Tag: Clemson

College Football Playoff Expansion: Would you Want It?

What does nobody have a logical complaint about this year though yet is still complained about regularly?
The College Football Playoff and how it needs expanded.

It’s that time of year that there are no major college football games to react to for a couple weeks aside from Army/Navy so in the tradition of the internet we’re left with a lot of venting of frustrations.

Some people are mad their coach is still around (Looking at you, USC…).

Some people are mad about the inferior bowl game their team got selected to (what’s up Fighting Irish fans?).

And others are mad about recruits flipping commitments and instead choosing a rival (Hey, Auburn!).

What does nobody have a logical complaint about this year though yet is still complained about regularly?

The College Football Playoff and how it needs expanded.

Each time I look on Twitter (I swear if it wasn’t for work I’d drop it and Facebook faster than Braden Lenzy could run past a Navy defender) it’s as if another “New and Improved” playoff format is being proposed.

Ross does great work and I have no doubt these talks have been had. I only have one question about it though:

Why?

This year’s playoff was perfect. Do we really need to see a two-loss Oregon team get added for winning the Pac-12? Does Baylor deserve in because they lost close twice to Oklahoma? Should LSU have to beat Alabama or Georgia a second time to prove they’re title worthy?

The answer to all of these is an emphatic “NO!”.

The ideas to include even more – 12 or 16 squads?

Ridiculous.

Who in their right might mind wants to see three-loss Auburn, Wisconsin, Michigan or Notre Dame get a shot?

They’re all in the top 16.

I like the idea of the regular season mattering in a big way. Rewarding good but great teams for good but not great play takes away the importance.

LSU versus Alabama was great a month ago but you know why? Because it was essentially an elimination game for the CFP.

I get the lack of excitement over heading to the Camping World Bowl but would you rather see an undeserving Notre Dame team get a playoff chance and get smoked by LSU?

I don’t see the point of that.

Because they come close to earning it and LSU shouldn’t have to beat yet another top 25 team and risk another week of injuries since its football after-all, to try to win a title.

Expansion to six teams could make sense in my eyes because it protects against the extremely unlikely chance that all five Power Five Conference champs end a season unbeaten yet one gets left out.

Beyond that is simply rewarding good, not great and I couldn’t be more against it.

All Decade Top 25: Notre Dame Good, Not Great

From a national perspective however, what is the biggest win Notre Dame had the last ten seasons?
At Oklahoma in 2012?

As the decade wraps up we’ll have more and more discussion as to the best this, that and the other in regards to college football.

Here on Fighting Irish Wire I’m working with contributor Jeff Feyerer on a ton of lists in regards to the last day decade that we’re excited to soon share and discuss with everyone of our loyal readers.

In the meantime, I stumbled into this list tonight – the top 25 programs of the decade.

I was curious how Notre Dame would rank and I think Berry Werner at Touchdown Wire did a pretty fine job.

No. 16 Notre Dame (91-37)

There are a lot of wins but the losses feel like they always come in the tougher games on the schedule, which has a load of soft spots. Brian Kelly has done a nice job getting the team to bounce back from off-years.

I have trouble arguing much with the ranking. For those curious Werner put the Irish one spot ahead of Michigan and one spot behind Michigan State.

For those curious Alabama was one while Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma all checked in just behind.

Oklahoma State was a little curiously ranked ahead of Notre Dame at 13 but it’s easy to forget how good their start of the decade was. It’s also hard to get to upset about a team who has won 10+ games six times in the window being ranked above, especially since they haven’t missed a bowl game since 2005 but for those interested, they have won just one more Big XII Championship in that time than Notre Dame.

Notre Dame has played for one national championship (and gotten destroyed) and made one College Football Playoff in that time, which alone gets them easily in the top-25.

From a national perspective however, what is the biggest win Notre Dame had the last ten seasons?

At Oklahoma in 2012?

Taking Florida State to the wire in 2014 or Clemson to the gun in 2015? Heartbreaking thrillers sure, but still losses.

