The "Four Was Better" Edition

The first release of the 2025 CFB Playoff Rankings is out.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Each time, or Clipson Sports Talk with Lawton Swan.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Now finally, Clemson Sports Talk has come back two drive time.

(00:50):
Hell everybody, Lowton Swan back in the saddle once again.
It is the show that shakes the South Lane. Clemson
Sports Talk for you each and every afternoon as you
make your way around the great state eight of South
Carolina and beyond, listening to us on incredible radio stations
like Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred the Midlands heard around
the world on the iHeartRadio application download today, it's free.

(01:14):
The website. Put the dot com on a dog gone it.
That's Clemson Sports Tal dot com a three four five
oh zero zero eighty six text line phone line. And
again you can be a part of the program anytime,
any place, anywhere on our website. That's Clemson Sports tal
dot com and the show The Shakespeare south Land brought
to you in part by our good friends over at

(01:35):
Mets Plumbing mets Plumbing dot com two two six seven
one oh eight. That's Mets Plumbing two two six seven
to one zero eight. All right out of the gates here.
College football playoff rankings are out. We'll get into that
with you here on the program we'll take a look
back at what I thought it could look like. Plus

(01:59):
Chad Morris joins us in our number two as well.
No surprise, the top team in the country, at least,
no surprise to me. The top team in the country
Ohio State. That's who I had penciled in at the top.
That's where I thought they'd be there, at the top
in the polls, and I thought the College Football Playoff

(02:20):
Committee would rank them as such, and they did. Second
I said would be Indiana and the College Football Playoff
rankings two for two as the Hoosiers, who are also
ranked number two in the A people, show up at
number two on my list and the College Football Playoff
Committee's list Texas A and M three wide. No problem.

(02:44):
Nailed it when you look at the Aggies. Obviously, they've
got South Carolina coming out to College Station next week,
but they've played like one of the best team in
the country throughout the season. And although their resume, and

(03:05):
this is maybe the big conversation point about them this week,
is that their resume in terms of teams in the
Southeastern Conference and their their win loss records in the
league is not great. They'll face Missouri this week Missoo
is six and two, two and two in the Southeastern

(03:26):
Conference and will host Texas A and M. Maybe a
bit of a trap game, you know, they beat LSU
a couple of weeks ago, and the way they played,
you know, if this was last weekend, then maybe I'm
circling it a little bit more as a trap game.
But because they had a week away from the field,

(03:46):
you know, maybe they've kind of neutralized themselves mentally just
a little bit so that they're not thinking they're so invincible.
But yeah, the teams that they have faced in the
conference are not good. I mean, all fired their coach.
Florida's fired their coach, Arkansas's fired their coach. LSU has
fired their coach. The only team that they've played in

(04:08):
the league that hasn't fired their coach is Mississippi State. Obviously,
they've got a couple of games left before their big
matchup at the end of the season against Texas. But
right now, in terms of the college football playoff rankings,
in terms of looking around the country, I had them.
I had them at number three, and that's where the

(04:31):
pollsters also placed Texas A and M. I had Alabama
sitting at number four. Indeed, the Crimson Tide do check
in at number four, which means your top four teams
in the College FOOTBA Playoff rankings Ohio State one, Indiana
two A and M three in Alabama four, those would
be the teams that would get to buy There is

(04:52):
no hocus pocus with the by situation. The top four
in this year's college football Playoff will receive a B.
Doesn't matter about the league. The top four teams will
get the BUYE. Now outside of the top four is
where things got a little bit murky for me. Not

(05:13):
in the sense of the results. I knew it would
be close, but when I looked at an undefeated BYU
team versus a one loss Georgia team, I tend to
lean in on undefeated meaning something. And yes, the competition

(05:38):
is not the same as what George has faced. And
maybe more than anything, the fact that Georgia's one loss
has come to Alabama is another reason that the Georgia
Bulldogs are sitting at number five, just behind the Crimson
Todd But I had BYU at number five. The committee said,
Georgia the surprising thing and that was one yesterday that

(06:01):
we talked about that I thought could go either way,
and I could see where they would argue for Georgia there.
I could have put Georgia there quite frankly, but then
to have Old Miss at number six was the thing
that sort of made me go, oh, here we go
again with the SEC. I don't want to call it bias,
but the SEC bounce and the SEC bounce exists because

(06:27):
you place a couple of SEC schools ahead of a
couple of Big twelve schools, even though one of those
Big twelve schools is undefeated. Now, those two teams BYU
in Texas Tech, the beauty is they face off this
weekend and it's just the first round of the College

(06:48):
Football Playoff rankings. And my hunt would be that if
BYU were to win that game and stay undefeated with
a victory on the road at number eight, well, college
Football Playoff ranking number eight Texas Tech. Because you know,
we shift the rankings now like things have changed, that's

(07:09):
what you go by now. You only go by the
College Football Playoff rankings, like Texas Tech is what number
nine in the AP I can't remember where they are
in the coaches ball, but either way, Texas Tech is
number eight in the College Football Playoff rankings behind BYU,
And of course, if BYU were to go on the

(07:31):
road and win that game, I would think next week
they might get the bump at nine to zero, past
those two one lost SEC schools. But either way, either
way doesn't matter. It's way early, lots of football left
to be played, and chaos will Chaos will most definitely

(07:51):
ensue at some point. So you're top four Ohio State, Indiana,
Texas A and M, Alabama, Georgia, Ole, Miss. Number seven
is BYU, Number eight is Texas Tech. Number nine I
projected correctly its Oregon, and number ten I was shocked

(08:17):
at number ten. Number ten is a two loss Notre
Dame team. Now, Notre Dame's two losses are intriguing because
of not just who they are to, but by how
much they are, And I think the one that's really

(08:42):
carrying them is the fact that an undefeated Texas A
and M team narrowly escaped South Bend and probably didn't
deserve to win that game, but you don't. You don't
always deserve to win every single football game forty one

(09:05):
to forty to the final score. Texas A and M
beat Notre Dame earlier this season, and that dropped the
Fighting Irish to zero to two. And this was a
Notre Dame team that was certainly considered one of the
top ten teams in the country. Some people considered them
one of the top five teams in the country. They're

(09:27):
lost to Miami, looking worse now that the Hurricanes are
stumbling in November again under Mario Cristobal. They lost twenty
seven to twenty four in the opener on the road
and then lost at home to Texas A and M.
But the Fighting Irish are still in the top ten,

(09:48):
which would mean they would be in the College Football Playoff.
Number eleven is Texas, as I said here on the program,
I had Texas at number ten. I thought Texas in
Oklahoma would be ten and eleven, and then I thought
Virginia would be number twelve. Instead, it's Notre Dame ten,

(10:09):
Texas eleven, and Oklahoma twelve, meaning that there is not
currently an Atlantic Coast Conference school ranked in the top
twelve of the College Football Playoff rankings. And these these

(10:30):
things will sort themselves out, but that was probably one
of the more surprising aspects of it all. Now, if
the tournament were to go today, however, because of the
way it is set up, and I mentioned this to
you yesterday. Even if Virginia's outside of that top twelve,

(10:50):
they would be in as a conference champ, meaning that
Virginia would replace Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff and
Memphis would replace or excuse me, Memphis would replace Oklahoma,
and Virginia would replace Texas, placing Virginia with an eleven

(11:12):
seed and Memphis with a twelve seed. So even though
there's a lot of SEC teams here, two of them,
Oklahoma and Texas, would be bounced by virtue of the
College Football Playoffs rules. Here's what the projected top twelve

(11:34):
would look like. We'll start with the two teams that
would be playing in an eight nine matchup, with the
winner facing Ohio State in a quarterfinal game. Right, the
eight seed would be Texas Tech and they would host
ninth seed at Oregon, and the winner of that would
go to Ohio State. That grouping is paired up with

(11:59):
number five Georgia hosting Memphis, with the winner of that
facing fourth seeded Alabama. That's the top half of the bracket.
Your bottom half of the bracket. The two seed is Indiana.
They would await the winner of and this is a
good one BYU the seventh seed hosting Notre Dame. So
the fighting Irish would have to go out in the

(12:20):
provo Utah to face BYU. That's really good, and the
winner would play Indiana. Could potentially get a rematch between
Indiana and Notre Dame from a year ago. With that scenario,
could potentially get a rematch that we had last year
with Oregon and Ohio State based off of those first

(12:42):
three rounds. And then are those first three pairings, I
guess then you've got third seed to Texas A and
m awaiting the winner of six seeded Old Miss hosting
eleventh seeded Virginia. Tony Elliott's Cavaliers projected in currently the

(13:02):
twelve team playoff, even though they were on the outside
ranked number fourteen according to the College Football Playoff Committee.
Now we don't really need to go further down the
rankings per se. Again, this is this is number one.

