Tag: Dabo Swinney

Ed Orgeron calls Tua Tagovailoa “one of the best CFB players ever”

On Saturday, both LSU head coach Ed Orgeron and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had a lot to say about Tagoviloa, and his future in the NFL.

It’s the first time since the CFB Playoff came into existence, that the Alabama Crimson Tide weren’t a part of it, but that didn’t stop anyone from talking about Alabama. Especially, Tua Tagovailoa.

On Saturday, both LSU head coach Ed Orgeron and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had a lot to say about Tagoviloa, and his future in the NFL.

Orgeron called Tua “One of the best college football players ever.”

Dabo Swinney also had nothing but positive words to say about Tagovailoa, and even said “If I was in the NFL, I’d be taking Tua!”

The only question remains: Where will Tua end up?

Some NFL Mock Drafts have him being drafted but Miami, but only time will tell.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you up to date on ALL things Alabama!

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Dabo Swinney says he’d draft ‘very savvy’ Tua Tagovailoa if he coached in the NFL

The Clemson coach explained why he thinks “Tua is special.”

Selecting Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 NFL Draft seems like it would be a no-brainer for Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney — that is, if he coached in the NFL.

The former Alabama quarterback announced Monday that he will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. He’s unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks and players in general in this year’s draft class, but concerns about his health may hurt his stock. In the last two seasons, Tagovailoa had two ankle surgeries and one hip surgery to repair a season-ending injury he suffered in November.

Depending on who you ask, he could be the second quarterback drafted after projected No. 1 pick Joe Burrow or he could fall out of the first round. But Swinney — who faced Tagovailoa once when Clemson rocked Alabama in the 2018-19 national championship game — made it clear who he’d push for if he was in the pros.

Speaking about Tagovailoa at the College Football Playoff national championship game media day Saturday in New Orleans, Swinney said:

“Tua is special. He’s one of the best quarterbacks we’ve seen come through the college ranks. Awesome person. I mean, just a phenomenal young man. I reached out to him when he got hurt and communicated with him a little bit. He’s been so good for the game, just what he represents. Obviously, didn’t get to coach him, but I know full well what type of teammate he was and the type of leader. I know Coach [Nick] Saban has a great appreciation for that, as well, and the mark that he left on their program. But he impacted a lot of people through his platform at the University of Alabama playing quarterback.

“But from a talent standpoint, I mean, he’s awesome. I mean, if I was in the NFL, I’d be taking Tua because he’s a winner. He’s a very savvy, smart, instinctive player. He’s tough. He’s got a great heart. He’s gonna make everybody else around him better, and those are qualities that you want to have in a quarterback. So he’s got a great future, and he’ll heal up, get well, and he’ll make a great player for somebody.”

Against Mississippi State in November, Tagovailoa suffered a dislocated hip with a posterior wall fracture, but he had successful hip surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

Prior to his season-ending injury this season, Tagovailoa had a 71.4 completion percentage, averaged 11.3 yards per pass and threw for 33 touchdowns compared with just three interceptions.

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3 reasons Clemson could win the College Football Playoff national championship game

We’re picking the Tigers from Death Valley.

Welcome to Before The Snap, For The Win’s college football show where we’ll break down the sport’s trending storylines, examine each week’s biggest matchups and track the College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy races.

The Tigers from Death Valley are playing the Tigers from Death Valley in the 2019-20 College Football Playoff national championship game Monday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), and it’s going to be so much fun.

No. 1 LSU and No. 3 Clemson will face off at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans with a perfect season on the line. Less than a week before the final college football game of the season, LSU is a 6-point favorite, but that seems likely to shrink in the couple days before kick off.

To get here, Clemson beat No. 2 Ohio State in a semifinal thriller after LSU crushed No. 4 Oklahoma on the last Saturday in December, meaning the teams will have a little more than two weeks to prepare for the biggest game of the season.

