Tag: 2024 college football

Tale of the Tape: Notre Dame offense vs. USC defense

Will the Irish’s offense have a big game against the Trojans?

Notre Dame’s offense really has come alive of late. While it has the support of one of the best defenses in the country, that perhaps has taken some of the pressure off to the point where it can just do what it’s supposed to do. This is exactly what an offense should be doing with the regular season coming to an end. Hopefully, a break for a few weeks won’t do much to slow its momentum.

USC comes into this game with a defense that doesn’t really jump off the page in anything. The rushing defense probably is the better part of this unit, and it has the ability to limit the number of points it allows. But that hasn’t been nearly enough to lift the Trojans to a great season. At this point, they’re happy just to be bowl-eligible.

Here’s how the Irish’s offense compares to the Trojans’ defense:

Notre Dame-USC football game now has three possible kickoff times

Stop leaving us hanging!

(This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

It’s typical for games on certain networks to not have their kickoff times announced until a week before kickoff. It’s a maddening practice that forces college football fans to put other plans for those days on hold until they can get clarity.

Well, this just took this absurdity to another level. The Notre Dame football team announced on social media that its regular-season finale at USC will kick off at one of three possible times. Those times are 3:30 p.m. EST, 7 p.m. EST or 7:30 p.m. EST.

It’s understandable networks want to lay out their weekly college football schedule based on how important each game is. After all, they do not want to have a game with two four-loss teams locked into the most ideal viewing situation.

But this goofiness shouldn’t be happening at the cost of fans’ sanity. At least the NFL announces game times well before flexing any games into prime time. Why can’t TV networks follow suit with their college football coverage?

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Tale of the Tape: Notre Dame defense vs. Virginia offense

The Cavaliers will need all the luck they can get.

Notre Dame continues to have a big season on defense. No matter who’s on the other sideline, they can’t count on scoring too much. It’s become as much a part of life as paying taxes, at least this year. There’s not much their opponents can do besides hope their own defense is nearly perfect.

Virginia will be the next team to crack the code that is the Irish’s defense. Its best shot will be to lean into its passing game, but that will be difficult with the Irish’s pass defense being among the absolute best in the country. The situation the Cavaliers find themselves in is almost impossible to emerge unscathed from, so the only thing it can do is play how it best knows how and pray it works out.

To illustrate just how tough a task the Cavaliers have, look no further than the below rankings that compare their offense t the Irish’s defense:

Roddy Jones: ACC’s playoff hopes depend on how they play Notre Dame

Time for the Irish to spoil the ACC’s plans.

As we begin the superconference era, Notre Dame remains an independent. The tradeoff for that is devoting a large portion of its schedule to the ACC, and fans of teams in that conference really might have to root against the Irish this year in order to have a chance at the College Football Playoff.

In an appearance on the “GoJo and Golic” podcast hosted by former Irish [autotag]Mike Golic[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Golic Jr.[/autotag], ESPN analyst Roddy Jones gave his insights on what the ACC would have to do to get the most teams possible into the playoff. He said that depends on how well the conference takes care of the Irish:

Looking at the Irish’s schedule, Florida State and possibly Louisville really are the only ACC opponents who could give them problems. With little room for error themselves, they’ll have no concern for the ACC’s playoff aspirations. They’ll be giving it their all every week, as they should.

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Dabo Swinney offers meaningful perspective on Clemson vs. Georgia

Dabo Swinney shared some perspective on the daunting task Clemson faces against preseason No. 1 Georgia in the Tigers’ season opener.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney knows what a win over the Georgia Bulldogs would do for his program in Week 1.

The Bulldogs are ranked the preseason No. 1 team in the nation in both the AP Top 25 and US LBM Coaches Poll; Clemson is ranked No. 14 in both polls. Georgia is a common preseason pick to win the national championship, having won two of the last three titles.

But Swinney understands the realism of the task his Tigers face in their Aug. 31 season opener, set for a noon ET kickoff on ABC from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Speaking in a recorded Q&A session with the Aflac Kickoff Game (the official title of the Clemson vs. Georgia contest), Swinney offered some perspective.