(13:26):
This is the first rendition, and there will be more
games that will clarify all of the outcomes. And I
do think teams can certainly move. I don't think this
has to be an sec end all be all by

(13:47):
any means. But here's that conversation or here's the thought
process on fans being critical of Texas A and M's
resume in the Southeastern Conference because of the teams they
have faced. And again, as I mentioned, if you're just

(14:09):
joining us, I know radio showtime and rollover is about
twelve minutes. We're sitting here at fourteen, which means some
of you are just joining us, and we're taking a
look at the college football playoff pairings. Thus far the
top four Ohio State, Indiana A and M in Alabama
as I projected here on the show yesterday. But Texas

(14:31):
A and M is an interesting bird because the Aggies
conference opponents record is not good. And as I said
just a little bit ago, all but one team they
have beaten this year fired their coach. They beat Auburn,

(14:53):
who just fired Hu Freeze sixteen to ten. That isn't
Auburn team that is one and five currently in the
Southeastern Conference. They beat Mississippi State, who still has their coach,
thirty four to nine. That is a Bulldog team that
is one and four in the conference. Texas A and

(15:17):
M beat Florida, Florida has fired their coach. Florida is
currently what two and three in the Southeastern Conference. They
beat Arkansas by three forty five forty two. It's an
Arkansas team that's fired their head coach, and the Razorbacks
are zero to five in the SEC, and A and

(15:40):
M beat LSU. The BYU Bengals are two and three
and fired their head coach as well, meaning that the
overall record of the teams that Texas A and M
has beaten in the Southeastern Conference in conference play only
conference play on now, they are six and twenty. That's

(16:05):
not ideal. Here's Marty Smith from ESPN. He joined our
sister site Techsags on Techsags Live to talk about Texas
A and M's slate and those people that are nitpicking
their schedule.

Speaker 3 (16:23):
How do you what do you read into amm's record
against teams in the SEC, Because I've seen a lot
of folks on social media talk about A and M
has beat teams that are six and twenty in the SEC.

Speaker 4 (16:37):
Come on, like, come on, man, they're eight to no,
they're undefeated.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
I can't imagine.

Speaker 4 (16:45):
I don't know who those some people are on social media,
but whoever they are, they're trying to damn hard. I
don't care who you're playing in the SEC. Even teams
like Auburn that just fired their head coach.

Speaker 2 (17:00):
They're.

Speaker 4 (17:02):
Ten, twelve, fifteen plays from not firing their head coach
against really good teams, against Oklahoma, and again, you know,
get to like, I don't know, man, I just feel
like that kind of nitpicky I almost said a bad word,
that kind of nitpicky stuff.

Speaker 5 (17:21):
You're just trying too hard.

Speaker 4 (17:23):
The league is really really hard.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
It's really physical.

Speaker 4 (17:26):
It's hard to stay healthy, it's hard to stay disciplined
to the point where you get to eight to oh
and when the rankings come out, they're going to be
third in the country or maybe fourth. I don't know.
I would imagine it's going to be Ohio State, Indiana,
and then Alabama and and A and M, depending on

(17:46):
what the committee's feeling. I'd go A and M just
because they're undefeated and they've earned.

Speaker 2 (17:52):
It, and yeah, they've they've definitely earned it, and I
don't begrudge it. I can't argue for undefeated with BYU
and not support A and M where they are. But
there is a lot of football left to play. The
clarity will begin to come together. But that is our

(18:12):
first our first look at the college football playoff rankings
and the committee's view of things which they looking at it.
They love the Southeastern Conference, there is no doubt about that.
They love the SEC. But the SEC, in my opinion,

(18:37):
has earned that and the Big Ten based off of
the championships that that league has had and the way
Ohio State has continued to play, and what Indiana has
done this season in Oregon, you know that is a
league that is getting love too, which is why you
see one to two in the country being Ohio State

(18:59):
in Indiana. I think the ceiling for the Big Ten
may feel a little bit taller than the SEC, but
I think there are more teams in the room in
the Southeastern Conference. And I know a lot of fans

(19:21):
will still look at Indiana and say, come on, Swan,
it's Indiana. But this is two pretty good seasons and
a fairly large sample size, and look at the numbers
of what Indiana is doing to the teams that they face.
Just look at what they're doing. I mean, they're really good.
I don't know if they're National championship good. I know

(19:41):
double Ow predicted that a couple of weeks ago. It's
a really good football team for sure. A three four
or five h zero zero eighty six Texa line, full
on line. Give us your thoughts on the college football
playoff rankings. The first release came out yesterday. We'd love
to hear from you right here on Fox Sports Radio
fourteen hundred swamp back with you on a Wednesday coming up.

(20:02):
Chad Morris, former Clips of Tiger offensive coordinator, former head
coach at SMUN, Arkansas, joins the program. Before the break,
we were looking over the college football playoff rankings. Ohio
State's one, Indiana two A and M three in Alabama four.
Those were the predictions that I got correct at the top.

(20:23):
After that, a little bit off, but pretty close here
Georgia five, Ole Miss six BYU seven, Texas Tech eight,
Oregon nine, Notre Dame ten, Texas eleven in Oklahoma twelve.
But again, teams like Virginia from the ACC who are

(20:44):
just outside of the top twelve would be bumped in
as well as a group of five team would be
bumped in. Currently that would be Virginia and Memphis, meaning
Oklahoma and Texas would be left out of the College
Football Playoff if it started a day, but it doesn't today.
It does not start today. Now A couple of things.

(21:08):
I do want to get the kid clubn here momentarily.
But one thing that I've always said, like, I thought
expanding the playoff would be better because it would make
more games late in the season meaningful. And I do
think that we are seeing that because across the country,

(21:28):
games that years ago, even when you're in a fourteen
playoff model, would not have mattered. They matter, They matter,
and that's important. But I'd be lying to you if
I said that, I'm starting to look at the list
of teams that are going to potentially be in the
college football Playoff and looking at like a top fifteen,

(21:51):
and thinking about the top twelve and looking at that
list and going but is it special? And I think
back to what it would be like today if it
were just those top four teams that we were talking about,
if it were only Ohio State, Indiana, Texas, A and

(22:15):
M and Alabama and that other group five, six, seven,
eight nine were battling to get in there. Who can
make it into that top four? And I know it
blocked out conferences, and I know it blocked out teams,
and I know it was a tough mountain to climb.
And Clemson was fortunate to climb that thing four times
into the National Championship game under Dabosweeny and win it twice,

(22:40):
this big group of teams for the second consecutive year.
The day after the release of the College Football Playoff rankings,
I don't really have much of a feel. I'm not
excited for anybody one way or the other.

Speaker 6 (23:00):
Four.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
If you were Ohio State and you lost at this point,
you knew that you were likely going to be out
or you were going to struggle to fight your way
back in. But now like you're getting teams that here
we are eight to nine games in the season are
sort of locking themselves in. That takes away some of
that drama. Let me know what you think if you're

(23:22):
watching on TikTok. I'm not saying I'm against the twelve
team playoff, but it certainly felt like a bigger deal
these first rounds and the releases of the College Football
Plaoff rankings, regardless of what happened to the teams that
were there in that top four, but being in that
top four felt huge, and maybe being in that top

(23:46):
twelve feels huge to some teams right now that are
out there but covering it and talking about it. I
think it leaves me wanting a little bit. And maybe
it's because it's easier to remember, you know, the four
teams who were those four teams? But if you cast
a net going around the country today, it said, hey

(24:10):
to a sportsman, to a sports fan, a college sports fan,
tell me the top twelve teams in the college Football
Playoff rankings right now? How many of them could But
when it was four, even though you got a longer list,
everybody knew the four, which I think created more interest.

