Saban has officially found his next landing spot — in an analyst’s seat on ESPN’s College GameDay.

“Saban… will join a team that includes host Rece Davis, analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee, as well as college football insider Pete Thamel, reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims, and college football betting analyst ‘Stanford Steve’ Coughlin,” ESPN announced in a press release Wednesday.

Saban will also appear on ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage and make various appearances across other ESPN platforms, including the SEC Network.

Saban led Alabama to six national championships in his 17 years in Tuscaloosa. He also led LSU to a national championship in 2003.

Here’s how Twitter/X users reacted to the news of Saban joining College GameDay.

What Brad Brownell said after Clemson’s upset win over North Carolina

A look at what Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after the Tigers’ 80-76 victory over North Carolina on Tuesday night.

Clemson pulled one of the biggest upsets of the season in the ACC when it defeated No. 3 North Carolina, 80-76, on Tuesday night at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

A 7.5-point underdog with losses in six of their last nine contests entering the night, the Tigers (15-7 overall, 5-6 ACC) stormed out to a 15-2 lead and led by as many as 16 in the first half before North Carolina (18-5, 10-2) eventually tied the game at 70-all with around four minutes to play in regulation.

Clemson closed things out with a 10-6 run to earn just the program’s second win all-time in Chapel Hill.

Here’s what Tigers coach Brad Brownell said after the game.

On getting a big win:

“I’m really happy for these guys. I’ve said a couple of times that I think we’re playing better than our ACC record, but we are what our record says we are so we’ve got to finish some games. Our guys have really hung in there. I think they’ve battled and stayed pretty positive. They’re working hard in practice every day. We just haven’t had many good results.

“The start to the game was huge. Obviously it gave our guys a big shot in the arm and some confidence, and then we weathered the storm. This place was loud. I think we shocked them early. For the last 30 minutes, it got loud in here and I thought our guys handled that very well. They made some big plays down the stretch. It’s just a big win for us. “

On his approach to the team at the beginning of the game and what he hoped to achieve on offense:

“Just play with confidence. Move the ball and move ourselves. We got some stops. I thought we were able to get out a little bit. I told them, ‘We don’t want to run on made baskets every time, but occasionally we’re going to push it.’ We want to get down the floor. We want to attack, we want to move the ball, look inside. We knew they (North Carolina) were going to do a couple of things in their pick and roll that we kind of exploited. We knew if our guards attacked down hill, we could get a throwback 3 to some of our bigs.

“I told PJ Hall, ‘Knock these in, man. These are the same ones you’ve been getting, but you’re ready.’ He got off to a good start. (Carolina) ended up changing their coverage probably around halftime or late in the first half. We had to make some adjustments again. I thought our games hung in there. I’m proud of the way we rebounded the ball. We only had five turnovers. We did some unbelievable things, rebounding 43 (shots), 11 offensive boards, and then to only have 14 assists and five turnovers in a game like this, with this pressure, is pretty good play.”

On Joe Girard’s 21 points and six rebounds:

“Huge. We need that because Ian (Schieffelin) and PJ can only do so much. They’ve been battling pretty well and had 11 and nine rebounds, but we’ve got to get those guards swooping down and grabbing a few. That was really important for us. It was hard to stop those guys. I thought we changed defenses enough to at least slow the game down a little, especially in that first half. This was a hard-fought one down the stretch.”

On UNC’s RJ Davis scoring 22 points but needing 22 shots:

“That was really big. They sometimes play and we forget the simple things. At the beginning of the game, we’re playing so well and (Armando) Bacot is taking it upon himself to try to keep them in it. We did a good job on Davis and then midway through the game, it kind of flipped and Davis started trying to take over. I just told our players that if we got help off some of these other guys to try to make it really hard for Bacot and Davis. Getting Davis to shoot 22 balls for 22 points, that’s huge for us. That really helps the percentages. And then I just thought we battled as well as we could. Bacot is a real tough matchup.”

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano reacts to Rick Pitino’s NIL proposals: ‘The problem with NIL is just way that it’s formatted’

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano talks about NIL.