“I don’t think the preseason No. 1 team in the country has lost since 1990 in an opener,” Swinney said. “It’s big to win any game out of the gate in a game like this, but you’re talking about the No. 1 team in the nation, a team that’s lost two games in three years.”

To Swinney’s point, Miami was ranked the preseason No. 1 team in the nation under second-year coach Dennis Erickson entering 1990. The Hurricanes lost at BYU in Week 1, 28-21. They went on to finish No. 3 in the final AP and coaches poll after going 10-2.

Entering the day Friday, Clemson is a 13.5-point underdog to Georgia, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

“I think it would be obviously huge for our players and a lot of wind in your sails early on,” Swinney said of what a Clemson upset over Georgia would mean. “Certainly for our fans, they’re excited. It’s Clemson/Georgia and all the rivalry stuff that goes with that. So, it’s a big deal, no doubt about it.”

After Georgia, Clemson returns to Death Valley to open the home portion of its schedule against Appalachian State. Swinney stressed the importance of not overlooking the Tigers’ Week 2 opponent, regardless of whether they’re able to string together an upset over a Georgia program that hasn’t lost a regular season game since 2020.

“If you win the (Georgia) game, you celebrate just like any other game,” Swinney said. “You celebrate it and you better move on quick because you’ll get exposed as you go through your schedule. Because every week has to be the biggest game of the year. That just has to be our mindset.

“We all know that, ‘Hey, this is an opener and it’s huge,’ but they’re not going to give us a national championship trophy if we win the game,” Swinney added of Georgia. “It’s a long season.”

RELATED: Clemson ranks Top 10 in USA TODAY Sports preseason college football re-rank 1-134

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Washington-Washington State is most overrated Rivalry Week game

Skip this one at the end of November.

There surely are people in the Evergreen State who greatly look forward to Washington and Washington State battling it out every year. One can’t blame them with state pride on the line.

In spite of that, we’re here to tell you that when Rivalry Week wraps up the regular season, you’re better off watching another game. This game doesn’t deserve the hype it gets, especially with the Huskies fresh off coming within a game of a national championship and the Cougars going nowhere fast.

Of all the Power Five games that have been played consistently during Rivalry Week over the past decade or so, this is one of only two in which a team has won nine of the past 10 meetings. The Huskies are beneficiaries of that. The other features Virginia Tech’s dominance of Virginia.

One reason the game in the Pacific Northwest wins this regrettable battle is because the Cougars have achieved national rankings far more frequently than the Cavaliers. That being the case, it’s almost a given these days that the Hokies will beat the Cavaliers. One would expect in some years for the Cougars to beat the Huskies, but it’s just not happening.

Another reason is when the Huskies beat the Cougars, they typically dominate. That wasn’t the case in 2023 as the Huskies won by only three points, but it was their first single-digit win over the Cougars since 2010. The Cavaliers, by contrast, have lost to the Hokies by single digits four times during the same stretch.

So again, don’t waste your time watching this game between the two major Washington schools. Choose from one of the many others instead.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Where CBS Sports ranks Kentucky’s strength of schedule entering 2024

Here’s where CBS Sports ranks the Wildcats’ strength of schedule ahead of the 2024 college football season.

With one month remaining until the Kentucky Wildcats kick off the 2024 college football season against Southern Miss at Kroger Field (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network), CBS Sports released their strength of schedule rankings for every Power Four conference Wednesday.

In the SEC, Kentucky ranks as having the eighth-toughest schedule — one spot below Vanderbilt and one ahead of Alabama. Earlier this summer, ESPN’s College Football Power Index (FPI) ranked the Wildcats as having the fourth-toughest schedule in the nation.

Per CBS Sports’ Will Backus:

“Kentucky and new quarterback Brock Vandagriff won’t have much time to adjust this season. The Wildcats play their first four games at home, but two of those are against Georgia and South Carolina, and the fourth is against an Ohio team that has 20 wins over the past two years. UK also has to play on the road against Tennessee and Texas in its last four games. That’s not an enviable stretch.”

