Steve Coughlin – Syndication Server

ESPN analysts weigh in on what Clemson needs to fix

During ESPN’s College Football Live on Wednesday, a couple of analysts weighed in on what No. 5 Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC) needs to fix to be a serious contender. Roddy Jones pointed to the Tigers’ secondary, which struggled mightily in their 51-45, …

During ESPN’s College Football Live on Wednesday, a couple of analysts weighed in on what No. 5 Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC) needs to fix to be a serious contender.

Roddy Jones pointed to the Tigers’ secondary, which struggled mightily in their 51-45, double-overtime win at Wake Forest last Saturday.

“I am still confident about Clemson. But yes, there are things they need to fix, and I think it starts with that secondary,” Jones said. “Wake Forest was really able to take advantage of them down the field in one-on-one coverage, and the Clemson defensive backs committed so many pass interference penalties – ten penalties total, five of them pass interference, a couple more holdings.

“So, it’s a young group right now because they’re banged up on the back end. Guys like Nate Wiggins and Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride, those guys have to show more composure at the top of routes, especially on those jump balls that Wake Forest threw down the field. So, they’ve got to really improve there.”

“Stanford” Steve Coughlin, meanwhile, went on the other side of the ball to highlight the area in which he thinks Clemson must improve.

“I look at the offensive side, and when you look at DJ (Uiagalelei) last week, best game of the year by far. But I also look at the balance of the offense,” he said. “To me, everybody’s going to talk about the quarterback, everybody’s going to talk about the receivers. I’m here to talk about the offensive line. They need to be more consistent, whether it’s run or pass. Only a little over 100 yards rushing against Georgia Tech, who’s not a good team, no offense. I’m not going to talk about my alma mater, either. But then I also look at last week, (Will) Shipley breaks off a big run, (53) yards to start it, and then it’s a little over a hundred yards after that against Wake Forest, who’s a defense that I think can get got.

“So, I look at Clemson’s offensive line as an area for sure that they need to improve on and they have to be better against that front seven against NC State this week if they want to win this game.”

Clemson’s matchup against 10th-ranked NC State (4-0, 0-0 ACC) on Saturday at Death Valley is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.

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ESPN analysts react to Swinney’s new contract

The Clemson University Board of Trustees’ compensation committee on Thursday morning approved a three-year extension to Dabo Swinney’s contract that runs through the end of the 2031 season. It’s the second extension in four years for Swinney, who …

The value of the new contract is $115,000,000, making Swinney’s average annual salary over the life of the deal $11.5 million prior to incentives.

Swinney is now the second highest-paid coach in college football behind Alabama coach Nick Saban, who agreed to an extension late last month that will pay him $10.7 million this season prior to incentives. Swinney moves ahead of Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($10.2 million) for that distinction.

On ESPN’s College Football Live, Eddie Royal and “Stanford” Steve Coughlin reacted to Swinney’s new deal.

“I say good for all of them,” Coughlin said. “Good for Dabo, good for his agent, good for the university. And I think sometimes there’s not a price you can put on for somebody that’s done something like Dabo has for that university and that football program – winning multiple national championships and putting them at the top of the map in the sport. So, happy for everybody involved. Well deserved to Dabo.”

Royal agreed, adding that “it’s a win-win for everybody.”

“I miss the days when you thought about a school, you knew who that coach was, whether it was Florida State and Bobby Bowden or Virginia Tech and Frank Beamer,” he said. “So now Dabo being at Clemson for 10 more years, he can cement his legacy there even more, and he’s deserving of it.”

Swinney, 52, is in his 15th season as Clemson’s head coach if his time spent as the Tigers’ interim coach in 2008 is included, turning the program into one of college football’s elite during that time. He has won more than 80% of his games as the head coach and has led Clemson to seven ACC championships and six College Football Playoff appearances. Swinney has coached the Tigers’ most recent national championship teams in 2016 and 2018.

Saban and Swinney are the only active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches who have won multiple national championships.

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Over/under 5 ACC teams in the final top 25? ESPN analysts weigh in

The preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, which was released on Monday, features a group of five ACC teams ranked among the top 25. Clemson leads the pack from the conference at No. 4, followed by No. 13 NC State, No. 16 Pitt, No. 17 Miami …

The preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, which was released on Monday, features a group of five ACC teams ranked among the top 25.

Clemson leads the pack from the conference at No. 4, followed by No. 13 NC State, No. 16 Pitt, No. 17 Miami and No. 19 Wake Forest.

The ACC’s five ranked teams are second-most among all conferences, behind only the SEC (six).

On ESPN’s College Football Live show this week, college football analyst Joey Galloway and SportsCenter commentator/sports betting analyst “Stanford” Steve Coughlin were asked if they feel like the ACC will have more than five teams, or less than five teams, ranked in the top 25 at the end of the college football season.

Here’s what they had to say:

Coughlin: “I think in the ACC, there’s a gap between these five teams and the rest, so I say the same amount of teams. I like these five teams a lot. They bring a lot to the table. When you talk about the ACC, you’ve got to start with the quarterbacks — every one of these teams has a really good one. Clemson, what are they going to do to rebound from last year? Wake Forest goes to the title game, and Pitt’s a team — I know they lost (Kenny) Pickett, but they bring back everybody else. I really like Pitt this year to stay ranked as a team. And NC State brings back as much as anybody in the conference. So, those teams are very, very sustainable to me.”

Galloway: “When you say Pitt brings back everybody, they’re missing a key receiver (Jordan Addison), also Pickett missing. I don’t know I feel great about Pitt. I am surprised, though, that the ACC has more ranked teams than the Big Ten. I don’t think that will be the same in the end. So, I will take the ACC will drop one team out. Not sure who it’s going to be. I think that the ACC, as you look at the conferences across the country, they seem to have more parity, they seem to have more teams that have the ability to get hot and have a great season. I think it was great last season to see what Wake Forest did. Until we look at the ACC, I’m expecting one of these teams to drop out of the rankings, and there’ll be one less by the time the end of the season rolls around.”

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