(24:34):
But it didn't mean you got in. It didn't mean
your team was gonna make it. As a matter of fact,
that was maybe why it was so much more interesting,
because you could you could have a complete wash from
the top four that started. And I don't know if

(24:57):
that ever happened. I need to go look right now,
matter of fact, let me uh, let me dig in
here on the College Football Playoff website. Man, I know
we had some significant changes over the years, but I'm
pretty sure we never had a complete new four from

(25:19):
the first weekend. I'm pretty sure there had to be
a straggler somewhere along the way. Let's see all time
college Football Playoff we're the all time rankings. I'm gonna
have to dig that up. I'm pretty sure I could

(25:43):
get it during the break eight zerre three four five
zero zero eighty six. I'll tell you what. We'll give
you the full rundown while we got time again. Ohio
State one, Indiana two, Texas A and M three, Alabama four,
Georgia five, Old miss six BYU seven, Texas Tech eight,
Oregon now Notre Dame ten, Texas eleven, Oklahoma twelve, Utah

(26:07):
is thirteen, Virginia fourteen, Louisville fifteen, Vandy is sixteen, Georgia
Tech seventeen, Miami's eighteenth, Southern cal nineteen, twenty is Iowa
twenty one, Michigan twenty two, Missouri, twenty three, Washington, twenty
four pitt and twenty five Tennessee. So that's a look

(26:34):
at the first College Footballlayoff Committee rankings. And again Virginia
would bump Texas out and currently an unranked Memphis team
would jump in and knockout Oklahoma from the College Football
Playoff rankings. A zero three four five zero zero eighty six.

(26:58):
We had a couple of techs in about the rankings.
We'll get to those, plus I've got the history here.
I'm just looking for the weekly release of the college
football playoff rankings. Imber I seem to recall the first
ever rankings. See if I get this right, because I
haven't found it, yell on their website. I believe the

(27:20):
first rankings ever had three teams from the Southeastern Conference
in there. One of those was I believe Mississippi State.
Quick Break will come back with more here on a
Wednesday afternoon, Clempson's Sports Salt, Loon and Swan rolling along
with you on a Wednesday. So not easy. This information

(27:40):
not easy to find. I'll tell you what is easy
to find. No Alumni Haul right there on the corner
of campus on College Avenue, downtown Clemson. It's Alumni Hall
for all your officially licensed Clemson merchandise, hats, t shirts,
Kilgate gearmore. Go check them out today or online at
alumni haul dot com. Alumni Hall where Tiger fans shop. Okay,

(28:04):
so they don't lay it out very well, like there's
a great view of last season's rankings from week one forward,
but for whatever reason, their archive is not good on these.
They shouldn't be just laid out, but you know, they've
changed the number of weeks that they put the polls out,
Like the first year twenty fourteen, they started in week

(28:26):
ten and they put out polls in week eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen,
and sixteen, so that's what seven weeks of polls, and
so they've they've changed it up through the years. But
that year, Mississippi State was one, Florida State was two,
Auburn was three, and Old Miss was four, so there

(28:47):
were three of those top schools were Southeastern Conference schools. Now,
Florida State did make it into the College Football Playoff
that year, so one of those top four teams did survive.
Oregon was in who was five, Alabama was in who
was six? And then Ohio State was the team that

(29:07):
ended up winning the championship that year. They were ranked
sixteenth in that first poll. So in twenty twenty four
excuse me, in twenty fourteen, yes, indeed, one of the
top four teams in the first week made it. The
second year kind of the same thing. First week was

(29:28):
was week nine. Clemson was in there, Alabama was in there,
and I don't think Oklahoma or Michigan State were in
the No, they weren't so two teams that year. Obviously,
twenty sixteen, you're gonna see a pattern here week nine
with Clemson in Alabama, those three, three and four, Michigan

(29:50):
and Texas A and M were in the mix that year.
It finished with Ohio State in Washington checking in. So
twenty sixteen there was two teams. There were two teams
who were in the final. In twenty seventeen, the first
four were Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame in Clemson. That playoff

(30:11):
was Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama, so three of the
four teams there were in it. Oklahoma who got in
was fifth when that first set came out, so not
much movement, but multiple teams there. In twenty seventeen. Twenty eighteen, Alabama, Clemson,
Notre Dame in Oklahoma were the final teams and it

(30:31):
was Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Notre Dame, so just the
old Oklahoma LSU swap. That year twenty nineteen, the first
week was Ohio State, LSU, Alabama, and Penn State. The
last week was LSU, Ohio State, Clemson in Oklahoma. So

(30:54):
again every year it looks like from the top four
we've had one of those teams make it. We've never
had the complete group. In twenty twenty, Alabama was at
the top of the beginning. Alabama was at the top
at the end. In twenty twenty one, Georgia was at
the top and at the end. Let's see, Georgia was

(31:14):
in it at third Alabama was also in it. They
were in that top four that came out. Yeah, I
don't think we've ever had a season. I'm still checking,
but I don't think we've ever had a season where
any we had a completely new set of four. So
twenty twenty two Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia, and Clemson, and

(31:35):
the final was Georgia, Michigan, TCU and Ohio State. So yeah, man,
it's looking more and more. Michigan was in there in
twenty twenty three at the beginning. Michigan ended up being
the top seed that year. Last year, and we went
to the twelve team playoffs a year ago. So yeah,

(32:01):
that's never happened. We've never had the top four swap
out completely. There's always been somebody that's that's hung in
there over the years. But that, to me, did make
it more interesting, more intriguing, just the fact that you
could talk about those top four and it certainly centralized

(32:21):
your interest on those teams in those games, and if
one of those teams or two of those teams fell
like the twenty I think it was the twenty sixteen
season for Clemson that was so wild if you look
back at it. So week nine, Clemson was eight no.
Alabama was eight No, Michigan was eight No. Texas A

(32:47):
and M was seven and one. The following week, Texas
A and M got beat. That left Alabama at nine
and oh, Clemson at nine to oh, Michigan at nine
and OH and Washington at nine to OH and then
gets beat the following week. That's that pit loss and
your ten games into the season. But there was chaos

(33:08):
around Clemson that week. You went from having four, you
went from having four teams that were undefeated to that
same week, Michigan lost, Clemson lost, Washington lost, And the
only thing that really happened with that loss was Clemson

(33:28):
dropped a couple of spots down the number four, But
they stayed in the playoff hunt and they kept winning
and by week fourteen, by the final poll, Clemson was
back up all the way up to number two. So
you know, even that year when you thought, I remember
that weekend, I remember when Clemson lost a pit walk

(33:50):
off field goal. It didn't really matter how it happened.
You knew because you were one of those top four
teams that man, it was bad news. But because Michigan lost,
and because Washington and then lost, Clemson benefited and did
not drop nearly as far as they would have. Ohio
State passed them, yes, but then for Clemson, bands you

(34:10):
were also staring at the fact that you knew Ohio
State and Michigan were gonna play, which was gonna open
up another spot for you. And ultimately Ohio State won
that game against Michigan that did allow Clemson to move up,
and then the Tigers performance in the ACC Championship game
also gave them a little bit of a bump. So

(34:31):
that's sort of a historical look at it. But we've
never had a year where all four of the top
four in the initial rankings weren't there at the end.
Someone has always survived, sometimes two teams, maybe two, or
maybe just two times. I saw three teams that survived it.

