ACC Commissioner Gives Four College Football Scenarios for 2020

ACC Commissioner John Swofford outlined the ACC’s current plans and hopes in regards to college football in 2020.

ACC Commissioner John Swofford addressed the media on Thursday after meeting with conference representatives. In his media address he outlined four scenarios in regards to both college football in 2020 and collegiate sports as a whole during the 2020-21 school year.

The Four Scenarios:
1.  Football schedule played as currently scheduled
2.  A shortened football season
3.  No football but basketball is played as scheduled
4.  No sports at all for the 2020-21 academic year

If you see scenarios three and four and get worried, Swofford was at least optimistic that neither would play out, saying “We are going into this year with the anticipation of playing at this point.”

“All of our institutions are indicating they intend to open in various fashions as we go into the fall.”

Swofford also noted that the ACC would most-likely be willing to proceed with the season even if some member schools aren’t ready or able to participate.

“I think probably so,” said the commissioner. “I don’t know what the threshold is on that. We haven’t really reached a point of having that discussion. I’m sure we will in due time as to whether it’s three-fourths or two-thirds or 50 percent or whatever it might be.

“But I don’t think some schools not being able to compete necessarily keeps a majority of the schools who could compete from competing. It’s premature to answer that question fully at this point.”

It’s nice to hear someone speaking and thinking positively but to me, it’s just more words at this point.  I remain hopeful for the schedule to at least start on time but to think we know how things will even look three weeks from now, let alone three months, we’re kidding ourselves.

247Sports spot on in ranking Kirby Smart 4th best coach in CFB

247Sports ranked Georgia football’s Kirby Smart as the #4 coach in college football. Here’s why he was spot on.

On Thursday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports released his list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

Give credit to Crawford — he took on this story knowing that it would receive mixed reviews from across the country.

Here was his top-five:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Kirby Smart, Georgia

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

I don’t think there’s any question about numbers one and two. Saban and Swinney have taken turns ruling college football for the last decade.

But after those two is when fans start to think their coach should occupy that #3, #4 or #5 spot.

I’m not here to bash Crawford’s ranking of Smart at #4. Instead, I 100% agree with it. How can you not?

I saw a story that stated Georgia fans should be offended by Smart’s ranking on this list. It mentioned recency bias as the main reason Orgeron was put at #3.

I’m not on board with that. Some can call it recency bias, but I call it a national championship win, meaning he’s accomplished something that Smart has not. Meanwhile, they were both playing in the same conference, and LSU kicked Georgia’s butt for the second straight season. At one point, you have to tip your cap to Coach O.

Smart’s time will come where he’ll eventually pass Coach O, but that won’t be until he wins a title. He’s doing everything else right. He’s getting his team to the big games, he’s recruiting better than any coach in America, he catapulted Georgia back into the national spotlight and he’s producing NFL talent.

All that’s left is a ring. That may be a very simplistic way of looking at it, but in the end that’s how success is measured. Have you not been watching the Jordan documentary?

Had Georgia beaten LSU last season in the SEC Championship Game, then we would be having a different discussion. But Georgia did not just lose, it got pounded by a final score of 37-10. The year before, Georgia got spanked in Baton Rouge 36-16. In Smart’s last two games vs Orgeron, his Bulldogs have gotten beat by a combined score of 73-26.

So no, Georgia fans have no right to be offended about the #4 ranking for Smart. If anything, we should be celebrating the fact that Georgia has the fourth best coach in America.

I loved Mark Richt as much as the next guy, but come on, he was never a top-five coach in America. Maybe not even top-10.

Kirby’s time will come.

A few other notable names on the list:

#8 – Florida head coach Dan Mullen

#9 – Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher

#13 – Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn

#15 – Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

#21 – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt

247Sports ranks top-25 CFB coaches: Where is Georgia’s Kirby Smart?

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart was ranked 4th in 247Sports’ list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

On Thursday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports released his list of the top-25 coaches in college football.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart checked in at No. 4.

Crawford’s top-five was as follows:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Kirby Smart, Georgia

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

Smart was named the Bulldogs coach in 2015 after serving as Alabama defensive coordinator under Nick Saban for eight years.

Smart has led his alma mater to a 44-12 record over four years as the Bulldogs head coach and has boasted three consecutive No. 1 ranked recruiting classes.

There is no question that Smart has built a powerhouse at Georgia. He recruits at an elite level and has one of the best defensive minds in all of college football.

So, what separates Smart from Saban, Swinney and Orgeron?

A national championship.

Smart has led Georgia to three consecutive SEC East titles, an SEC Championship title, a College Football Playoff victory and a National Championship bid, but a couple of close losses to Bama have held the Bulldogs from the top of college football.

