Bradley’s Buzz: ESPN’s Dinich now likes Clemson over Tech
According to ESPN's ACC expert, Tech won't win this time. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Say this for Heather Dinich of ESPN.com: She’s consistent. She didn’t pick Georgia Tech to win the Coastal Division, and she’s not picking the Coastal champ to win the ACC title.
Ms. Dinich call her choice of Clemson over Tech in Tampa on Dec. 5 a “wacky prediction.” I wouldn’t call it wacky. I’d just call it misguided. You can make a case for Clemson. You can make a much better one for Tech.
Winning the ACC would put Clemson in the Orange Bowl. So where, according to Ms. Dinich, would Tech land? The Chick-fil-A? Nope. She has Georgia Tech falling behind Virginia Tech in the pecking order and landing in the Gator Bowl against a Big East opponent or Notre Dame. (I understand the Chick-fil-A might not want to have Georgia Tech for a second consecutive year, but I also understand that there would be local pressure from Jacket fans to keep Tech out of Jacksonvile.)
But … Notre Dame? Is it even bowl-eligible? And if so, is it bowl-worthy?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
339 comments Add your comment
Clemman
November 22nd, 2009
5:58 pm
Who cares about Clemson, Johnson will announce his decision to take the Notre Dame job after the Georgia game.
2000 Tech Grad
November 22nd, 2009
5:59 pm
I can understand Heather Dinich’s perspective. However, like Mr. Bradley, I disagree with her. Tech is much improved on offense since the Sept 20th game. Dwyer was obviously injured and I think she may be overlooking that. If you agree or disagree with her, lets leave the sexist comments out of it. I’m disgusted to think that any of you really believe that those remarks have a place in this world. Grow up!
Technophobia
November 22nd, 2009
5:59 pm
Hey boogie, why so obscessed with GT?
2000 Tech Grad
November 22nd, 2009
5:59 pm
Correction Sept 10th game.
dh
November 22nd, 2009
5:59 pm
WELL BOOGER MAN, I DO HAVE THE CAPS LOCK TRADMARK ™. YOU SAY TO CALL YOU BOOGIE MAN, BUT I’M GONNA CALL YOU BOOGER MAN ANYWAY, BECAUSE ANYONE THAT HAS POSTED FROM 12:49 TIL ALMOST 5:00 ON THIS ONE SUBJECT DOESN’T DESERVE IT. YOU ARE SO HIGH ON A KLIMPSON TEAM THAT IS PLAYING VERY GOOD FOOTBALL, BUT DO YOU REALLY THINK TECH IS PLAYING WORSE. I THINK THE SMEGMA ON YOUR BRAIN IS WHAT CAUSES YOU TO BE SO ANNOYING AND UNINTELLIGENT.
dh
November 22nd, 2009
6:00 pm
CHECK THAT, NOW 6:00. LONELY, LONELY MAN™.
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:01 pm
Nobody is obsessed with GT. Hell, nobody outside of Atlanta even knows who they are.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
6:02 pm
Johnson ain’t going anywhere next year. He sleeps with D-Rad and will stay until the money dries up (2011). Then it’s on to Michigan or Oklahoma. GT doesn’t have the $$$ to keep the cut-blocking azzhole.
Techman
November 22nd, 2009
6:03 pm
Hey guys. Dare to dream alittle. What if FSU beats Florida, We beat the pups, and Clemson, and Florida beats Alabama. We would have four common opponents with florida and would have bested them in every match. We would leap frog both top SEC teams.
It could happen.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
6:06 pm
Techman, it’s okay to dream but not while under the influence. I’ll bet you share a trailer with yellowfuzz boy.
Technophobia
November 22nd, 2009
6:07 pm
HD knows how to get ratings. Smart girl but not about football. Clemson may win but we’ve beaten them once already this year and they have not beaten us since 2006. Clemson lost to Maryland this year (earlier) and had a very hard time stopping Va for much of the game yesterday. Sure Clemson could win but saying they will win is NOT logical.