(34:51):
But now I mean to talk about the twelve team playoff. Yeah,
it's great, there's more games and more teams that are involved.
But could you give me the two that we've been
talking about all day right now, including the two that
would be in and the two that would be out.
I'm not sure everybody could. That's a problem in my opinion.
Final segment of our number one I was thinking back,

(35:14):
I can't really what we're talking about the playoffs and rankings.
I don't even know if I really got my point
across that I really wanted to make about the expanded playoff.
I don't mind it be in twelve teams, but let's
go to the system that I've talked about here on
this program, and it should not be about how good

(35:35):
your conference is. The NFC East or the AFC West.
Those teams in those leagues don't care about what everybody
else is doing. They only care about what their team
is doing, and that's what you should be concerned about.
In the current system doesn't do that. It allows you

(35:56):
to go well, but we play such a tough schedule. Listen,
pair up the Southeastern Conference in the Big twelve on
one side of things you can play across during the season.
Pair up the ACC and the Big Ten on the
other of this playoff bracket. Take the top three teams
from each league if you want, that's a twelve team playoff,

(36:20):
or take the top four if you want, that's a
sixteen team playoff, and keep them separate so that the
Southeastern Conference in the Big Twelve are on one side,
and the ACC and the Big Ten are on the other,
and they play down to a championship game. Because then
it doesn't matter what the other teams in your conference do.

(36:42):
You would only focus on what your team is doing
and can you be in that top three or that
top four in your conference? To me, that would create
parody and opportunity to win championships. Championships to me are
alway the great parody aspect, the thing that creates parody

(37:03):
in sports, because money and all of that is great,
but it does you no good to make a lot
of money but be at the bottom of a league,
or to have a lot of money and be at
the bottom of a league. And I don't want to
hear about some beauty paget. Well, we play such a
tough schedule. That whole thing we talked about with Texas

(37:25):
A and M and the fact that their conference foes
are six and twenty wouldn't matter and it shouldn't matter.
And if you had a setup where the top three
teams from each league or the top four teams by
virtue of their record in conference play, we're in no

(37:46):
more beauty patchet. And you could set the pairings up
if you want. You could have the top team from
the Big twelve play the fourth team from the SEC,
and you could pare it up that way on both sides,
or you could come up with another thing where you
just stack them up one through twelve and line them up.
It doesn't matter at that point. To me, it's about

(38:06):
creating parody and who's in that's more valuable. I mean,
the more I think about it, I think the four
team idea would be awesome. And I like the concept
of sort of the reverse pairing. And what I mean
by that is you would have the SEC one versus

(38:27):
the Big twelve number four, right, and you'd have the
Big twelve number one versus the SEC number four, and
that would begin to eliminate some of this well, you know,
this league's so much better blob andy blah blah blah.

(38:48):
You'd have the SEC number two versus the Big twelve
number three, and you'd have the Big twelve number two
versus the SEC number three, and then you'd pair that
thing down and those teams would play their way into
the national championship. And on the flip side, it would
be the ACC one versus the Big ten four. It's

(39:16):
a big ten four. Then the Big ten one would
face the ACC four and then that would battle down.
How is that not a better playoff system for everybody
involved and the power for the only people that can
get hammered on that are the group of the group,

(39:37):
the you know, the group of five, and as I've
said here for years, the group of five, you guys
need to figure it out and get your own thing.
You need your own golden scepter. Trust me, you'd like
hoisting that more than you would playing in some nondescript
bowl game. So I took it up play myself during
the break to line up what these pairings would currently
look like, just giving where these teams ranking their leagues.

(40:01):
So the top team in the SEC currently is Texas
A and M. They would be in my consideration or
the way I've got laid out, they would be the
number one team, and A and M would be matched
up against Houston, the number one team in the Big
Twelve right now is BYU, and they would be matched

(40:24):
up against the number four team in the Southeastern Conference,
which would be Old Miss. Then you've got the two
three matchups, which in the SEC the number two team
is Alabama. The Alabama Crimson Todd in this scenario, would
be matched up with the three team, which would be Cincinnati,

(40:50):
and then Texas Tech, who is the two seed in
the Big Twelve, would be matched up against the number
three team in the Southeastern Conference, which is Georgia. Now
why I like this and why I think the Southeastern
Conference people would like this scenario, and that's what we

(41:11):
really got to get on our side, is because I
think the Southeastern Conference teams would believe that they would
have a chance to sweep those series. That A and
M would have the chance to beat Houston, the Texas
Tech would lose to Georgia, that Alabama would beat Cincinnati,
and that Old Miss would beat BYU. And I'm fine
with that if that's what happens, but pair it up

(41:34):
every year and do it. I was looking to see
if any of those games were actual games or not currently.
And then on the other side, you'd have ACC schools
and Big Ten schools and have the same scenario and
pair it down and take the top four and teams
would definitely rotate into that top four. Your I almost

(41:58):
feel certain in saying, regardless of how bigger your your
league is, your team would eventually rotate in and it
would be based off of your conference and not off
of a beauty pageant, not off of be based off
of your conference schedule, and not your conference strength. It
would be about how good you did against your league.

(42:18):
And I think that's important, all right. Coming up, our
number two, Chad Morris joins the program. Stay with us.

Speaker 1 (42:26):
It's time for Clipson Sports Talk with Luwton Swan.

Speaker 2 (43:06):
It is our number two. That's drivetime right here on
the show The shakesa Southland Clempson Sports So long, Swann
ain't know with you. Chad Morris, former Clempson Tiger offensive coordinator,
joins us every Wednesday, coming up on the program, and
again it's brought to you in part by our good
friends over at mets Plumbing mets plumbing dot com. Two
two six seven one oh eight. That's two two six

(43:28):
seven one zero eight. That's Mets Plumbing online at mets
plumbing dot com. Let them know Swannee Sintya. It's a Wednesday,
the show, The shakespare Southland Clempsones Sports Talk, and of
course Chad Morris joins us every week to talk about
the world of college football and with his son Chandler
being the quarterback at Virginia. Man, it is great times

(43:49):
up in Charlottesville and coach, I know you and the
wife and family. Major way out to Berkeley, California. Is
that your first time being there?

Speaker 6 (43:56):
You know, it's been it's been a it's been many
many minutes ago. I went out there and shot a
video for an offensive like an offensive video that that
for DVDs and VHS tapes went out. All that was
in play back in the day, and uh, we were
able to get out in the into the Bay area

(44:18):
and go down to Monterey and but but yeah, you know,
for you know, for a couple of days, Paul and
I went out there and got there a little early
and it was it was it was good. It was
it was good to go visit. Let's just put it
that way.

Speaker 2 (44:30):
Well, with some of the things that have gone on
in the world of college football over the past week,
Virginia now sitting on top of the a C C
five and oh in the conference, their lone loss coming
to a conference team at NC State. We've talked about that,
but it was an out of conference game, and it
was that same wolf Pack team that beat Georgia Tech.
I would imagine the wolf Pack, faithful and Raleigh today
are saying to themselves, why did we schedule that Virginia game?

(44:53):
Is a now the conference game?

Speaker 6 (44:57):
Yeah, you know, and it was. It was good, of course,
you know, that was a that was I think week
two of the season, and and uh, I think you know,
Virginia actually had jumped up on them pretty good and
and they you know, they battled back and and uh
kind of low and they lost the lead right there
at the end, and then Channel let them down and
had an interception right there in the end zone. And
but you know, a heck of a game, and they

(45:18):
were a good football team playing them at third place,
and just like Georgia Tech found out, I mean, you know,
anybody can beat anyone on any given night in this league.

Speaker 2 (45:26):
Yeah, it is a very competitive league, especially at the top.
And now with the way some of us shaping up,
who knows who's gonna end up being in Charlotte for
the ACC Championship. But you know, you've been in situations
like this, and you've got eight games in, you know,
or so and and four remaining. How do you keep
the focus of a team, How do you kind of
keep that that drive and determination locked in, because I

(45:49):
know these guys have to be worn down physically and
maybe more importantly even mentally at this point.