Jan 1, 2018; Pasadena, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart holds the Rose Bowl trophy — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

However, Smart will have another shot at a title in 2020 and it may be with the most talented team he has had in his time at Georgia.

The Bulldogs return many of the starters from the 2019 record-breaking defense and have a new air-raid offensive system behind the arm of Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

A few other notable names on the list:

#8 – Florida head coach Dan Mullen

#9 – Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher

#13 – Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn

#15 – Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

#21 – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt

College Football Morning Announcements: April 6, 2020

What happened yesterday in college football and Notre Dame football news? Nick Shepkowski fills you in on today’s episode of the podcast.

Good morning!  Time again for your College Football Morning Announcements with Nick Shepkowski.

Notre Dame fans are aware of the huge news that came, both good and bad, in the recruiting world Tuesday.  I break that down in the second episode of the CFB Morning Announcements Podcast.

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Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick spoke on Tuesday as well and shared his thoughts on Notre Dame/Navy in Ireland while also discussing if the Irish would be able to play a full schedule in 2020.

And finally – some old rivals in college football are finally getting back together again (in 2025).  We discuss that and share some old rivalries we’d like to see return again soon.

Take a listen, hit subscribe and please share with those college football fans around you.  We’ll have fun with this podcast and make it your source for college football and Notre Dame athletics information each morning.

Link:

25 Games that were most influential in growth of spread offense – Oklahoma appeared in 20% of these games!

Top ’21 Notre Dame Target Will Shipley Headed to Clemson

Notre Dame’s top priority in the 2021 recruiting class has chosen a different school. Now what?

When it was announced on Monday afternoon that Will Shipley, the top all-purpose-back in the nation for 2021 would be announcing his commitment on Tuesday, all signs pointed to Clemson being his choice.

Now that fear for Notre Dame fans has become a reality as Shipley has announced his commitment with fantastically produced video.

Shipley was seen as the top priority for Notre Dame in this recruiting cycle and the Irish did one heckuva job getting as close as they did with him all things considered.

However, the rich get richer as Clemson lands Shipley’s talents.

What does Notre Dame do now in terms of finding a running back for their 2021 class?  It’ll be tough to bring anyone at this point that will bring anywhere near the hype Shipley would have entered with.

It doesn’t hurt having Lance Taylor leading the way trying to make that impact in the 2021 class still, however.

Related:  With Notre Dame out on Will Shipley, what do they do now at running back in the 2021 recruiting class?  Mike Chen breaks all of that down.

Clemson vs. Notre Dame? Five-Star Shipley Set to Announce Commitment

Five-star running back Will Shipley is set to announce his commitment to likely either Clemson or Notre Dame on Tuesday. Details here.

Early Monday evening we received news from the young man himself, Will Shipley, that the prized all-purpose-back will be announcing his college decision on Tuesday afternoon.

If you’ve followed here for any significant amount of time you’re probably aware that this almost certainly means bad news for Notre Dame since Shipley was really hoping to make another visit to South Bend before announcing any decision.  What was supposed to happen in mid-March got canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak when the NCAA suspended all in-person visits between college coaches and prospects.

Shipley is regarded as the best all-purpose-back in the country and has been Notre Dame’s number one priority this recruiting cycle.

I’m not going to sit and make a bunch of predictions because whenever you do with a 17 year old you often end up looking really dumb but I’m with the masses here that it doesn’t appear to be good news for Notre Dame’s chances.

If nothing else, unpaid recruiting coordinator/2021 offensive tackle commitment/very close friend of Will Shipley, Blake Fisher didn’t tweet out anything to indicate good news is coming, something he hasn’t been able to stay quiet about in the past.

We’ll have coverage for you on Tuesday in regards to everything Will Shipley.  If he chooses Notre Dame we’ll be thrilled and celebrate that and if he chooses Clemson then we’ll take a deep look at where Brian Kelly, Lance Taylor, Tommy Rees and company go for a running back in 2021.

Clemson football coaches coming for Georgia baseball commit

Clemson football coaches are recruiting Georgia baseball commit Bubba Chandler to play QB for the Tigers.

Clemson quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott have been in touch with 2021 Georgia baseball commit Bubba Chandler.

Out of North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia, Chandler is a right-handed pitcher and shortstop. He committed to play baseball at UGA last June.

Clemson quarterback target Christian Veilleux committed to Penn State last week, leaving the Tigers looking for a signal caller in their 2021 class.

Though Chandler is committed to play baseball at Georgia, he has been picking up football offers lately from schools like UNC-Charlotte, Western Kentucky and Troy.