Greg Schiano believes that college athletes deserve to be paid, but he said that there is “unruliness” when it comes to Name, Image and Likeness. The Rutgers football head coach laid out his thoughts while appearing on PIX 11 with Marc Malusis and Nelson Figueroa Jr.

Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) is the predominant driving force in this new era of college athletics. This, along with the transfer portal, has led to massive changes in college football and across the athletics landscape.

On Tuesday, St. John’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino made headlines with his suggestions that the Power Five and the Big East should come together to create a league where players are paid directly by the school (with a salary cap).

Schiano agreed with Pitino that NIL is powerful and should exist. However, the Rutgers coach said that the implementation of NIL has led to the current state of unrest in college athletics.

 

The original intent of NIL is not being fulfilled in the way things are currently set up.

“Well, it’s certainly a transformational time, right? I mean, players are -you know, I’ve always thought players should have been paid my whole career. I always thought it was not right the way things were done in college athletics,” Schiano said to a question from Malusis.

“We probably could have taken care of this a long time ago and not had the unruliness that we have right now. I think the problem with NIL is just the way that it’s formatted. It’s -in theory, it’s not a bad issue at all. It’s actually what’s right. It’s just the way that it’s being executed.”

Pitino’s tweets on Tuesday also suggested that players sign a multi-year contract, thereby cutting down on the rampant use of the transfer portal which makes things difficult for college coaches to build teams.

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Schiano addressed the portal as well, even drawing a correlation between the portal and coaches leaving a program.

“Now on the transfer portal. You know, I think guys should be able to go if they don’t want to be at their school and not be penalized, I think maybe unlimited is a little different,” Schiano said.

“You know, guys, they said, ‘Well, coaches can leave.’ But the reality is when coaches leave, they pay a pretty hefty…they ao their next employer plays a pretty hefty buyout to get them.

“I think eventually things are going to settle where they need to be but hold on right now because it’s just a transformational time in college athletics is probably there’s ever been.”

[lawrence-related id=35063,35049]

Given the recent ruling by the National Labor Relations Board, the landscape of major college athletics is on the precipice of massive change. Tuesday on “SportsNation Nightly’ @Rutgers Head Football Coach Greg Schiano joined @MarcMalusis and @FiggieNY to discuss what lies ahead pic.twitter.com/axIasGwVwS

While playing the second-toughest schedule in college football, Schiano led Rutgers to a 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten) record this past season. They defeated Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl to mark the program’s first postseason victory since 2014.

Women’s basketball defeats Michigan 65-59

The Huskers hit the road to battle Michigan Tuesday night. Nebraska entered the game coming off a one-point loss to Rutgers on Saturday.

The Huskers hit the road to battle Michigan Tuesday night. Nebraska entered the game coming off a one-point loss to Rutgers on Saturday. The Huskers’ battle with the Wolverines also went down to the wire. This time, Nebraska finished on top, taking down Michigan 65-59.

The Huskers held the lead for most of the second half, after trailing by as much as nine in the first half. Nebraska’s lead over the Wolverines never grew bigger than six points, but the Huskers held off Michigan’s attempts to take the lead back.

Alexis Markowski shepherded the most points for Nebraska, tallying up 18 points on the night. Markowski delivered her 18 points by going 8-of-11 in total shooting. She also led the team in rebounds with nine. Natalie Potts and Jaz Shelley also dropped double-digit points, with Potts scoring 12 and Shelley chalking up 10.

The Huskers move to 15-8 on the season and 7-5 in conference play. They will return home for their second clash against Caitlyn Clark and No. 2 Iowa on Sunday. Tipoff is at noon and can be viewed on FOX.

Clemson takes down No. 3 North Carolina in Chapel Hill

Clemson built a 16-point lead over ACC rival and No. 3-ranked North Carolina on Tuesday and held on for an 80-76 victory at the Dean Smith Center.

Clemson built a 16-point lead over ACC rival and No. 3-ranked North Carolina on Tuesday night and held on for an 80-76 victory at the Dean Smith Center.

The win was just the second in program history by a Tigers team visiting Chapel Hill.

Clemson (15-7 overall, 5-6 conference) put North Carolina and its home crowd on notice early by jumping out to a 15-2 lead.

The Tigers hit their first six shots of the game, including a pair of 3-pointers from PJ Hall and another from Joe Girard. The hot start forced North Carolina coach Hubert Davis to take a timeout before the first media stoppage.

