Official ZIGBEE College Football Playoff Prediction Thread.

[BWT30]

We still have 4 good games left, Wisky, PSU, MSU and the skunks. Two trap games with NW and Maryland. If we clear them all we should be ranked #2 considering the SOS.

[BoyGenius]

Clemson is young this year. Dabo said he has 80 freshmen and sophomores. That is unbelievable. I don't expect them to win it all this year. Alabama looks good and balanced, but then last year was the "best Bama team ever" according to a LOT of commentators. And they got shellacked.

80 freshman and sophomores? Let's forget scholarships are capped at 85. How are 80/85 scholarship athletes Fr-So when their last 4 recruiting classes total 81 commits? If Dabo is including walk-ons, he's just being dishonest because I doubt walk-ons are getting significant PT.

2016: 21 commits
2017: 14 commits
2018: 17 commits
2019: 29 commits

[Hightop77]

Clemson is young this year. Dabo said he has 80 freshmen and sophomores. That is unbelievable. I don't expect them to win it all this year. Alabama looks good and balanced, but then last year was the "best Bama team ever" according to a LOT of commentators. And they got shellacked.

80 freshman and sophomores? Let's forget scholarships are capped at 85. How are 80/85 scholarship athletes Fr-So when their last 4 recruiting classes total 81 commits? If Dabo is including walk-ons, he's just being dishonest because I doubt walk-ons are getting significant PT.

2016: 21 commits
2017: 14 commits
2018: 17 commits
2019: 29 commits

I wonder how many in the 2016 class left last year for the NFL?

[cincydawg]

“Weâ€re a true work in progress,” Swinney said. “If you look at our roster weâ€ve got 120 on the roster and 80 of them are freshmen and sophomores... Thereâ€s a lot to teach. Itâ€s our job to meet them where they are. Itâ€s not their job to come to us. Weâ€ve got to meet them where they are in their developmental process as a person, as a player, strength and conditioning, whatever it may be. When you have a team like this itâ€s gotta be a little more coach-led in certain cases.”

https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/...37792.html

A team might have out of 120 say 25 true freshmen and 25 true sophomores and then 10 RS sophs would would be juniors.  Any RS freshmen detract from the 25 true sophs.   But the 85 scholarship players means he's including 35 walk ons, many of who could be FR/SO level.  So, it's not really that remarkable.

Most teams won't have that many JR/SR walk ons for obvious reasons.

[BWT30]

Clemson has an easy road with FSU, Louisville, BC, Wofford(?) of the SoCon Conference, NC State, Wake. They couldn't handle being beat up every week like in the B1G or SEC.

[BoyGenius]

Clemson is young this year. Dabo said he has 80 freshmen and sophomores. That is unbelievable. I don't expect them to win it all this year. Alabama looks good and balanced, but then last year was the "best Bama team ever" according to a LOT of commentators. And they got shellacked.

80 freshman and sophomores? Let's forget scholarships are capped at 85. How are 80/85 scholarship athletes Fr-So when their last 4 recruiting classes total 81 commits? If Dabo is including walk-ons, he's just being dishonest because I doubt walk-ons are getting significant PT.

2016: 21 commits
2017: 14 commits
2018: 17 commits
2019: 29 commits

I wonder how many in the 2016 class left last year for the NFL?

I think Dabo embellished... he's appears to be managing expectations of the fanbase and making excuses for their subpar performance thus far this year, especially how he and his staff were smoked by Mack Brown.

[Hightop77]

Clemson is young this year. Dabo said he has 80 freshmen and sophomores. That is unbelievable. I don't expect them to win it all this year. Alabama looks good and balanced, but then last year was the "best Bama team ever" according to a LOT of commentators. And they got shellacked.

80 freshman and sophomores? Let's forget scholarships are capped at 85. How are 80/85 scholarship athletes Fr-So when their last 4 recruiting classes total 81 commits? If Dabo is including walk-ons, he's just being dishonest because I doubt walk-ons are getting significant PT.

2016: 21 commits
2017: 14 commits
2018: 17 commits
2019: 29 commits

I wonder how many in the 2016 class left last year for the NFL?

I think Dabo embellished... he's appears to be managing expectations of the fanbase and making excuses for their subpar performance thus far this year, especially how he and his staff were smoked by Mack Brown.

Just like every other coach.

[BoyGenius]

Clemson is young this year. Dabo said he has 80 freshmen and sophomores. That is unbelievable. I don't expect them to win it all this year. Alabama looks good and balanced, but then last year was the "best Bama team ever" according to a LOT of commentators. And they got shellacked.

80 freshman and sophomores? Let's forget scholarships are capped at 85. How are 80/85 scholarship athletes Fr-So when their last 4 recruiting classes total 81 commits? If Dabo is including walk-ons, he's just being dishonest because I doubt walk-ons are getting significant PT.

2016: 21 commits
2017: 14 commits
2018: 17 commits
2019: 29 commits

I wonder how many in the 2016 class left last year for the NFL?

I think Dabo embellished... he's appears to be managing expectations of the fanbase and making excuses for their subpar performance thus far this year, especially how he and his staff were smoked by Mack Brown.

Just like every other coach.

Not every other coach...

[ScarletHayes]

Clemson slaughtered their two play off opponents last season, Notre Dame and Alabama, with a combined score of 74-19.  They were the best team and it wasn't close regardless of who they played.

Goober does a good job of getting them to peak when it matters.  Proof being in the pudding.  They definitely proved it on the field when it mattered most.  

What they did Saturday against NC is typical of them.  They have one or two of these games every year.

[Hightop77]

Clemson slaughtered their two play off opponents last season, Notre Dame and Alabama, with a combined score of 74-19.  They were the best team and it wasn't close regardless of who they played.

Goober does a good job of getting them to peak when it matters.  Proof being in the pudding.  They definitely proved it on the field when it mattered most.  

What they did Saturday against NC is typical of them.  They have one or two of these games every year.

They do but so do other programs.  The key is survive and bounce back.

[maize]

Clemson slaughtered their two play off opponents last season, Notre Dame and Alabama, with a combined score of 74-19.  They were the best team and it wasn't close regardless of who they played.

Goober does a good job of getting them to peak when it matters.  Proof being in the pudding.  They definitely proved it on the field when it mattered most.  

What they did Saturday against NC is typical of them.  They have one or two of these games every year.

Most good and even great/elite teams do the same. It applies to sports, it applies to real life... we all have off/bad days. 

I'll use OSU as the example (not sure how much it applies to Michigan at the moment), but that is a game that every team OSU plays circles on the schedule. You know you are going to get the best game/effort every opponent you play.

[Hightop77]

Oklahoma being exposed by Kansas?  Approaching halftime and Sooners lucky to be up 14-7.  

[Hightop77]

Gift touchdown by Kansas to Sooners with a long punt return plus penalty that sets up a late OU TD.  Looks like it will be 21-7 at half.  Sooners not impressive.

[Hightop77]

Sooners go on to win 45-20.  Not a great resume builder though.

Florida up on Auburn 17-13 late in the 2nd quarter.

[ScarletHayes]

Donâ€t know if itâ€s just me, but this season of college football, on the whole, has just been pretty meh so far.  The UM/Iowa game was almost painful to watch.  Auburn/Florida is definitely not Auburn/Florida of old.  

Lots of excitingly average football being played out there the first 1/3 of the season