He said that the Auburn football program has also been recruiting him heavily.

Clemson is yet to offer Chandler, but the two sport star told TigerNet that if they do offer he would certainly give them a chance. He said he would love to play both sports in college.

Chandler has not yet been able to visit the Clemson campus, but it appears he is excited to do so when the lockdown is lifted.

As for Georgia, the Bulldogs already have another quarterback from Bogart committed in the 2021 class. That’s 5-star dual-threat Brock Vandagriff.

“I love UGA. But I love football as well,” Chandler told Clemson Insider. “I’m going to look over and consider any opportunity, such as Clemson.”

Dabo Swinney says Tremayne Anchrum could become ‘a really good guard’ in NFL

The Clemson coach had some high praise for the Rams’ final draft pick.

Six picks before the end of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams finally decided to add some help to their shaky offensive line. They did so by selecting Tremayne Anchrum, an offensive tackle out of Clemson, with the 250th overall pick.

Anchrum primarily played tackle in college, but he figures to play guard at the next level. Guard is one of the weakest positions on the Rams’ roster, and Anchrum will have the chance to compete for one of the two starting jobs.

His college coach, Dabo Swinney, shared some insight on Anchrum after he was drafted by the Rams, saying he was an underrated player in the class. The level of competition Anchrum faced gives him a chance to become a quality guard in the NFL, according to Swinney.

Anchrum is a decent athlete, but he simply doesn’t have the size or length to stick at tackle in the NFL. That makes a switch to guard almost certain, allowing him to get help from linemen on both sides of him up front.

Of course, Anchrum shouldn’t be expected to play right away, being a seventh-round pick. But he could develop into a quality backup or fringe starter down the line.

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WATCH: Clemson HC Dabo Swinney has high praise for Tua Tagovailoa

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a guest on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman. During his appearance he spoke…

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a guest on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman. During his appearance he spoke on former Alabama star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Despite the recent rivalry between the Crimson Tide and the Tigers, Swinney had high praise for the 2018 Heisman Finalist.

“I’m a Tua fan. I love Tua,” says Swinney on First Take. “I’m on the record with that.”

College football is known for it’s heated competition, and none is more heated than two teams that only ever meet when it’s for the championship. However, that doesn’t stop Swinney from recognizing Tagovailoa’s abilities on the football field.

“I wouldn’t pass up on Tua,” continues Swinney. “I think he is a big-time winner, he’s a great person, great teammate.”

This may come as a shock to many, hearing a head coach praise a rival school’s star, but at the end of the day everyone surrounds themselves with football for the same reason, the love of the game.

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Where Notre Dame Stands in Will Shipley’s Latest Outlook

Notre Dame is going head-to-head with Clemson for the services of running back Will Shipley. What do the Irish have going for them and where do they have to make up ground against powerhouse Clemson?

Notre Dame was supposed to have their biggest recruiting weekend of the off-season in the middle of March but corona-virus changed those plans as the NCAA suspended all recruiting visits.  Now Notre Dame appears headed to trying to make that weekend up in June, dependent on recruiting visits being OK’d by then.

Will Shipley is the biggest remaining target for not just Notre Dame but a few other teams who would love to get his commitment.  We’ve told you about the relationship Shipley shares with Notre Dame commitment Blake Fisher, who also plans to be in attendance in June.

Where does Notre Dame currently stand in the running for Shipley? According to Rivals the Fighting Irish are in a very good but not great spot.

They rank Clemson first as Shipley’s likely landing spot as of now with Notre Dame second.  They say of Notre Dame’s chances:

The Fighting Irish seemed to have some momentum with Shipley prior to the recruiting dead period, and expectations going into his previously planned visit were high. That visit obviously hasn’t happened, but that won’t stop Notre Dame from leaning on Shipley.

The Irish’s biggest weapon in the pursuit of Shipley is running backs coach Lance Taylor and his track record of developing outstanding running backs such as Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love. Shipley looks up to McCaffrey, and the two talk fairly often. Turning out to be a back like McCaffrey is a dream of Shipley’s.

It seems like Notre Dame remains in really good shape here, assuming they can get Shipley on campus.  He clearly has a strong relationship with Taylor as evidenced by Taylor’s regular visits to North Carolina over the winter.  It’s just hard to imagine him making a commitment to Notre Dame if he can’t get back to campus for one of these massive visit weekends.

Following Clemson and Notre Dame in the Rivals projections for Shipley were North Carolina and North Carolina State.  Check out the entire piece for a deeper look at what each program has going both for and against them in the running for this star running back.