North Carolina (18-5, 10-2) ended the half on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 43-34 at intermission. As expected, the Tar Heels would make a run in the second half and evened the score at 70-all when Harrison Ingram drained a 3-pointer with 4:19 to play in regulation.

But unlike other late-game efforts this season, Clemson withstood the charge.

Girard sank the last of his five 3-pointers with just over two minutes to play to extend the Clemson lead to 75-70. By that point, North Carolina had gone over 2:30 without a basket. Jack Clark went to the foul line on the Tigers’ next possession with 1:42 to play and sank both baskets to increase the lead to 77-70.

North Carolina threatened a late run after Clark missed a 3-pointer that would have extended the Clemson lead to nine, and after a bizarre turnover from Hall, who would later sink two foul shots to close out the victory.

Hall finished with 25 points in just 27 minutes to lead the Tigers in scoring. Girard added 21 points, including his five 3-pointers. Ian Schieffelin had 14 points — 12 of which came in the second half — to go with 11 rebounds.

Unlike four years ago, when Clemson snapped an 0-59 lifetime winless streak on Carolina’s home court, the Tigers never even trailed Tuesday.

“The start to the game was huge,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said afterwards. “I think we shocked them early. For the last 30 minutes, it got loud in here and I thought our guys handled it very well and made some big plays down the stretch. It’s a big win for us.”

Armando Bacot’s 24 points led North Carolina, and RJ Davis scored 22 to pass Michael Jordan for 15th on the list of all-time leading scorers in UNC history.

Clemson built its largest of the night at 41-25 in the first half after Clark cut to the basket and sank a shot off the glass with 2:33 to play until halftime.

The Tigers shot 48.5 percent in the first half on 16 of 33 attempts. By contrast, Carolina shot just 31 percent in the opening half and missed on 11 of 15 attempts from 3-point range.

UP NEXT: Clemson travels to Syracuse for a noon tipoff Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome (or Carrier Dome). The game will be televised by ESPN2.

Clemson AD: Dabo Swinney staying put was “great testament to Clemson”

Clemson athletic director Graham Neff says that Dabo Swinney staying at Clemson instead of opting for Alabama job was a “great testament” to the Tigers’ program.

Nick Saban took the college sports world by storm last month when he announced his retirement as head coach at Alabama — just nine days after leading the Crimson Tide to another appearance in the College Football Playoff.

The immediate question that followed the initial shock of Saban’s retirement centered on who would replace the decorated coach, viewed by many as the greatest of all-time.

Enter Dabo Swinney. A native Alabamian and former Crimson Tide walk-on receiver in the early 90s, Swinney’s name had been linked to his alma mater for years whenever talk turned to Saban’s eventual successor.

Swinney was the only coach to beat Saban twice in the College Football Playoff, winning both the 2016 and 2018 national championship games over Alabama.

So to say that Swinney was one of the top names to be considered for the Alabama opening would probably be an understatement, even if such talk was and is denied in some online circles and sports talk radio. Thankfully for the purple-and-orange clad faithful, Clemson didn’t have to worry long about Swinney’s future.

Alabama hired Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, who had just led his Huskies team to the national championship game against Michigan that same week. Swinney proclaimed afterwards, “I was always an Alabama boy, but now I am a Clemson man.”

Clemson athletic director Graham Neff opened up to The State earlier this week on Swinney’s decision to stay put instead of heading to Tuscaloosa.

“It was just a great testament to Clemson,” Neff told The State. “It’s something that Dabo and I talked a lot about while that (Alabama) transition was happening. He has a long memory in a good way. He’s going on his 16th year (as coach) and 20 years at Clemson. That support that Clemson has shown to him and Clemson football over these two decades… that adds up and that matters.”

Swinney took over as interim head coach in 2008 when Tommy Bowden left just six games into a disappointing 3-3 start to the season. The Tigers had been ranked No. 9 in the preseason poll that year and were considered favorites to win the ACC.

Swinney had the interim tag removed after leading Clemson to a 4-2 finish that year and a berth in the Gator Bowl. He eventually built the Tigers into a national power. Clemson made six consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff under Swinney from 2015-2020, winning two titles and playing for two more.