They’ve had a seat at the table but until they knock off one of these top-five or so teams the perception will remain.

The good news however is that if you were to simply do this same top 25 over the last three seasons how many teams would come ahead of Notre Dame?

Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Oklahoma and who else?

It’s the looks of a very good program on the cusp of joining the elites but until that top-five or so matchup is won, you won’t see many chirping for the Irish to be seen in quite the same class.

Notre Dame/Iowa State: How to Watch the Camping World Bowl

That day, at least in terms of college football, begins at noon ET on the 28th as Notre Dame takes on Iowa State in a contest that airs on ABC.

Saturday, December 28 will be one of the best Saturday’s of the season for college fans with a couple of intruiging bowl games before the College Football Playoff takes over at night.

That day, at least in terms of college football, begins at noon ET on the 28th as Notre Dame takes on Iowa State in a contest that airs on ABC.

Penn State and Memphis doing battle in the Cotton Bowl will kickoff at the same time on ESPN.

Finally the College Football Playoff will begin following the Cotton Bowl with both games airing on ESPN.

LSU and Oklahoma doing battle in the Peach Bowl and Ohio State takes on Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl.  It has not yet been announced which of those two games will air first and which will be shown in primetime, but I’d be willing to bet the Fiesta gets the nod.

College Football Playoff: Who is In?

After a long college football season, the College Football Playoff is finally here. Who got into the playoff on the sixth Selection Sunday?

The college football regular season is over and the moment everyone has been waiting for is finally here. Usually, Selection Sunday is full of drama and debate. This year, the four teams were known and the only thing to debate was in which order to put them in.

Clemson (13-0), LSU (13-0), Ohio State (13-0), and Oklahoma (12-1) were the only Power 5 teams to either be undefeated or have one loss. All four were conference champions, with all but Oklahoma having convincing victories on Saturday.

Oklahoma came in at No. 4, beating Baylor in overtime in the Big 12 Championship, 30-23. At No. 3, Clemson has won eight straight games by 30+ points, including a 62-17 win against Virginia in the ACC Championship.

The debate of the day was who the committee was going to put at No. 1. The ranking is significant as facing Oklahoma is seen as an easier task than Clemson in the semi-final matchup. Ohio State was put at No. 2, as they needed a comeback win against Wisconsin to win the Big 10 Championship, 34-21. LSU comes in at No. 1, destroying Georgia 37-10 in the SEC Championship.

Texas joins Texas A&M as the only other team in the country to play two playoff teams this season. Texas faced LSU and Oklahoma, while Texas A&M faced Clemson and LSU.

No. 1 LSU will face No. 4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, while No. 2 Ohio State will face No. 3 Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Both games will take place on Saturday, Dec. 28 on ESPN.

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Amway Coaches Poll: Notre Dame Holds Still

Stack resumes and you can easily make the case that Notre Dame is worthy of a top-10, perhaps top-seven spot.

The final regular season Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today is out and if it offers any hint of how the College Playoff Committee will see things, they’ll fall exactly in line with what we thought they’d be last night.

Here is the latest Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Oklahoma

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Florida

8. Baylor

9. Alabama

10. Utah

11. Wisconsin

12. Penn State

13. Auburn

14. Notre Dame

15. Memphis

16. Minnesota

17. Michigan

18. Boise State

19. Iowa

20. Appalachian State

21. Navy

22. Cincinnati

23. USC

24. Air Force

25. Virginia

Stack resumes and you can easily make the case that Notre Dame is worthy of a top-10, perhaps top-seven spot.

However you could also make a case (not saying it’d be correct) that they could be a few slots lower as well.

CFP: How To Seed LSU, Ohio St and Clemson

They have to choose between three incredibly worthy teams to give the number-one seed to.
Ohio State, LSU and Clemson all entered the week unbeaten and ranked 1-3.

It’s obvious after the last two days who your four teams in the College Football Playoff will be.