Florida was ranked the toughest schedule in the SEC. Eleven of the Gators’ 12 games are against Power Four schools, including their annual matchups with Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and LSU. Florida also travels to Texas and Florida State while hosting Ole Miss.

Garrett Riley outlines expectations for Cade Klubnik in 2024

Garrett Riley talks about his expectations for Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik ahead of the 2024 college football season.

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley met with reporters during Dabo Swinney’s 2024 media gathering at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex Tuesday. Not surprisingly, quarterback Cade Klubnik’s name came up a lot.

One of the questions asked was about Riley’s expectations for Klubnik in 2024. Klubnik will be in his second full season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback after starting all 13 games a year ago.

“A guy that’s not going to panic, a guy that’s going to understand what we’re trying to do,” Riley said. “Minimizing some of the bad plays. Those are some of the things off the top of my head that we should be able to see this fall.”

Klubnik’s first full season was far from perfect as the Tigers began the year 4-4 with losses to Duke, Florida State, Miami and NC State. But Klubnik showed signs of improvement down the stretch, leading Clemson to five straight wins to close the year on a positive note.

In the Tigers’ 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky, Klubnik helped rally the team for 28 points in the fourth quarter to escape with a thrilling victory and hopefully give the former five-star quarterback from Austin, Texas, some momentum going forward.

“With all the things that kind of went on in our season, a good problem to have with a guy like Cade is at times he’s one of those that really believes in himself,” Riley said. “Which is awesome, but at times you can try to do a little bit too much.”

Riley pointed to injuries and depth issues that he believes resulted in Klubnik feeling added pressure a season ago.

“When certain guys were missing or maybe a little thin in certain spots, maybe the added pressure (of feeling) like he had to do a little bit too much probably crept in at times,” Riley said. “But as the season went on, I think he learned (from) that. I think he understood that a little bit better, and really I think the game kind of slowed down for him each and every week. That’s really what I saw as you look through it chronologically.”

Klubnik and the Tigers will open the 2024 season as underdogs against probable preseason No. 1 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for noon EDT. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.

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Kentucky soars in updated ESPN college football 2025 recruiting rankings

Here’s where Kentucky placed in ESPN’s updated 2025 college football recruiting rankings, released Friday.

Mark Stoops’ 2025 recruiting class continues to gain momentum.

On Friday, ESPN released its updated 2025 college football recruiting class rankings ($). Kentucky jumped seven spots to No. 18 in ESPN’s latest rankings. Eight SEC teams were ranked ahead of the Wildcats, including Alabama at No. 2 and Georgia at No. 3.

Four-star running back Marquise Davis (Cleveland, Ohio) is listed as the Wildcats’ top offensive recruit by ESPN with four-star EDGE Javeon Campbell named the top defensive recruit.

Campbell committed to Kentucky earlier this month. His recruitment is considered a major win by Stoops. Campbell chose to remain in state over offers from Alabama, Auburn and others, He is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 recruit in the Bluegrass State.

Per ESPN’s Craig Haubert:

“The Wildcats’ offense featured Ray Davis, one of the top rushers in the SEC now with the Buffalo Bills, in 2023. Marquise Davis gives them another talented rusher, even if it’ll be another season before he arrives. A versatile player who could also project to defense, Davis has a sturdy build at 5-foot-11, 204 pounds with a nice blend of speed and quickness. He’s a productive runner who rushed for more than 2,000 yards as a junior.

“Kentucky has used transfers in recent years at quarterback, but ESPN 300 QB Stone Saunders give the Wildcats a promising option to develop within the system. A competitive player with good arm strength, Saunders will be a four-year starter in high school. He threw for more than 3,000 yards and 50 touchdowns as a junior.”

On defense, Kentucky had already received a commitment from defensive back Martels Carter Jr. in May, giving Stoops the No. 1 and No. 2 overall players in the State as ranked by 247Sports.