Bracketology: Where Joe Lunardi ranks Clemson headed into February

A look at where ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projects Clemson in his latest Bracketology update for ESPN.

It’s hard to imagine a more brutal start to the new year than Clemson’s performance throughout the month of January.

After an 11-1 start that saw the Tigers (14-7 overall, 4-6 ACC) climb from unranked to No. 16 in the country with non-conference wins over Alabama, TCU, South Carolina and others, Clemson seemed poised to solidify itself as a top contender in the ACC once conference play began in full force in January.

It’s been anything but fun.

The Tigers have fallen out of the top 25 polls and have dropped six of their last nine games, with uninspiring performances in losses to Miami, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Clemson did come within a second of beating Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium after losing on a series of controversial calls, but they followed that up with a close victory over a near-historically bad Louisville team and a loss to Virginia.

Those performances have caused the Tigers to fall to a projected No. 8 seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology update for ESPN.

The new projections, released this week, have Clemson facing Nebraska from the Big Ten in the 8 vs. 9 game at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, part of the East Region of NCAA Tournament games.

Clemson could help itself tremendously if it were to take down the ACC’s top-ranked team Tuesday in No. 3 North Carolina at the Dean Smith Center Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The game will be televised by ESPN.

[RELATED: Clemson vs. North Carolina: How to Watch/Stream/Listen]

Lunardi’s latest projections forecast just four ACC teams to make this year’s NCAA Tournament: Carolina, Clemson, Duke, and Virginia. The Tar Heels earn one of the four No. 1 seeds in Lunardi’s projections, along with Purdue, Houston, and overall No. 1 seed Connecticut.

Duke is a projected No. 3 seed while Virginia checks in as a No. 10 seed in Lunardi’s update.

Lunardi awards the most tournament bids by conferences to the SEC and Big 12 with nine apiece. The Big Ten is second with six, and the Mountain West and Big East are projected to have five bids each.

Future Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork formally says goodbye to Aggieland

“Our goal was to make Texas A&M better than we found it and I am proud of what we accomplished on and off the fields of play,” he said on X.

Former Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork completed his tenure in Aggieland this past Friday before departing for The Ohio State University.

On the afternoon of his final day in College Station, Bjork published a statement on social media to reflect on his time and what he achieved during his time with the Aggies.

“As I serve my last day at Texas A&M, I wanted to give thanks to everyone around Aggieland,” Bjork stated on X. “It was an honor to work here the last four and a half years and for twelve years in the SEC. I appreciate the Board of Regents, Chancellor Sharp, 12th Man Foundation Board, coaches, staff, and most importantly, the student-athletes at Texas A&M. To the donors, fans and students – the 12th Man is the real deal and I know you care deeply about the Aggies and deserve success. I want to give special thanks to President Mark Welsh for his support and positive and steadfast leadership and I can’t wait to watch him propel Texas A&M University.

“Our goal was to make Texas A&M better than we found it and I am proud of what we accomplished on and off the fields of play. Our family will always love and cherish our time in Aggieland and these special bonds will last a lifetime.

“Thanks & Gig’Em

“- Ross Bjork”

Bjork was named the successor to Gene Smith as the director of athletics at Ohio State on Jan. 16. R.C. Slocum was named interim Texas A&M athletic director on Jan. 22. Bjork officially begins his tenure as Buckeyes athletic director on July 1.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Clemson vs. North Carolina: How to Watch/Stream/Listen

A look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Tuesday’s game vs. North Carolina.

Clemson’s fortunes have soured considerably since a promising 11-1 start to the season.

The Tigers suffered a heartbreaking 66-65 home loss to Virginia over the weekend that would have given them a much-needed victory and morality boost.

Instead, when Jack Clark missed a good-look 3-point attempt from the top of the key just a split second before the buzzer sounded on Saturday, Clemson had dropped its sixth game in nine tries since the start of the year.

A trip to Chapel Hill to face the ACC’s top-ranked team in No. 3 North Carolina will be the furthest thing from a soft landing spot that coach Brad Brownell’s squad can get.