But hey, that’s just fine. Obnoxious UGA fans and Clemson bandwagoners are simply going along with Johnson’s philosophy. We don’t want anyone to give us anything. We plan to take it on our own. GO JACKETS! STING EM!
SGOD EHT KCUF
November 22nd, 2009
6:09 pm
GET EM dh GET EM LOOK AT ME I CAN TYPE IN ALL CAPS TO AND TELL SEXUAL JOKES LIKE MC YYYYYAAAAAAYYYYY
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:11 pm
And what then Techman? A TCU vs Cincinnati or Boise St NC game. GT doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of making the NC game.
Technophobia
November 22nd, 2009
6:14 pm
Boise in the NC game??? lol Have you seen their schedule? Might as well let Div II in if that’s the case.
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:17 pm
Hey pervert. You’re the one that so proudly pointed out what your name was spelled backwards. Wouldn’t Craigslist be a much better venue for that kind of solicitation?
George Holman
November 22nd, 2009
6:23 pm
She’s right. Clemson takes Tech the second time around!
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:24 pm
Still doesn’t change the fact that GT can’t get there no matter what happens to Alabama or Florida. Either one of those teams has a better shot at the NC with 1 loss against TCU or Cincinnati than GT does of jumping to #2. Nobody wants GT in a game of that magnitude. Tech fans fixed that forever when they all noshowed in Jacksonville a few years back.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
6:24 pm
Any team (pick one) in the top 6 could whip GT. If I was a DL I would simply take a step back when GT snaps the ball and go for the QB/RB after walking over the OL who dived at my knees. The GT OLs are taught to cut block and that will never, ever work in the long haul. Paul Johnson is an azzhole for coaching that crap and it will wind up biting him in the azz. I detest that prick of a coach and hope he gets what’s coming to him. Clemson wins 34 – 20.
joe
November 22nd, 2009
6:27 pm
Technophobia… Clemson lost to Maryland… Tech got taken to OT by Wake.
Clemson beat Miami, Tech didn’t.
Clemson lost to GT by 3. GT had to come from behind to win.
I’m not sure where LOGIC comes into play in your world, but it is entirely logical to think that Clemson may pull the upset.
GT deserves it’s ranking, they are a very talented and well coached team.
but they aren’t unbeatable.
Technophobia
November 22nd, 2009
6:27 pm
lol, if you take a step back we get at least 3 yards when we run you over. That’s plenty to keep on rollin.
Technophobia
November 22nd, 2009
6:31 pm
May pull the upset? As I said, it could happen. What I said was illogical is saying it will. I’m really not worried about it. I watched the Clemson vs. UVA game yesterday which was at Clemson. UVA was running all over those guys and UVA only has 3 wins.
DRC
November 22nd, 2009
6:33 pm
A long time GT fan here. I am not a male chauvinist pig, but the majority of women don’t know jack squat about football. How they can predict games and even announce play by play on tv is beyond me. I will say this that the Jackets better beware this sat.. I have been to too many GT-ga games and left wondering what happened. uga will come to play I guarantee that. I think GT may have a little bit more firepower plus coaching on their side. The same statement can be said for Clemson also.
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:35 pm
Having an azzhole coach and fans that won’t travel…forget that…can’t even fill their own stadium guarantees GT will have an extremely tough time ever getting in a game more significant than the ACC title game. No ACC team not named VT, Clemson, or FSU will ever see a game that expects to fill stadiums, hotel rooms, and boost a local economy. GT is a dud in that regard. Just the way it is. Every major bowl in America cringes at the thought of GT in their city with all those bucks at stake. Sad but true.
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:37 pm
If Clemson beats GT is it really an upset?