Speaker 6 (45:55):
Well, you know, every every year this time of the year,
everybody's in the same position. Everybody's got bumps and bruises,
and everybody's you know that there they don't have as
fresh legs as they had back in August, and and
it becomes more of a mental grind than a physical grind.
And because now it's just like with Virginia and coach
Elli Antoni and I were talking about this last week
after the game, is that you know, there's they got

(46:18):
three games left, they got this week, next week, they
got an open week, and then they finished up with
Virginia Tech and and so. And what you try to
do is just focus on one week at a time.
You're in the driver's seat, you control your own destiny.
All you do is just just focus on just let's
let's don't change what we've been doing. Let's focus on
being the best we can be every day and and

(46:38):
you know, let's go play this week and then we'll
regather and regroup and then go play next week and
then step back and and finish it. But very few teams,
you know, have the capability when you get into November
to be able to see the finish line and actually
get through the finish line. And and and Virginia is
one of the rare teams right now. And that hey,

(46:59):
they can control their own destiny and the sky's the
limit for them. And staying focused and just staying task
on hand and keep playing good football. And you have
to be able to run the football in the month
of November. I've said that before. You got to be
able to run the football. It takes so much pressure
off of your passing game, and it opens up so
much of your passing game. And defensively, you got to

(47:19):
stop the run. And that's those teams that come out
of November are usually those that can do those things.

Speaker 2 (47:25):
Again. Chad Moore's hanging out with us here on the
program off the heels of Virginia's win at CAL thirty
one twenty one. His son Chandler the quarterback there, and
we've been talking a lot about the world of college football.
So I'm gonna make you commissioner for a minute, because
the commission of the whole thing, coach you've been hired.
It doesn't pay well. But Davo Sweeney got fined in

(47:48):
the institution, got fined ten thousand dollars for complaining about officiating,
and then today sort of double down, double down on
his comment, saying that, look, the officials are the only
people in sports that or at least the collegiate level,
that really don't have to be accountable publicly for their cause. Now,
whether or not it was a past interference, defensive pass interference,

(48:09):
offensive past interference, should have been defensive holding, whatever, it
doesn't really matter. Do you think there needs to be
more accountability at this point in the sport for officials
or are you okay with kind of where we are
on that front.

Speaker 6 (48:23):
Well, there's always the human element that's involved, and that's
kind of what's made the sport all through the years.
It's what's made baseball. You know, they used to never
be the world of review, and so the human element
was a part of it, and that just happened. That
just kind of came with the territory. But then review

(48:45):
came along and to kind of help some of those
those things. And what I would say would be this
is that, yes, there's got to be accountability on the
on the officials apart. There has to be, you know,
because it's held accountable with every coach is held of accountable.
It can't be just ups, my bad, we missed it,

(49:06):
and and let's go on to the next thing, right,
I mean, there has to be account to billy involved.
So to take that and to take more stress off
of those officials to whether or not that they make
the right decision or wrong decision at that in that
in the heat of that moment is take the final
two minutes of the game and make it make it
under review. So if you throw a pass interferance, we're

(49:27):
going to take it to review. I mean, we review
just about every spot that there is anyways, we review
just about anything and everything. Let's go ahead and just
add those those plays involved in it, or give a
coach a challenge flag or two challenge flags or whatever
it is. I doesn't matter. And to say, hey, okay,
if you didn't like it, let's challenge it and now
you at least you at least take some of the

(49:47):
pressure off those officials and whether they make the call,
they don't make the call, you know, the coach still
has an opportunity to to you know, to see if
it wasn't you know, if it was or if it wasn't.
I think I don't think you have to review every
pass interference call or no call, but I do think
in the final two minutes of a game, I think

(50:08):
it's you know, again, let's add that. Let's add it
to the game. It's not going to add much more
link to the game. It's going to help the officials out.
You know, they're more apt kind of like targeting, they're
more apt to call a pass interference and then take
it to review than they are not. And so that's
my I was commissioner, I think I would be pushing

(50:30):
hard for let's do the final two minutes of a
game and let's help let's you know, because again, it
comes down to some of these things and it's it's
it's right, wrong and different. You know, Let's don't let
something like that be an outcome that controls the final
call of the game. You know, So to speak.

Speaker 2 (50:47):
Sure, and and like you said, there's already some reviewable
things like whether or not a targeting call is targeting.
Another example I think is what maybe twelve men on
the field, they can go back and review that stea
if somebody's off the field. I'm not one hundred percent
certain on how that rule works, but like you know,
you go back to that Wake Force Georgia Tech game

(51:08):
a few weeks ago, when you had a player that
jumped off sides and it's clearly obviously he's off sides,
and I'm thinking to myself, that's the kind of play,
Like I get the juxt the justification of a bang
bang play. You know, God thinks is a pass interference,
it's not whatever. But when somebody's clearly off sides, that'll
be as reviewable as whether there were twelve men on

(51:29):
the field.

Speaker 6 (51:31):
Correct. And again, that was a game changing play, yeah,
I at that point, I mean, Wake Forest wins the game,
Georgia Tech loses, and then you know whether that parlays.
I mean, Georgia Tech is essentially out of the out
of the race now if they had lost that game, right,
So it's it is, it is, it's it's it's it's
you know, take it out of the equation. Let's let's

(51:53):
review those things in the final two minutes and so
we get it right. And that's what I would say.
I'm more concern about getting it right then someone missing
a call or not or making a call in upholding,
and let's take time and let's get it right. There's
too much at stake here.

Speaker 2 (52:11):
Chad Morris with us here on the program again, former
Clemson Tiger offensive coordinator, former head coach at Arkansas and
LSU coach. I know one of the things you and
I have talked about off the air, and I know
we want to get to this and our listeners certainly
appreciate and value the Olympic sports on these campuses, but
you know, there's this huge impact with how much money's
involved in football and the importance of those Olympic sports,

(52:35):
and some schools have already lost some sports because of
the financial situations that we're dealing with at some of
these universities. Just give us your thoughts on that from
the standpoint of you know, when you're a head coach,
you're of a college football program. I mean, you're arguably
the biggest figure on campus. But you know, those other coaches,

(52:55):
you know, those other players. What is the impact that
we're seeing and how valuable are are those Olympic sports.

Speaker 6 (53:02):
Well, I'm actually I'm actually a part of a of
a group and we'll call it's Fair Foundation, and it's
it's a project Hope, and it's it is it is
the fact of recognizing the Olympic sports are in jeopardy
in college athletics and even high school athletics, and so,
you know, because there is there's so much there's so
much money being being pumped into these into the into

(53:25):
the obviously the other sports, and and England's that we
just can't lose focus on the fact that there's so
many other student athletes that are competing at a high
level that are part of the Olympic Sports, and we
we just got to make sure that we bring awareness
to the fact that that this is this is real,
the funding in these sports are real, and and so yeah,

(53:47):
I'm I'm I've really taken a big interest in that.
And obviously I love the game of football and that's
who I am. But it's you know, it's but it is, uh,
you know, I just feel like there's a lot of
their student athletes out there that we just got to
bring awareness to well.

Speaker 2 (54:03):
And certainly you've got a daughter, and I know she's
now grown and off and working at Auburn. But the
fact of the matter remains that, you know, some many
of these coaches do have daughters. Many of them are
very athletic. Some of them might play volleyball or tennis
or soccer, and if those Olympic sports dry up at
the collegiate level, there's really nowhere for these young individuals

(54:26):
to go and play after high school.

Speaker 6 (54:30):
It's so true, so true. And she's an ole miss
and apologize work and yeah, it's okay, especially with everything
that's gone on.

Speaker 2 (54:38):
A right, right, Yeah, that's probably what happened.

Speaker 6 (54:44):
No, she's an ole miss, but yes, you know, it's
so true. And you know, there's everybody puts so much
time and energy and effort into the training aspect of
all sports, and you want to make sure that they
have a fair and opportunity, the fair opportunity to be
able to compete at the collegiate level. And and and again,

(55:05):
you know, it may not affect as much the Clemsons
of the world because there's so many more resources, but
it does have an impact and and but you know,
some of the other smaller schools, uh, you know, some
of the funding they just can't hold up. And and
and there's just got to be an awareness about that

(55:26):
and just to understand that we can't let these these
student athletes go go go unnoticed.

