Really shocked that this breaking news escaped the eagle eyes of our readers.
(And also a little surprised that Clemson hasn't yet sent out a release on it.)
Yeah, this is only the opinion of one guy from The Sporting News.
And it has nothing to do with anything that actually happens on the field.
But when your last ACC title came when Bush was in the White House -- the other Bush -- you take your victories where you can find them.
Dave Curtis picks the best helmets in college football, and he awards Clemson the national title.
Gotta give credit to Dabo Swinney for enlarging the Tiger paw. Key move there.
I do have to question Curtis' No. 2 pick. UCLA? Seriously? That lid shouldn't even be in the "Others receiving votes" category.
My vote for No. 1: Michigan. And no one else is even close.
Heather Dinich of ESPN.com wonders if Georgia Tech can win another national title. The 20th anniversary of their 1990 split title makes it a worthy topic.
She thinks the Jackets need to become more efficient in the passing game to have a chance, and I agree with that skepticism (though I'm not sure what she means by "modern-day football").
This statement, though, leaves me scratching my head:
The rise of other programs like North Carolina, Miami -- even Duke and Virginia -- will make it nearly impossible for any ACC team to escape the conference season undefeated.
I know the ACC is supposed to be pretty good this year, and I think the ACC is generally better than people think. But painting it as some juggernaut conference is quite premature.
And including Duke and Virginia to support an argument of ACC strength pretty much blows apart the argument.
After reading this AJC interview with Zach DeBell, I'm pretty much praying he ends up at Clemson because he's a helluva quote.
Check it out:
Zach DeBell received an official scholarship offer from the University of Georgia on Tuesday morning, then two more from Virginia and West Virginia that afternoon.
His response? “Skadoosh!”
Seriously, that’s what he said.
For the non-indoctrinated, that’s something a very pleased Kung Fu Panda says in the animated movie of the same name. I know because I had to ask.
And then...
Asked if he had any Georgia connections, DeBell mentioned Tampa-Plant 5-star prospect James Wilder Jr., who’s also being recruited by the Bulldogs.
“He’s a great guy and we’ve gotten to be pretty good friends,” DeBell said. “I call him Cheeseburger Eddy. I think he looks just like that guy in The Longest Yard.’”
And then...
“I’ve seen probably every zombie movie ever made,” he said. “That’s why I have short hair. If you have long hair or a mullet they’ll grab it from behind.”
Think I should go on his Facebook page and tell him to come to Clemson?
DISCLAIMER: THE AFOREMENTIONED PARAGRAPH WAS AN INSIDE JOKE. LARRY WILLIAMS HAS NO INTENTION OF GOING TO ZACH DEBELL'S FACEBOOK PAGE AND MAKING A FOOL OF HIMSELF. BUT PURELY FOR SELFISH PURPOSES, HE DOES HOPE DEBELL LANDS AT CLEMSON.
From one of the best quotes ever to one of the worst: The painfully shy Chris Clemons is making a move at safety for the Miami Dolphins.
In The State, a story on expansion fever.
And here's a passage you might call key:
The SEC just completed the first year of its 15-year, $3 billion deal with CBS and ESPN. But without mentioning the SEC’s specific deals, Slive said this week that most TV contracts have out clauses in the event a conference expands or contracts.
At WFNZ in Charlotte, former Clemson reporter Brett Jensen sits down with Brad Brownell. Among the topics: The Murphy Holloway fiasco.
Tom Dienhart of Rivals writes about the proliferation of the 3-4 in the college game.
"The trend in college and pro football now is what we were doing, spreading people out and forcing people to play in space," says former Purdue coach Joe Tiller, a spread-offense pioneer whose success with the attack in the late 1990s helped popularize the scheme. "If you are playing in space, you need more athletes who are better-equipped to defend today's style of offense.
"To me, it's a very logical transition [from a 4-3 to a 3-4] and was going to be made sooner or later -- and I think it is upon us."
Clemson's golf team closed Wednesday tied for seventh in Chattanooga.
At No. 92 in The Orlando Sentinel's college football rankings: Wake Forest.
My, how the above-average have fallen. I'm not expecting a lot from the Deacs this year, but they'll be better than that.
Good story in The Post and Courier on Jack Leggett's coaching tree.
In the Independent-Mail, a piece on Kyle Parker's looming decision.
Baseball America projects him as the No. 37 overall prospect; BA national college analyst Aaron Fitt said he could be selected in the mid-to-late first round or supplemental first round. Sports Illustrated baseball writer Jon Heyman wrote Tuesday that the New York Yankees could consider him as the No. 32 pick.
Fitt said scouts love Parker’s improved plate discipline and above-average throwing arm, and project him as a corner outfielder.
“He’s the real X-factor in this draft,” Fitt said. “He’s had a huge year and there’s a shortage of power bats in this draft. He’s one of the best. It’s hard to overlook what he’s done. Boston and New York are teams you hear a lot about, and one of those teams could make a run at him.”
The football coaches have to be sweating bullets right now.
Speaking of the draft, Auburn has a ton of players who are likely selections. John Pawlowski talks about the certain distractions -- particularly if there's a championship game on Monday.
“That’s the hardest thing to do,” Pawlowski said. “Ever since you were a little kid and you put a bat and a glove on and swing a bat, you think about playing at the Major League level, you think about the draft and all those things and it’s tough to do.
“The draft never comes at a good time.”
Here's a good Q&A with Southern Miss coach Scott Berry.
And here's a piece on how the Golden Eagles turned their season around.
As we wrote yesterday, interesting decision for Jack Leggett on whom to send to the mound tomorrow. Conventional wisdom says he goes with his top guy (Casey Harman), but gut feeling says he pulls a surprise (Scott Wiesmann).
It'll be interesting to see what he says today in Auburn.
And finally, the news story that has everyone in Starkville on the edge of their seats: The Cowbell Compromise.
LW
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