NORTH CAROLINA

Talk about no rest for the purple-and-orange clad weary. The Tar Heels (18-4 overall, 10-1 conference) started 9-0 in ACC play, their best mark in 23 years, before falling a week ago to Georgia Tech in Atlanta to snap a 10-game overall winning streak.

Coach Hubert Davis’ team quickly rebounded for a convincing 93-84 victory over No. 7 Duke at the Dean Smith Center last Saturday.

6-foot-11 senior Armando Bacot has led North Carolina all season and did so again vs. Duke when he scored a game-high 25 points to go with 10 rebounds. Harrison Ingram also posted a double-double with 21 points and 13 boards.

CLEMSON

After its latest setback to a streaking Virginia team that’s won seven straight contests, Clemson (14-7, 4-6) had its third loss in the past month that was decided on the final play of the game; the Tigers had previously suffered similar heartbreaking defeats to Duke and Georgia Tech.

“We’ve gotten knocked back a little bit. I think we have a good group of guys and we’ll continue to rally and gain traction. Eventually, the worm will turn and we’ll win a couple of these games that have gotten away from us and be back in a good place,” Brownell maintained after Saturday’s loss.

PJ Hall led Clemson with 19 points against Virginia to match his team-best season average.

Series Notes and Recent History

Tuesday’s game marks the 147th meeting between Clemson and North Carolina. The Tar Heels hold a commanding 124-22 advantage in the all-time head to head series. In the last meeting between the two schools a month ago on January 6, Bacot tallied 14 points and 16 rebounds in a 65-55 North Carolina victory at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Clemson’s last win over Carolina was three years ago in February 2021 at Littlejohn. The Tigers have won only once all-time in Chapel Hill. That was on January 11, 2020 in a historic 79-76 overtime thriller that snapped a 59-game consecutive losing streak on the Tar Heels’ home court. It was longest such streak vs. a single opponent in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history — one that had dated back to 1926. The Tigers lost 91-71 in their most recent visit to Chapel Hill last season.

How To Watch

Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Tuesday’s game vs. North Carolina.

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 6

Time: 7 p.m. EST

Where: Dean Smith Center

TV Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN+

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App | SiriusXM (Channel 389)

Broadcast Teams

ESPN: Rece Davis, Jay Williams

Clemson Radio: Don Munson, Tim Bourret

Where Clemson football ranks in new ESPN ranking

A look at where Clemson appears in a new ESPN ranking.

ESPN has released a list of all 134 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams and where each program ranks in returning production for the 2024 season.

Where Clemson ranks on the list might all depend on how you look at things — or whether you put much stock into such rankings. For instance, the Tigers rank only 12th among the soon to be 17 ACC football programs but are 54th nationally on the list, compiled by ESPN’s Bill Connelly.

While Clemson’s overall ranking is lower than 11 ACC schools, it’s also higher than such national powers as LSU (60th), Ohio State (70th), and Alabama (115th).

On offense, Clemson is 20th overall in returning production ranking at 79 percent. On defense, they’re 103rd at 49 percent for a combined percentage ranking of 64 percent.

Of the ACC programs rated ahead of Clemson, Virginia Tech is ranked No. 1 overall on Connelly’s list. Brent Pry’s Hokies have an 86 percent overall production, including 95 percent in returning offense. The Tigers will travel to Blacksburg on November 9 to face Virginia Tech.

Virginia, who the Tigers will face October 19 at Clemson Memorial Stadium, is the second highest-ranked ACC team at No. 5 (76 percent overall; 85 percent offense, 68 percent defense).

Syracuse rounded out Connelly’s top 10 list at 74 percent overall (81 percent offense, 67 percent defense). Defending ACC champion Florida State places 83rd on the list at 58 percent (56 percent offense, 60 percent defense). The Tigers will visit Tallahassee for a much-anticipated showdown with the Seminoles on October 5.

Georgia, who Clemson will face in the season-opener for both schools in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 31, ranks 47th on the list at 65 percent overall (76 percent offense; 55 percent defense).

Connelly’s returning production rankings are part of his overall SP+ projections, which he notes measures recruiting and recent on-field success as well.

“High or low returning production percentages correlate well with improvement and regression. They might not guarantee a good or bad team, but they can still tell us a lot,” Connelly notes in his rankings.