Speaker 2 (55:31):
Chad Morris again with us here on the program, talking
college football, and one of the things that we had
a texture write in about listening to your segment was
about the aspects of education at the collegiate level. And
and I don't I don't know if you have these
numbers now, I'm not even sure really matters, but are
most of these kids the question was about do most

(55:54):
of these kids go to class on campus or are
most of these kids that are playing college football. Are
are they doing, like you know, enrollment online? Do you
have any idea about that? And when when you were
a head coach, did a lot of kids do online stuff?
Or most of these guys go into class as student athletes?

Speaker 6 (56:11):
Well, I think probably a little bit of fifty to fifty.
I would say it's probably maybe sixty forty those that
go to class. But there's a lot of student athletes,
a lot a lot of the football players are on
you know, take classes online on zoom or you know,
and so yes, that's that's a real thing. And more
of the older, older guys that are doing that, I know,

(56:34):
like Chandler at Virginia right now. I mean I think
the majority of his are our zoom classes. And and
then you you know, some some of it is the
fact that you know, for some of the student athletes
that may be more of a higher profile athletes. But
that is it's it's too it's you know, get them

(56:55):
on an online class and let them let them excel there.
Uh but you know, you I still can't miss the
college experience. Well it's more the older guys than anything.
But but yes, that's that's I would say probably if
went across the country's probably sixty forty wow in class
to online.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Well, I even heard the thing that got me thinking
about this week too, to go back to that question
that came in from Tom a couple of weeks ago
and Anderson listening to the show, is the fact that
you know, Wade would ass this week after Clemson's lost
to Duke, the first time they've lost to Duke at
home coach in forty five years since nineteen eighty I
don't know where you were in nineteen eighty, but I
was about three years old, just probably running around shirtless

(57:36):
in the backyard. And he and way would, I said,
you think I want to show my face in class
this week? You think I want to show my face
on campus? And I thought to myself, well, it sounds
like a guy that's going to class. Let me dig
that back up when coach comes on with us this week.
And man, it was painful watching Clemson. You know again
this time it's the offense, coach. The defense really lets
him down, just if the right ones getting them. The

(58:00):
left one is it's amazing the struggles that Dabosweeny's teams
had this season.

Speaker 6 (58:05):
It is, and it's and it's sad. It's sad to see.
But you know, you know those again, those guys are,
they're working their tails office. Those kids put so much
time and energy in and you know that's somebody's son.
Well you know what has it that's somebody's sign out there.
And and and he hurts, you know, it's he shoulders

(58:26):
the burden as as so many of those guys do.
And it is, it's, it is, it's sad, it hurts,
you know, but you know, it's it is. It's just
it's one of those years right now, and you just
got to keep pushing through and playing through. But and
I feel again, I love this university and and love

(58:48):
what it has done, and and you know the success
that we've had, and and and and and as coaches said,
and I'll continue to say as well, it will get back.
It will get back. It's it's a you know it
it is. It is some challenging times right now. The
fans feel it, everybody feels it. But you know, to

(59:11):
lose at home and not play well at home and
protect to protect the home field, that that's you know,
that's been a challenge and that's been that's been tough
on everybody. And but uh, you know it's this one.
You got to find a way to finish November. You know,
you got four they have you know, Clemson has four
games left, and you know, let's let's go try to
get a win this week against a good Florida State team.

(59:33):
And I say, good, they're they're a team that's very
capable of of you know, they could be sitting here
with with one loss on the year, just as just
as Clemson could be sitting here undefeated. I mean, it's
it's a play here, play there, and so yeah, it's
it's it's tough right now, but uh, you know, you know,
it'll it'll it'll make everybody continue to appreciate when when

(59:55):
it does turn back around, and it will turn back around,
that there's greater days ahead.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
It'll almost make your head spin when you try to
figure out the Atlantic Coast Conference. Honestly, you and I
you were just talking about it earlier and thinking back
to what Florida State did this past weekend to a
Wake Forest team who held SMU to what twelve points
two weeks ago or thirteen? And that SMU team was
going up and down the field against Clempson just a
few weeks back. I'm like, man, I don't know, come
here from Sickham when I'm looking at this league, coach,

(01:00:22):
I'm gonna be honest, and what Florida State team rolls
into Death Valley this weekend? Who knows what Clepson team
rolls into Death Valley? I have absolutely no idea. This
is the toughest season in my twenty years covering college
football and covering Clemson to really project what this Tiger
team was going to do on the field. It is
unbelievable how inconsistent they are. And that's going to drive

(01:00:44):
Tabo Sweeny crazy because he's really proud of himself all
consistency during his tenure.

Speaker 6 (01:00:52):
It is. And he's been extremely consistent over his tenure.
And that is one thing. And I know Coach has
made it very clear. And and you know he's he's
shouldered the burden and just just you know, feels the
pain of so many and and as well as is
taking on the responsibility that and you know, this is

(01:01:12):
what's up. And uh, I acknowledge it. And and you know,
but the one thing I know about coach, he's got
a plan and and it'll it'll get it'll get fixed.

Speaker 2 (01:01:22):
All right, We're gonna put Coach Morris on hole. We
got about a minute before the break. So again, don't
forget about our friends at Alumni Hall right there on
the corner of campus on College Avenue, downtown Clemson for
all your officially licensed Clemson merchandise that's hats, t shirts,
tailgate gear and more. Go check them out today if
you're in Clemson, or you can check them out online

(01:01:42):
at Alumni Hall dot com. And when you go to
alumni Hall dot com. This is what you're gonna love. Okay,
this is what you are going to love is that
it is not just Clemson gear on that site. Now,
I want you to go to their site through our
site by clicking on a link back to a lom
Hall because then when you purchase wherever you go, it'll

(01:02:03):
support us. But if you're an Alabama fan, an app
State fan, an Arkansas fan, Auburn, Clemson, LSU, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Tennessee,
North Carolina, Georgia, man, all of those schools, go check
them out, a lot of them. In the College Football
Playoff conversation, not your Tigers unfortunately, quick break, Chad Morris
joins us again. Right after this welcome back, Clemson's sports

(01:02:25):
sunk on the Wednesday, Chad Moore still on the guest line.
So I'll ask you from the head coach standpoint. I
don't know if you had to do this at all,
but DA was when he gets asked a lot about
firing coaches in mid season, and I think it's not
in his form. I just don't think he's gonna do it.
I think he's a guy that's going to evaluate at
the end. But we do have coaches in this state.

(01:02:47):
Shane Beemers fired his offensive coordinator Mike Schuler this week,
fired the offensive line coach a couple of weeks ago.
Some coaches do that, some coaches don't. I know, there's
a situation where you would have to write there certainly situations.
It could be an off the field DOUI whatever. You
might have to do that. But in your opinion, what's

(01:03:07):
the way to handle these things? And what would be
a situation where you would feel compelled to maybe move
on from an assistant coach mid season? Is there a
point that you would cross or would you allow it
to play out till the end?

Speaker 6 (01:03:21):
Well, I've been in that situation before, and I've always
been the firm believer to not try to make a
change during the year and and and continue to add
more disrupt and havoc. And you know, you've got to
be careful that you don't lose the team. And you
got so there's a lot of factors that are involved.
And and I always always under the understanding that you

(01:03:45):
don't you don't, you know, try as hold as long
as you can. But if I also felt and just
like I'm sure coach. If coach felt like that it
would help uh can, if it would help re energize,
or if it would help create a win, then that
that's you got to make a decision what's best for
the team excuse me at that point. And it's such

(01:04:07):
a fine line, especially when you get into the month
of November. Is is, Look, I recognize that there's there's
got to be some things that have to change, but
I don't want to make staff changes during the middle
of year unless my hands is just absolutely forced. And
you know, and and and at that point, it's a
feel from a from a head coaching standpoint, you feel it.