Both teams have had incredible seasons and enter the final game with 14-0 records, and they’re both led by brilliant coaches and two of the best quarterbacks in the game. But here’s why Clemson will win Monday night.

(Norm Hall/Getty Images)

3 reasons why Clemson will win the national championship

1. Championship experience: Clemson is making its fourth appearance in the national championship game in five years while playing for its third title in four seasons. Last season, so many people assumed Alabama would take the Tigers down and win it all, and the exact opposite happened with Clemson rocking the Crimson Tide, 44-16. Obviously, players graduate or leave early for the NFL, but that championship mentality and experience as a group is important. Not to mention that the team is on a 29-game win streak — it hasn’t lost since January 2018 — with a chance to go 30-0 and win back-to-back titles.

2. Trevor Lawrence: But not in the way you think. T-Law is one of the most talented quarterbacks to play the game, but it’s typically his arm that dazzles fans. But in the semifinal, he beat Ohio State’s top-10 rushing defense and ran for 107 yards and a touchdown, which came on this stunning 67-yard play.

It was, by far, his best game on the ground to date and his first with more than 100 yards. And if he can move like that against LSU’s No. 24 rushing defense, it’s another difficult factor to defend.

3. Resilience: Down 16-0 midway through the second quarter against Ohio State, Clemson looked like it was in trouble. The Tigers were struggling to contain J.K. Dobbins, and it seemed like one more score for the Buckeyes could keep a win out of Clemson’s reach. But Dabo Swinney’s team fought back and trailed by only two points at halftime. Capitalizing on multiple controversial moments and breakdowns in Ohio State’s defense, Clemson took control of the nail-biter. The game resembled the team’s early struggles this season when it still found a way to win, showing this team has had championship DNA in it all year.

Michelle’s pick: LSU
Evan’s pick: Clemson

The 2019-20 College Football Playoff national championship game is Monday, January 13 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Notre Dame Fans: Who to Root for Between LSU and Clemson

Don’t you want to be the one to end Clemson’s streak?

Does it make sense for Notre Dame fans to be pulling for one of Clemson or LSU more than the other in next Monday night’s college football national championship?

Neither are anything near a traditional rival, although Notre Dame and LSU have matched up six times since 1997 with the Irish taking four of those matchups.

Meanwhile Notre Dame has played Clemson twice recently, one being a heart-breaking loss in a hurricane back in 2015 and the other being in the 2018 Cotton Bowl when the Tigers erupted in the second quarter to eliminate the Irish, 30-3.

We’ll look at why and why not to root for both teams in the final collegiate football game until August.

The Case for and Against No. 1 LSU:

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Watch what Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said about Ohio State after the Fiesta Bowl

Clemson HC Dabo Swinney met with the media following his team’s thrilling victory in the Fiesta Bowl. Watch what he said about Ohio State.

Clemson did it again. Ohio State outgained and outplayed the Tigers for the majority of the 2019 Fiesta Bowl, but the defending champions got up off the mat, and made the plays they needed to at the end to snatch the victory away from Ohio State.

Head coach Dabo Swinney was a happy man after the game and took time to meet with the media in Phoenix after all the confetti fell. He praised the heart and resiliency of his team, but also had some very complimentary things to say about the Buckeyes.

In case you missed it, you can catch his complete comments in the YouTube video below. Thanks to TigerNet for archiving Dabo discussing his team, the play of Trevor Lawrence and the play of Ohio State.

Dabo Swinney on why Clemson and Ohio State are ‘literally mirror images’ of each other

Dabo Swinney sees a lot of similarities between the Tigers and Buckeyes.

As the No. 3 Clemson Tigers prepare to take on the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl next weekend, Dabo Swinney’s biggest observation about his next opponent is a fairly obvious one: “A complete team in every sense of the word,” he told ESPN’s Marty Smith.