GTSteve
November 22nd, 2009
6:39 pm
I don’t care who she is and who she thinks will win. All I know is since Tech hired Paul Johnson, the Jackets usually win, I like the odds when he is coaching. And as for UGA, the problem there is that their team sux, they just don’t know it yet. And yes I used there and their in the same sentence with correct spelling. Suck Failure Freaks
Can't outfox a fox
November 22nd, 2009
6:40 pm
Tech will back the train up and RUN OVER uga, clempsun and hopefully Heather from ESPN all over again. Game on, put the jerseys on let’s play……
Can't outfox a fox
November 22nd, 2009
6:42 pm
hey tg ggirf you chokie hokies still around? hahahahahahahahahaha do not look now but Hokienation turned into Chokienation and Bud Foster is getting the hell out
Technophobia
November 22nd, 2009
6:42 pm
Why so bitter MC? Why does it upset you so much that GT is having a great year? It’s really pathetic.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
6:45 pm
GT is a pretender. Clemson is a contender. We’ll just see how you chop blocking clowns handle CJ Spiller. My money in on Clemson!!
Tom
November 22nd, 2009
6:45 pm
Mark, I usually like your work, but this is just bad journalism.
OK – so you take exception with Heather Dinich’s pick of Clemson over GT. Fine. Not a problem. But how about offering something in the way of an argument as to why you think Ms. Dinich is so full of it, other than the fact that Tech has Paul Johnson and Clemson has Dabo Swinney?
Yes, Paul Johnson has been a head coach longer than Dabo Swinney, and has had more success in his career. Gotcha.
Last I checked, Johnson and Swinney were tied in National Championships with 0.
Last I checked, the coaches don’t play the game; the players do.
Yes, Georgia Tech is 10-1 and ranked in the national top 10. They’re good. But they’re hardly unbeatable. They struggled with Wake Forest and Vanderbilt in the first half — two not really all that good teams. And yes, a lot of time has passed, but this is the same team that laid an egg (on national TV, no less) against a decent-but-far-from-great Miami team.
All you’ve managed to do with this particular piece is look like a homer popping off against a perceived lack of respect. Which is fine, I guess, if that’s all you were trying to do. But why not aim a little higher?
GTSteve
November 22nd, 2009
6:46 pm
Yeah MC, selling out a 95K stadium is great…..except when you lose dumbazz…..UGA and Michigan sold close to 200,000 tickets Saturday and both lost, please explain how that is better than winning in a non sold out stadium, please explain
Can't outfox a fox
November 22nd, 2009
6:47 pm
You GT fans that are afraid of UGA and Clempsun, grow a pair of big ole hairy ones like CPJ
Bradley's Buzz: ESPN's Dinich likes Clemson over Tech | Mark Bradley iSilverlight
November 22nd, 2009
6:49 pm
[...] post: Bradley's Buzz: ESPN's Dinich likes Clemson over Tech | Mark Bradley By admin | category: espn | tags: acc, bradley, espn, georgia, mls, the-national, thunder, [...]
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:50 pm
I would rather look good and lose than look bad and win…..we sell out every game that makes us better……i suck
Ron
November 22nd, 2009
6:51 pm
Making a “case” for either team is moot. This championship will be won on the field, so defending your team with opinions and even heretofore facts means nothing. It’s between the lines on 12/5. Please excuse us Clemson fans in the mean time this Saturday while we take care of our own in-state business. Then, we can handle those pesky little beehive buzzers from Atlanta.
No kidding. Tech is very good and it should be a great game. It’ll take our best to take the ACC crown that day. We just hope we will enter that ACC Tampa game 9-3 after beating the SC Mid-state poultry on 12/28. Not an easy task.
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:51 pm
Nope. Tech IS having a great year. Congrats. But even you GT fans know that you have an image problem when it comes to putting meat in seats. Even in the bowl game last year there were more LSU colors in evidence than GT colors. When you can’t rep in your own stadium or own backyard how do you expect to overcome the politics of big time, big bucks, post season games. You don’t think Tampa didn’t pray for VT in their game? Clemson vs VT and the place rocks. Everybody wins. GT might not take 5000 fans to that game. 15,000 would be a gift from God.. You’re a smart guy Technophobia. You know what I’m talking about.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
6:52 pm
Can’t outfox a fox, how do you know about CPJ’s privates? Oh, I know. Been down there and done that, huh? Too much information – ugh!!