(01:04:27):
You got to feel and if it's felt like it's
what's best moving forward right now to help us win
and and and and try to create some type of momentum, uh,
then you have to do something like that. Otherwise you just, hey, look,
we got to continue to try to fix this and
and fight through it and and try not to create
any more disruption than what's what's already been created. But

(01:04:48):
it's there's no right answer to that right now. I mean, obviously,
when you're when you're when you're a fan and you're
angry and you're upset and you you want everybody, you
want everybody gone right now, and that again that's that's
not that's not the thing to do at that moment.
You get through, you evaluate. But but again I say
all this that it's each each situation is a little

(01:05:14):
bit different. And that's and one thing I do know
about coach is he's weighing every opportunity, every situation and
every He's given every chance he can to try to
to to to make it and get this thing to
where he gets into a position he can step back
and say, Okay, this really what has to happen, and
not make it in a a in a seven day period.

(01:05:34):
You know where you have to do something and make
a change, and you've got to make some things happen.

Speaker 2 (01:05:39):
Chad Morris with us. Okay, two more questions, Coach, I
do want to stick with this because you've been a
coordinator before. Obviously do the coordinators. I'm not just talking
about coordinators at Clemson. I'm talking about across the country.
I think you mentioned the whys sort of hearing that stuff,
but how much do they know if they're in trouble?

(01:06:01):
And I'm talking to any school. I'm not talking about
Clemson specific just in general. You're the opposive coordinator at
Oregon and there's it hadn't been great. How much do
you know personally? Or you so locked in that bubble
that you can't see what's going on on the outside.

Speaker 6 (01:06:18):
No, you And that's the way I always felt is
that you can't stick your head in the hole. You
have to recognize, gotcha, and you have to you got
to know that. Look, if if this doesn't get right,
this is real. This is part of the business. And
I would say, I would say if not one hundred percent,
I mean ninety five percent of those across the country

(01:06:41):
realize that and they're like, Okay, this is a production business.
Bottom line is a production business. And if we don't produce,
it doesn't matter. And so so yeah, I would say
that if most all of them are like, yeah, hey,
we understand what we signed up.

Speaker 2 (01:06:57):
For, all right. And and final thing, I guess on
that front. And this has changed since you were a
head coach, you know, in the I'm gonna call it
the olden days coach ten years ago. In the olden days,
big money donors giving money to get their name above
the locker room. Now those big money donors are being
asked to, you know, help I guess pay for the

(01:07:17):
players that are on the field. I don't really understand
all of the ins and outs of NIL and you know,
rev share and all that. But do you think that
the pressure on the coaches across the country is greater
now because it's not about that name. It's about that
next quarterback that I gotta pay for because it's not
just one payment, it's next year you're gonna need another,

(01:07:39):
you know, four hundred thousand dollars from me. I mean,
is it are the boosters or whatever you're gonna call
them now, the big money donors? Are they more I
was the word bloodthirsty then they would have been in
the past when it was just nice to look up
there and see their name above the you know, above

(01:07:59):
the complex or whatever.

Speaker 6 (01:08:03):
Well, I think you look at it like this. If
you if you're if you're given, if you're given the
money for the locker room, or you're giving the money
for the large sum for n Io and and you're
you're being a part of that, you expect results. It's
a result driven business. And if it's not happening and
you don't feel like that the the you know, the

(01:08:27):
changes are being made in the off, you know, to
to your your your satisfaction. Will you you essentially like,
you know what, I'm not giving you more money. And
that's just that's that's naturally, that's all across the game.
And you know in college football, and so yes, the
big money donors have they do have a strong say.
And because this is they help fund the business, they

(01:08:48):
help fund the fund this, this, this, this pro you know,
the programs, and so yeah, they have they have a
huge say in it. And because again you have to
have the funding and and so yeah, I think that's
a that's that's a very fine line. And you know,
some some some boosters are just at that point to

(01:09:08):
where it's just like you know, and you hear it
every year, and you hear it every you know, this
time a year, and they look, I'm I'm I'm done
giving money until something's made. And how you force athletic
director's hands, it's just a it's a never ending, you
know battle and just you know, and so that's it is.
It's it's a challenging time.

Speaker 2 (01:09:29):
Chadmore's here on a Wednesday, coach, have a great week.
Thank you so much for your insight.

Speaker 6 (01:09:34):
Well, I appreciate it. Look forward talking next week. Go
Wahoo's and go Tigers.

Speaker 2 (01:09:38):
There you go. Always great insight from coach Morris here
as he hangs out with us every week. We spend
about thirty minutes, close to thirty minutes with him. Hope
you enjoy those interviews. All right, with a break, we'll
come back. We'll spend some time with Cave Club Nick
as he met with the media yesterday up at Tiger Town.
Stay with us, long swine. Back with you a Wednesday.

(01:10:01):
K Club, the clubson quarterback, met with the media yesterday
and again Club Nate was emotional after that loss to Duke.
We'll hear him talk a little bit about that coming
up at a minute. But first and foremost, he was
asked about how he's feeling physically. Of course, dealing with
that ankle issue.

Speaker 5 (01:10:21):
Felt good. Yeah, definitely. Uh.

Speaker 7 (01:10:25):
I thought I was gonna be a little bit more sore,
but you know, feeling a lot better than I thought
I was gonna be feeling. And but you know, it's
it's not a gentle sport, so I always always a
little bumps and bruises along the way throughout the season.

Speaker 5 (01:10:36):
But you know, I feel great and excited. Attack attack.

Speaker 2 (01:10:40):
Another week, club Nick was asked if he felt that
the injury to his ankle limited his mobility at all.
I mean, it really didn't show to me very much.

Speaker 5 (01:10:51):
You know, I fought through everything.

Speaker 7 (01:10:53):
I felt like when I needed to move around, I
felt like I moved around pretty well, and I felt
like I was really close to myself out there. So honestly,
I felt felt better than I thought I was going
to be. I'm out there and I felt like I
moved around pretty well.

Speaker 2 (01:11:09):
So Clubney was also asked about the mood in the
locker room, which certainly was full of disappointment after their
forty six forty five loss to Duke.

Speaker 5 (01:11:20):
Yeah, that was that.

Speaker 7 (01:11:21):
One was tough, just with everything that went on throughout
the game, and especially just on the offensive side of
the ball and the defensive side of the ball. Just
you know, as a team, just that one was tough
for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:11:35):
That's Clemson quarterback k club Think. He was asked to
kind of give some details or you know, kind of
give some insight into what took place in the locker
room after the game.

Speaker 7 (01:11:45):
You know, the whole team just you know, come together
and just experiencing that pain together, I guess, you know,
offense getting together after and Coach Roley just sharing how
much he cared for us and and just love being
a part you know, you know, we've never been a

(01:12:06):
part of anything like this before, and just showing his
care for how much you know, he appreciates and has
joy and the people that he's around. And I shared
the same, and just how much we appreciate and love
this place and we appreciate everybody that we get to

(01:12:27):
go to work with every single day. And he just
he really made that clear and that was really cool
for him, for us to see that from him.

Speaker 5 (01:12:33):
And yeah, and then Coach Luke just you know, kind
of shared that.

Speaker 7 (01:12:41):
You know, we aren't happy, we aren't happy right now,
but that doesn't mean that we still can't have joy.
The joy doesn't come football, it comes from something greater.
So just encourage us with that. So that's what I remember.

Speaker 2 (01:12:52):
He also was asked about that's Kate Clubton. He also
was asked about how he felt the team has responded
uh this week getting prepared for this matchup with Florida State.

Speaker 7 (01:13:02):
That's been a really good past two days of work
and of practice. I feel like it's just been a
lot of energy and you know, chasing win, you know,
chasing win and biggest game of the year right now,
So contain to fight and continue to fight for this place.

Speaker 2 (01:13:18):
And yeah, Clubnet was asked to give some insight into
what he's seen from Florida State's defense so far as
he prepares for the Seminoles.