Utah eliminating themselves Friday night took a lot of the drama out of Saturday, as did each game involving a playoff team not offering anything compelling in the fourth quarter, besides the Big XII.

Oklahoma battled to an overtime win against Baylor despite owning them in total yardage all afternoon.

That will be good enough to launch the Sooners to number four and there will be no debate whatsoever that they should be any spot else.

That’s the good news for the committee.

The bad?

They have to choose between three incredibly worthy teams to give the number-one seed to.

Ohio State, LSU and Clemson all entered the week unbeaten and ranked 1-3.

Ohio State overcame a slow start to dominate the third quarter over Wisconsin. It wasn’t a complete 60 minutes but they were dominant when they needed to be against a top-ten team.

LSU sent Georgia into orbit, dominating the suffocating Bulldogs on both sides of the ball as they win their first SEC title since 2011. It’s hard to be more impressive in a conference title game than LSU was against a top-five squad today.

Finally it was Clemson in a laugher over Virginia for the ACC crown. How compelling was this one? Dabo Swinney’s kid was putting Clemson on his back in the fourth quarter to get the Tigers down the field to crack 60.

How will 1-4 look?

1. LSU – I don’t see how you can look at their resume and not say it’s the best in the country. Four wins over top-ten teams? If LSU isn’t No. 1 then there is no point of ever saying the words “strength of schedule” again.

2. Ohio State – They were number one a week ago and all they did was outscore their top-ten opponent 27-0 in the second half Saturday. However, as impressive as they’ve been all year long they were the least-impressive of the Big-three Saturday and I think they fall.

3. Clemson – They launch on Virginia early and often, finishing 13-0 and playing one compelling game all season. Those who claim the Tigers aren’t quite there this year simply haven’t watched. They’re loaded, scary and dominant. The three is only because of their schedule that saw nobody special all year. The defending champs are unbeaten, beating everyone by 40+ and are headed to the three seed. Let that set in for a moment.

4. Oklahoma- An exciting win over Baylor gets the Sooners to yet another CFP and they’re 100% deserving. I just don’t like the team barely snuck by Iowa State, TCU or Texas while also losing at Kansas State.

Instead of the case to avoid Clemson in round one is intriguing as all get up, a round robin between LSU, Ohio State and Clemson and guaranteeing all three play each other would be better than what we’ll get.

49ers take RB in 1st-round of 2020 NFL mock draft

The 49ers took an unconventional route in a Draft Wire 2020 NFL mock draft.

The 2020 NFL draft seems eons away for the 49ers. They’re in the thick of the playoff hunt and have established themselves as bona fide Super Bowl contenders. However, the franchise’s history has been defined by its dynasty that ran through the 80s and 90s. Part of sustaining championship contenders is drafting capable players, so it’s never too early to look at how the 49ers might continue competing for championships.

Luke Easterling of the Draft Wire authored a three-round mock draft where the 49ers made a curious pick with their first-round pick. That’s their only selection in the first three rounds after sending their second-round pick to Kansas City for Dee Ford, and including their third-round pick in the deal to acquire Emmanuel Sanders.

In the three-round mock, San Francisco takes Clemson running back Travis Etienne with the No. 30 overall pick. From Easterling:

This just seems unfair. Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman are a fantastic 1-2 punch in this backfield, but their contracts are expiring soon. Etienne’s explosiveness and three-down skill set would be the perfect match with a creative offensive coach like Kyle Shanahan.

This would certainly be a head-scratching decision for the 49ers considering the production Shanahan has gotten out of undrafted running backs. Breida, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. were undrafted. Coleman was a third-round pick.

San Francisco will have some decisions to make at running back. Jerick McKinnon tore his ACL prior to his first season with the club in 2018, then re-aggravated that injury in camp this year and lost his season by going on injured reserve before final cuts. He can be released for a relatively small sum if the team is uncertain about his knee coming off an injury.

Breida is set to be a free agent in the offseason. Wilson and Coleman will be the year of their deals in 2020. Mostert is signed through 2021 after inking a three-year deal this offseason.