All season, the Buckeyes have been at or very near the top of the country in both total offense and total defense, and their leaders on both sides of the ball, quarterback Justin Fields and defensive end Chase Young, were both 2019 Heisman Trophy finalists. They’ve dominated just about every opponent so far this season, and it wasn’t a question of if they’d make the playoff but whether or not they’d be the top seed. (LSU is and will face No. 4 Oklahoma.)

But the only other team that consistently ranked among the top five on both sides of the ball was Clemson. A week out, the Tigers are slight 2.5-point favorites.

“There’s just no weaknesses,” Swinney told Smith about Ohio State (just after the 22-minute mark in the video below).

“I mean, they’re really good. They’re a mirror image of us, to be quite honest with you. If you look at us statistically, we’re [No.] 1 in this, they’re [No.] 2 in this. We’re [No.] 2 in this, they’re [No.] 1 in this. We’re [No.] 3 in this, they’re [No.] 2. I mean, we’re literally mirror images of each other.

“So I really wasn’t surprised to see that statistical analysis, but when you watch the tape, they’re a complete football team just like we are. We’re one of the few teams out there top five in the country [in] total offense and total defense, and so are they. They’re just good.”

Going into the playoff semifinal, the Tigers are ranked No. 3 nationally in total offense (547.7 yards per game) behind LSU and Oklahoma, while the Buckeyes are No. 5 (531.0 yards per game). Tigers’ Trevor Lawrence and Buckeyes’ Justin Fields are two of the best quarterbacks in the game, and the same goes for running backs Travis Etienne and J.K. Dobbins.

When asked what comes to mind about Young, who leads the nation with 16.5 sacks this season (after missing two games), Swinney said:

“Speed, just a monster off the edge, man. He’s a fast, twitchy dude that can get to the quarterback.”

However, Lawrence is behind an offensive line that has limited his number of sacks to 12 so far this season, and although he has eight interceptions this season, he hasn’t thrown one since mid-October. But his counterpart, Fields, has thrown just one.

On the other side, Clemson is No. 1 in total defense (244.7 yards per game), and Ohio State is No. 2 (247.6 yards per game). They’re also both among the top-5 teams in scoring offense and scoring defense, defensive yards per play and first downs. On offense, Clemson is No. 4 with 7.51 yards per play, while Ohio State is No. 7 with 7.02.

Swinney continued to explain what he sees in Ohio State:

“Defensive line, strong. Linebackers, good players, elite players in the secondary that can all run and cover, just like we got. Flip it over to the offensive side: Elite quarterback, elite running back, elite wideouts, elite offensive line. So it’s literally a mirror image of each other. You’re just in different uniforms.

“So it’s gonna be fun, man, just like practice. It’s like what we practice against every day. You know, when we go out there live good-on-good, I mean, that’s the best way you can prepare for a game like this because that’s the level of talent that you’re getting ready to play. … There’s gonna be some fun matchups, but I don’t really see a weakness really anywhere.”

The Fiesta Bowl is the second semifinal Saturday, December 28. LSU and Oklahoma play in the Peach Bowl at 4 p.m. ET, and then Clemson and Ohio State face off at 8 p.m. ET.

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College Football Futures: National Championship Best Bets

Previewing the College Football Playoff futures including National Championship best bets.

The College Football Playoff kicks off Dec. 28 with the semifinals. Top-ranked LSU Tigers (13-0) faces the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) will battle the No. 3 Clemson Tigers (13-0) in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Below is my best bet and rationale for who will be crowned the national champion on Jan. 13.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. ET.

CLEMSON +200

It’s amazing how relatively under-the-radar defending champion Clemson has flown in 2019. A bonafide dynasty, the Tigers have played in four of the five College Football Playoffs, winning two titles in their three Championship Game appearances, including last year’s 28-point blistering of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. (Photo Credit: Jamie Rhodes – USA TODAY Sports)

Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence received Burrow-esque hype following Clemson’s 2018 title run, but has been largely missing from the national conversation because of a shaky start to 2019 –  he threw eight interceptions in his first seven games. However, he finished strong with 20 passing touchdowns and NO interceptions and ended up with 41 total touchdowns. While LSU’s Joe Burrow is getting all the buzz heading into the CFP, make no mistake, Lawrence should be the No. 1 pick whenever he enters the NFL Draft, presumably in 2020.

