I don't know about you, but I am rooting for Clemson in the National Championship tonight. There are more than a few reasons as to why.
What's good for the ACC is good for BC
Florida State's Championship was good for all of college football as it broke the SEC's monopoly on Championships. But even with Ohio State's win the following year, it didn't change the narrative that the SEC is still the best conference in football. However, if the ACC wins another title Monday, combined with the conference's success in out of conference games and bowl games and throw in the Heisman trophy, and it will hard to argue that any conference is better. With that perception comes respect, attention, recruits and money. BC's program won't suddenly change overnight, but the halo effect will make things easier for BC and improve our chances of getting better.
Clemson is the more realistic model for BC
Alabama got here by hiring a great mercenary coach. His wisdom and leadership combined with their tradition and resources led to this historic run of success. Clemson got here by promoting a relatively unknown young coach who after some initial stumbles, unlocked Clemson's long discussed, but never reached potential. Dabo woke the Sleeping Giant. BC is not a Sleeping Giant, but I don't think we've maximized our resources and potential in a long time. If -- or when -- we do, it is more likely to come from a youngish coach who figures it out at BC, instead of some hired gun.
Clemson fans are some of the best in sports
Aside from being overly friendly and welcoming on trips to Death Valley, the Clemson community has done other things to earn my respect. They wrote hundreds of letters to Clarence Megwa when he broke his leg in a Clemson game. They raised a lot of money for Mark Herzlich's charities when he first announced his cancer. They've built a fan culture that goes out of its way to demonstrate sportsmanship. I can be a cynical jerk in life and certainly as a fan, but I do respect that culture. The alternative is much, much worse.
Go Tigers!
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20 comments:
Clemson had alway been a class act when it comes to football. Go Tigers!
There are few things that would delight me more - living in Mobile, AL, as I do - than for Clemson to thump Saban and Alabama. Go Tigers!!!
Completely agree with the positive characterization of Clemson fans. During Mark's freshman year the Clemson fans filled the local bars in Chestnut Hill and made a visible showing of Orange in the stands at BC. I remember telling my wife that if those guys could have that much fun on the road, then we had to go to Clemson and see what it was like for a home game down there. The following year I made the trip and they didn't disappoint! They were great hosts who supported their team, wanted nothing more than to beat their opponent but were mostly happy that you'd made the trip. There was never any trash talking and no feeling of malevolence (let alone danger) - something that can't be said for every location we visited. Clemson fans understand the difference between being an opponent and being an enemy. They get that if you don't have opponents, you don't get to play.
When Mark got sick, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson program led the way in raising money and showing support. The outreach we received from them was overwhelming. During the 2009 season when Mark missed the season while fighting cancer, they essentially made Mark an honorary team captain during our game down there, insisting that he come out for the coin toss and presenting him with an honorary jersey.
Clemson remains my second favorite college football team (and I played at a school that's in 3rd place!) and any time that it can't be Boston College, then I hope it's Clemson.
Landry announced he's coming back next year!! That is massive!!!!
With Landry coming back , BC should have a formidable defense. The missing element or unknown is the offense - who plays QB and does the offensive line show marked improvement. The MOST IMPORTANT factor is the offensive play calling - do we revert to the RRPP philosophy. That last piece is probably the most important. GO CLEMSON - I want so bad to see SABAN experience defeat by an ACC team !!!!!
Agreed Guido..this is great news but we need significant improvement on the Offensive line, QB play and offensive scheme/play calling to have any chance of having a respectable season! At least this is great news for the defense!!!!
I'm thrilled that Landry will be back. I thought I just read that he was projected as a first rounder.
Maybe (pro) coaches in the know impressed upon him that he really needed one more year to move into a Top 10 or even a Top 5 pick in the first round.
Go Clemson - Go ACC.
I'm very worried, though. Alabama had one close game this year - at Ole Miss. Clemson had six close games, lost one and frankly, could have lost a couple more. But I'm also taking note of their domination of Ohio State, so there's plenty of hope.
Alabama is a professional team, and Clemson is close. :-)
Did the Jags just hire Coughlin?
yes t caughlin to j'ville front office
ESPN reporting TC is going to be VP of football ops & Marrone is HC. Great gig for him -- stays in FL and gets involved turning them around without all of the day-to-day hassle and travel. Signing a 3 yr deal.
Probably could have had him if we let Bates go sooner....
TC for AD & HC in 2020...I guess...
Looking at the Clemson coaches, one notices that their DB coach is Mike Reed from BC, who played for TC and his last year for Henning.
Is he a potential to come back to BC ?
Now that is ACC football. Thrilling Clemson win
If Anthony Brown turns out to be the stub he's being built up to be; BC could be a 9-3 team next year.
That was one hell of an exciting win. I like Dabo a lot. He's done one heck of a job there.
Big Year for the ACC. Can only help BC. While among the lowest tier bowls, BC's win puts them in the conversation each time they talk about the ACC bowl performance. Also helps that the win was against a Power 5 program.
What a game.
You have to look at reality here. Clemson did not belong on the same field with a professional squad in Alabama. The first half bears this out. The only way that Bama loses is if key players tank. Watson was like a little boy playing against Hercules. Poor players are susceptible to bribes. You have to look at gambling interests to see who made the big bucks. If the game was on the up and up, then key gambling groups would have "laid off" bets with other areas of the country. If there was big money straight on Clemson, then you know that the fix was in. BC should know all about that because "Chad" Henning allowed the rabbit to be pulled out of the hat. That is what started the demise of Boston College football from which they still have not recovered.
Not to be a contrarian JBQ but I would have to disagree with you that Clemson didn't belong on the same field! Am I missing something here? Is the game only one half? It was 14-7 at the half and 'Bama hadn't don't much more offensively than Clemson at that point. The only way 'Bama loses is if key players tank? Unfortunately that's part of being a great team, your players show up and perform to expectations. 'Bama' defense was solid most of the night but Clemson has a pretty above average offense as well with just a couple athletes and got the better of them over the course of 4 quarters. So your assessment is that the game was fixed? Wow..that's pretty disrespectful to the guys that laid it all out on the field..overall an incredible game! So happy Clemson pulled off the win especially against 'Bama! Epic game! Great day for BC (Landry announcement) and the ACC (Clemson victory)!!!
LOL JBQ LOLOLOL
JBQ-put your mothers pills back in the medicine cabinet.
My God the life you must be living.
Chill the F out. In the end it is just a college football game. As a head coach I once played for used to say .... "there about 2 billion Chinese people that don't give a shit what happens"
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