Kentucky has five players total in the ESPN 300 recruiting database: Davis, Saunders, Campbell (Western Hills High School, Frankfort), Carter (Paducah Tilghman) and defensive end Cedric Works (Dayton, Ohio).

Haubert added:

“Carter has good speed, ball skills and can contribute in the return game. Campbell is a basketball player with limited prep football experience having started playing as a junior but has shown he is a quick study notching over a dozen sacks last year and still has room to grow as a player and could be a disruptive and versatile defensive lineman for the Wildcats.”

The Wildcats’ 2025 class is currently ranked No. 19 overall by 247Sports while On3 has them at No. 20.

REKATED: Kentucky football has four Top247 recruits in new rankings

Among the teams Kentucky currently ranks ahead of on ESPN’s list are Texas (No. 21), Florida State (No. 22) and Southern Cal (No. 23).

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CBS Sports reveals 2024 ACC football ‘Hot Seat Rankings’ for head coaches

CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd released his annual ‘Hot Seat Rankings’ ahead of the 2024 college football season. Here’s how ACC coaches were rated.

There’s never been a time when college football coaches were as susceptible to being on the hot seat as they are now.

By and large, gone are the days when coaches had something of a grace period to either improve a program they were placed in charge of — or maintain the high standards of a rich, storied program from their predecessors. Throw in the transfer portal and “roster building,” and coaches are given even less room for error today.

On Monday, veteran college football analyst Dennis Dodd released his annual Hot Seat Rankings for all 134 FBS coaches ahead of the 2024 season. In Dodd’s system, a 5 rating translates to “win or be fired.” A rating of 0 means that a coach is “untouchable.”

Only two coaches from the ACC ranked in the latter category in Dodd’s ratings — and neither of them were Dabo Swinney. The “untouchable” label instead went to Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Louisville coach Jeff Brohm.

As for Swinney, Clemson’s coach scored a 2 rating from Dodd, who assigns that number to coaches that are “All good… for now.” For comparison, some of the other Power Four coaches at major programs graded with the same score on Dodd’s Hot Seat Rankings are first-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, Auburn’s Hugh Freeze and former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, set to begin his third season as head coach at Oklahoma.

In the ACC, North Carolina coach Mack Brown, NC State’s Dave Doeren, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry, first-year Syracuse coach Fran Brown and Stanford coach Troy Taylor all share the same 2 rating from Dodd as Swinney.

Coaches who received a 1 rating (described by Dodd as “safe and secure”) were 11th-year Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson, first-year Boston College coach Bill O’Brien, former Miami turned Duke coach Manny Diaz, and SMU’s Rhett Lashlee.

Elsewhere in the ACC, Miami coach Mario Cristobal, Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi, Virginia coach Tony Elliott and Cal’s Justin Wilcox all received a rating of 3 (described by Dodd as “pressure is mounting”).

Swinney was listed as “untouchable” a season ago in Dodd’s rankings, but that was before the Tigers went 9-4 and Swinney doubled down on his resistance to use the transfer portal to recruit players.

RELATED: Is Paul Finebaum right about Dabo Swinney and transfer portal?

A successful 2024 season would go a long way in moving Swinney back into the “untouchable” category, especially if success is defined as Clemson winning the ACC and earning an automatic bid to the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Tigers’ biggest conference game on paper is their Oct. 5 visit to Florida state. The Seminoles beat Clemson, 31-24, in overtime a season ago.

Of the Tigers’ three other losses in 2023, Clemson hosts NC State in the third game of the season on Sept. 21 in Death Valley. Duke and Miami, which beat Clemson last season, aren’t on the 2024 schedule.

The Blue Devils and Hurricanes are replaced by road trips to Pitt and Virginia Tech. The Tigers also have a Nov. 2 home game against a Louisville program that finished with 10 wins a season ago and came close to knocking off Florida State in the ACC Championship Game.

Clemson opens the season against the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 31.

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