Led by coach Dabo Swinney and defensive wizard Brett Venables, Clemson has the best coaching staff in the Playoff. No other coach in the CFP has a national championship appearance or title. The Tigers have been here before and the moment will not be too big for them. Despite all the defensive players drafted back in April, Clemson’s defense is still stout, allowing the least passing yards per game (138.5) in the country, and ranking ninth in rushing yards allowed (106.2 YPG).

Another random tidbit that I cannot explain but thought was worth mentioning: The No. 1 seed in the CFP has never won the national title. I don’t know if that’s because the top team is really feeling themselves during the extended break, grows complacent or the opening-round matchup against the No. 4 team isn’t difficult enough to get them ready for the title game. Whatever the case is, Clemson entering the CFP as the 3-seed only makes me feel better about my CLEMSON +200 ticket.

New to sports betting? Every $10 wagered on Clemson to win the National Championship would profit $20 if the Tigers prevail.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Here’s everything Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said about Ohio State upon selection to the Fiesta Bowl

Dabo Swinney and Ryan Day held a press-conference upon selection to the Fiesta Bowl. Here’s what the Clemson head man said about Ohio State.

Ohio State and Clemson will be facing off in the Fiesta Bowl as one of the two semifinal matchups of the College Football Playoff. Neither team is a stranger to all the playoff fun that was started just a few years ago. Ohio State won the inaugural event at the end of the 2014 season, and has been selected three out of the six years.

Clemson on the other hand, has won two national championships out of four tries, and is the reigning national champions from the 2018 season.

Needless to say, it’s two of the programs that have been on top of the college football world, and only one of them will be moving on after the titanic struggle in the desert night on December 28.

To whet your appetite, the two head coaches held a joint press conference earlier in the week to provide an initial preview of the event. Both Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and Clemson head man Dabo Swinney had the utmost respect for each program and was very complimentary in their comments toward the other.

In case you missed all that was said, we have the complete transcript for you thanks to what the Fiesta Bowl put together after the press conference was over. The comments appear in their entirety in the following. Click through and enjoy.

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Next … Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney opening remarks

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Top-10 highest paid college football coaches

Who is the highest paid coach in college football?

College athletics is a multibillion dollar industry with huge amounts of money falling into the pockets of just about everyone involved — except the players actually participating.

Coaches’ salaries continue to climb, the base amounts are approaching eight figures and the bonus opportunities now written into contracts seem endless. Through the 2019 conference championship weekend, head coaches at FBS public schools have earned nearly $9.5 million in bonuses so far, according to USA TODAY Sports.

For example, LSU coach Ed Orgeron has already earned $1.05 million in bonuses on top of his $4 million annual salary. By beating Georgia in the SEC championship game, he earned $425,000 in bonuses: $200,000 for the Tigers winning the conference championship and another $225,000 for the team making it to the College Football Playoff.

And there’s even more money on the table if he continues winning. He’ll receive $150,000 for winning a playoff semifinal game — LSU plays Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl — and could get $500,000 with a national championship.

Also, because so many coaches are employed by public universities, the highest paid public employee in 39 states is either a college football or basketball coach, according to ESPN.

But how much is that exactly? Here’s a breakdown of the top-10 highest paid college football coaches in 2019, according to USA TODAY Sports‘ salary database.

Note: School pay includes base salary, as well as other school-related sources of income, and all buyout data is as of December 1, 2019.

1. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

School pay: $9,255,000
Maximum bonus: $1,125,000
School buyout: $50,000,000

2. Nick Saban, Alabama

School pay: $8,707,000
Maximum bonus: $1,100,000
School buyout: $34,100,000

3. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

School pay: $7,504,000
Maximum bonus: $1,325,000
School buyout: $11,687,500

4. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

School pay: $7,500,000
Maximum bonus: $1,500,000
School buyout: $60,625,000

5. Kirby Smart, Georgia

School pay: $6,703,600
Maximum bonus: $1,150,000
School buyout: $24,239,584

6. Gus Malzahn, Auburn

School pay: $6,800,000
Maximum bonus: $1,400,000
School buyout: $27,050,000

7. Tom Herman, Texas

School pay: $6,750,000
Maximum bonus: $725,000
School buyout: $20,416,667

8. Jeff Brohm, Purdue

School pay: $6,600,000
Maximum bonus: $1,290,000
School buyout: $27,650,000

9. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

School pay: $6,384,462
Maximum bonus: $950,000
School buyout: $21,013,333

10. Dan Mullen, Florida

School pay: $6,070,000
Maximum bonus: $925,000
School buyout: $12,000,000

For more information about college football coaches’ salaries and contracts for the 130 FBS schools, visit USA TODAY Sports’ 2019 NCAAF Coaches Salaries database.

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Dabo Swinney reacts to Paul Finebaum’s criticism: ‘I’d like some time out’

Dabo started off praising Finebaum and ended with an argument for adult nap time.

The feud between Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney and ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum hasn’t really escalated, but we do have the latest development in it.

To briefly recap, Swinney ranted about a perceived bias against his team and the ACC in general from the college football world following Clemson’s win Saturday over South Carolina. He praised the Tigers but said they have to be perfect, unlike some other teams, to remain in contention for the College Football Playoff, calling it “the dadgumest thing.”

Tuesday, Finebaum slammed Swinney over his remarks, calling the defending national championship coach “the most annoying winner in all of sports.” He criticized the program for its weak schedule, the obvious negative in an otherwise strong playoff resume, and said the Tigers won’t play “a legitimate team” until the playoff semifinal game later this month. He also said Swinney “can’t keep his trap shut” and needs someone to “send him to timeout” with a pacifier.

Well, Swinney was asked about Finebaum’s criticism and ad hominem attack.

“I hate I missed it,” he said (just after the 13:30 mark in the video below). “I’m sure it was riveting.”

But Swinney didn’t actually escalate the feud. He offered a folksy, quintessential Dabo response to it, starting off saying Finebaum is just doing his job and ending with an argument for adult nap time.

“Paul’s great at what he does. I’m not gonna dislike somebody ’cause he’s great at his job. A lot of people don’t like me ’cause I’m good at my job or because I wear this logo. They don’t know me as a person. They just don’t like me ’cause I’m passionate about doing a good job. He works for the SEC. … That’s his job. I would never be upset by a person because he does a great job. I mean, Paul Finebaum is great at what he does.”

Swinney also said much of Finebaum’s job is also to stir the pot and create “great conversation and great drama,” which he “does an awesome job” of. He continued:

“We’re the Red Sox, he’s the Yankees. You’re not going to have a Yankees guy stand up and talk great things about the Red Sox. That’s not what he’s paid to do.”

And then he went all in on the idea of adult nap time, recalling his life in first grade with his Happy Days lunchbox, a bologna sandwich and a mat on which to nap.

“I’d like some time out. I’d like to take a nap. Y’all remember first grade? I loved that. … We should have adult time out time. Let’s just all bring a mat, take a nap and be good. I never had a pacifier though, so I don’t know how that’d work out.”

Wednesday, Finebaum returned to Get Up and responded to Swinney’s response: “I’m speechless. First of all, you have to give him credit. … I can’t really be upset. I love what he did because he embraced the conversation, which is different than almost any college or pro [coach].”

Clemson will play No. 23 Virginia at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in the ACC championship game. The four College Football Playoff teams will be announced Sunday.

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