Speaker 7 (01:13:29):
Yeah, I mean they do what they do, they do
at a very high level, and you know, they're kind
of a bend, don't break kind of team and kind
of CAU team. You're gonna need to kind of pick
apart throughout the game. And uh, with with the State,
with the with the way that they play their defense.
So I'm just gonna need to, you know, do what
we do at a really high level and just do

(01:13:52):
that continually throughout the game.

Speaker 2 (01:13:55):
Clemson freshman running back Gideon Davidson had his biggest performance
and best foremance since he arrived at Clemson this past weekend,
and Kay Clebett was kind of asked to give his
evaluation on what he's seen from Gideon Davidson.

Speaker 5 (01:14:09):
Yeah, he's been balling.

Speaker 7 (01:14:11):
You know, I think that both of you know, our
whole running back game with Adam and Gideon in there
just you know, playing really really well. I think it
just it's two sets of fresh legs that can go
in there and get the get the job done passing
passing game and where it's going to you know, take
on a mic linebacker or you know, get out wide

(01:14:31):
and go get some really great runs for us. They've
both been killing it. But you know, Gideon just you know,
played his tail off. He ran the ball really well,
but he blocked really well as well. And that's not
that's not.

Speaker 5 (01:14:41):
Gonna be something that's gonna show up on stat sheet.

Speaker 7 (01:14:43):
But he blocked really well against you know, a great
linebacker corps from Duke. So I was really good and
proud of proud of him.

Speaker 5 (01:14:52):
Good to see that.

Speaker 2 (01:14:53):
And there's no doubt Gideon Davidson's getting better. He's he's
not in my opinion, where I think most of us
assumed he would be just kind of based off of
how he was presented. And I'm not saying that anyone

(01:15:19):
thought that he was gonna be like Traves Etn freshman year,
which even Etn had to gradually work his way in.
That might be a case study to look back at
Travis Etn and the carries that he had in his
first few games because he was all the talk, I

(01:15:44):
mean all the talk during camp leading up to kick
off of the season. But yeah, I thought that Gideon
Davidson certainly played his best game twelve carries fifty one yards.
I mean, Adam Ran had sixteen carries for eighty nine yards.
Like I would I would have killed for Clipson to

(01:16:04):
have that type of of combo in the backfield this season,
no doubt. But you know, Gideon just hasn't gotten opportunities,
not the way I think we all thought he would,
and that's frustrating. I mean, Davidson with two carries, didn't

(01:16:28):
play first off, didn't play against LSU, two carries against Troy,
one carry against Georgia Tech, seven carries against North Carolina,
four carries against Boston College, one carry against SMU, and
twelve carries against Duke. Twenty seven carries for one hundred
and ten yards. I'll tell you what, we got a

(01:16:51):
break coming up right here. I'm gonna I'm gonna pull
that up. I'm gonna I'm gonna pull up traves etns
freshman season at Clemson and get a gander at how
many carries he had through his first six games. I mean,

(01:17:13):
I don't think I think it'll be more than twenty seven,
but I think you'd be surprised that it's not much
more than that. I don't think it's going to be
much more. We'll see if I'm right when we get back.
Keep it a lot right here on Fox Sport Tradio
fourteen hundred.

Speaker 5 (01:17:31):
What have you done for me lately? It's a fair question.
Just don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Don't forget history.
Lucky for us at Clemson, the answer to the questions
what have you done for me lately? What have you done?
Always are the same.

Speaker 2 (01:17:57):
We win final segment on a Wednesday. Thank you the

(01:18:47):
Chad Morris for joining us again. We hope you are
enjoying those segments with him. I don't know he I
know he wants to coach. He said that on the show,
not saying he'll be coaching at Clemson. He didn't say that.
He just said, you know, he's gonna get back into coaching.
Just took a year off to enjoy watching his son
Chandler quarterback at Virginia. What a run it's been. They

(01:19:09):
would be in the college football playoff if the playoffs
started today. So I'm I'll tell you this. I was
surprised at traves Etn's numbers for a couple of reasons.
Number one, I didn't remember that Louisville game where he

(01:19:31):
had that breakout run, kind of being as early in
the season as it was. It was the second week
of the year, and if you had asked me that
before the segment, I would have told you I thought
it was about week five. So travesit TN in his
opening game against Kent State had eight carries for eighty
one yards. He averaged ten point one yards per carry.

(01:19:52):
He nearly had in his first game. I was shocked
at the result. Nearly had the same amount of yards
as Getting Davidson had has had in six games. That
was stunning to me. Then you know about the big run,
the eighty one yard or against Louisville, Well, he had
six carries that game for ninety eight yards. He averaged

(01:20:13):
sixteen point three yards per carry, So he surpassed Gideon
Davidson the yardage in two games. It nearly did it
in that Louisville game, just with ninety eight and the
next game he would against BC had nine carries for
one hundred and thirteen yards. He had a fifty yard long.
He had fifty four yard long by the way in

(01:20:33):
the opener against Kent State. So yeah, his numbers were
a lot better. He was far superior. I didn't realize
how much he was carrying the ball looking back on it,
through six games, Traves YTN had fifty one carries for
four hundred and forty six yards. I mean, look at

(01:20:56):
the number. Look at some of the numbers. He had
fifty four yard long against Kent State, eighty one yard
long against Louisville, fifty yard long against Boston College, fifty
two yard long against Syracuse, twenty eight yard long against
Florida State. I wonder if you just looked at his

(01:21:19):
freshman year alone, did he have more? Did he have
more fifty plus yard carries as a freshman one, two, three, four?
Did he have more than will Shipley in his career?
And y'all it didn't stop. I mean, forty yard touchdown

(01:21:43):
against Georgia Southern the following year, seventy yard touchdown against
Wake Forest the next year. And remember in though there
may be some other ones, like he had one hundred
and sixty seven yards that day there. That was just
the one long run he had that day. Forty one
yard run against Louisville, five yard run for a touchdown
against pitt sixty two yard touchdown run in the Cotsch

(01:22:03):
Football playoff against Notre Dame, thirty eight yard run against
Alabama the following year, a ninety yard run in the
opener against Georgia deck a forty nine yard run against Louisville,
an eighty six yard run against Watford. Lord, don't go

(01:22:25):
look back at travesatn stuff. It'll it'll make you want
to cry. Seventy two yard touchdown run against Miami, a
forty four yard touchdown run against Notre Dame. And I'm
gonna tell you he routinely had like just under thirty
yard touchdown runs. I mean almost you could almost bank

(01:22:47):
on every game travesatm was going to put up some
kind of stupid number. But I was shocked at how
superior his freshman year was compared to where Gideon Davidson
is right now. And again I understand Gideon Davidson has

(01:23:08):
not had a lot of opportunity, but man, I even
though I'm doing the radio, you know, eight years ago
or whatever, twenty seventeen was Etn's freshman year, and obviously
I was seeing it fifty four yards in his first game,
eighty one fifty. I mean that single carries. I bet

(01:23:33):
if I could dig up those old old programs, I
bet I was cuckoo for cocoa puffs over that kid,
cuckoo for cocoa puffs for Traves Etn back in the day.
The numbers are just so much better than I remember.

(01:23:55):
And that's the reason he's the all time leading rusher
in the ACC. And that's the reason that for many
of you, he is the greatest running back in Clemson history, superior,
superior to CJ. Spiller. Having a good year with the
Jaguars one hundred and nineteen carries for five hundred and

(01:24:18):
ninety eight yards of two touchdowns, averaging five yards of
carry in the NFL. Had you know, these battled some injuries.
I love seeing him and big Tray of the Giant
Killer together, though it's always good to see Trevor and Travis.
All Right, we gotta get out of here. Look, Thank
you again to Chad morris Man. Always fun catching up
with him. Keep it lot right here on Fox Sports
Radio fourteen hundred and then at four o'clock we'll be

(01:24:39):
back tomorrow. Until then, as always, you'll take care now
and goat tigers.