The 49ers adding a running back in next year’s draft certainly isn’t out of the question. However, with needs in the secondary, the interior of the offensive line, and potentially on the defensive line depending on how free agency goes, it’s hard to fathom they go with a running back in the first round.

In the world where they do spend that precious draft capital on a running back though, Etienne would make a lot of sense. He’s amassed 3,810 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns on 479 carries across 40 games for the Tigers. That’s good for 8.0 yards per carry. He’s also caught 45 balls for 424 yards and four touchdowns. Most of his receiving production has come in his final season. Etienne in 2019 has 28 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.

While Etienne is the type of player who could thrive under Shanahan, a running back in the first round would be an extreme luxury pick for a 49ers club that may need tweaks to other areas of the roster. It stands to reason they’d go elsewhere in the first round, then snag a running back later in the draft and pluck another one or two out of the undrafted free agent pool.

College Football Playoff: Instant Reaction to New Rankings

how in the world can you justify Penn State being eight spots higher?

The answer is that you can’t.

The College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday night with a couple of shocks but nothing major in terms of the top-four or where Notre Dame will likely end up because of where they wind up in these latest rankings.

If you haven’t seen the rankings yet, here they are:

Three fast thoughts on them:

Great news for the Big XII:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Paul Finebaum slams ‘most annoying winner’ Dabo Swinney

Paul Finebaum on Dabo Swinney: “Somebody just give the man a pacifier.”

The undefeated Clemson Tigers are massive favorites in Saturday’s ACC Championship game against 9-3 Virginia, but a shocking loss against the Cavaliers would almost certainly drop the reigning national champions out of the College Football Playoff conversation. After his team destroyed rival South Carolina this weekend, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney railed on what he believes is a bias against his program, and complained that people don’t want to be in the Playoff in the first place.

“If we lose this game, they gon’ kick us out. They don’t want us in there anyway. We would drop to [No.] 20, you know? Georgia loses to this very same team, and the very next day it’s, ‘How do we keep Georgia in it?'”

Swinney was almost certainly just trying to motivate his team, but Clemson’s resume is unquestionably the weakest among the four current projected playoff teams, with just one win over a ranked opponent all season (against a Texas A&M team that is now 7-5).

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum blasted Swinney over his rant, and joked that somebody needs to give the coach a pacifier.

“I think that Dabo Swinney is the most annoying winner in all of sports. I mean the guy just can’t keep his trap shut. Somebody just give the man a pacifier, send him to timeout, and we’ll check in with him on December 28th when he finally plays a legitimate team during this entire college football season.”

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Amway Coaches Poll: Notre Dame Moves Up

It doesn’t ultimately matter in terms of ending the 31 year drought of winning a national championship but Notre Dame’s resumes stacked up next to a few teams ahead of it is interesting.

Following their 45-24 win at Stanford, Notre Dame moved up in this week’s Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today.

Just who then did they pass?

Well, to some Fighting Irish fans delight they moved past that team that embarrassed them on national television at the end of October.

The latest Amway Coaches Poll:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Georgia

5. Utah

6. Oklahoma

7. Florida

8. Baylor

9. Alabama

10. Wisconsin

11. Penn State

12. Auburn

13. Oregon

14. Notre Dame

15. Minnesota

16. Memphis

17. Boise State

18. Michigan

19. Iowa

20. Appalachian State

21. Cincinnati

22. Virginia

23. Navy

24. Southern Cal

25. Air Force

Dropped out: Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech

Realistically we could see Oregon and Wisconsin both lose next weekend, both having tough matchups in their respective conference championship games. If they both lose we could see Notre Dame move into the top-12 at the conclusion of the regular season.

It doesn’t ultimately matter in terms of ending the 31 year drought of winning a national championship but Notre Dame’s resumes stacked up next to a few teams ahead of it is interesting.

Many reputation vs. actual production discussions to be had. We will discuss as the week goes on.