MC
November 22nd, 2009
6:54 pm
By the way nickjacker, I’m not a UGA fan. Nice try little girl.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
6:55 pm
GT cannot beat Clemson – no way, no how. Clemson wins big!!
Ben Harling
November 22nd, 2009
6:57 pm
Come on Tech folks, focus on UGA. Don’t you KNOW the Dawgs would just love to upset us this week-end!
Keep ‘em focused CPJ — one game at a time!
GT Grad ‘57
GT1990
November 22nd, 2009
7:00 pm
MC has a valid point. Until we as fans step up to the plate with our attendance, travel, and dollars we will always be the odd man out. If GT and 2 other teams from the big six conferences are undefeated guess who’s going to be left out in the cold. Maybe we GT fans should walk the walk when it comes to getting out of the house and into the seats.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
7:16 pm
Ben, your team had to go to OT just to beat WF. No way you should be ranked in the top 10 and you know it. Weak schedule = late season disappointments. I hate the way the offense cut blocks the defensive players and that’s why I hate your team. What other team has OL players diving at the knees of opposing DL players as soon as the ball is snapped? Legal? Yeah, I guess. Sportsmanlike? Um, nope. Watch #71 the next time you view your beloved Jackets. The risk of knee injury to an opposing player is fairly significant and should not be allowed. Whatever happened to just standing up and engaging your opponent in a brace at the line? That’s Johnson’s gimmick right there – cut blocking. It’s legal but really should not be. It’s pretty sad when you must resort to tactics like that but I guess a small school will take wins regardless of how they are achieved. In due time it will all come back to haunt your school and cut blocking coach.
IndyGT
November 22nd, 2009
7:19 pm
What gets me is when I hear the sportscener guys saying GT needed a fake FG and punt return to win. Last time I checked special teams were art of the game. That aside, yes Clemson is playing well, but so are we. btw.. I was reading, that fake FG was illegal according to the ACC office. What was illegal about it?
GT1990
November 22nd, 2009
7:21 pm
I think they are saying the formation was illegal IndyGT.
C Bryan
November 22nd, 2009
7:21 pm
Clemson wins this one. This is why. Offense is much better than the first game. We are multi- dimensional. .We stopped the option for 2 quarters and we have already seen it once. Our freshman QB is 7 games better. He was pretty darn good in the first game. Our receivers are better. Our offensive line is much better. Our first string tackle will play Morgan this time. We have a better defense. We will bring more fans. It will be like a home game for us. Destiny is with CJ Spiller. Go Tigers.
Mark Bradley
November 22nd, 2009
7:23 pm
Here’s an explanation of the “illegal” play, Indy. It’s also from Heather Dinich of ESPN.com.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
7:23 pm
GT1990, you are already left out in the cold. Do you GT fans actually entertain the delusion of getting a shot at the MNC this year? Please tell me that you haven’t drank that much GT kool-ade. Please tell me that you’re happy just having a winning season after barely escaping the likes of WF. Now I know you’re all excited at your small school but you will not get to sniff the MNC this year and you know it. The Orange Bowl is the best you will do and if Iowa gets in there you’ll have to play your very best game of the season. You are in the ACC. Let that idea sort of sink in for a few seconds. The ACC. Got it?
SGOD EHT KCUF
November 22nd, 2009
7:25 pm
Haha MC a little back and forth. I love it. But to answer some of you questions. Yes if clemson wins, the game would be considered an upset, albeit a mild one because GT is the higher ranked team at this point. You are correct about the image problem but attendance and following should not determine a national champion or even how highly ranked a team is. Sadly this is the world we live in. We need a playoff badly. I am interested to know though, what team to u cheer for? Don’t come on here bringing down Tech without atleast telling us who your team is. Oh and am I really the pervert? You were the one that read my post 2 boogie and then assumed I was talking about animals and not what I was really talking about which is our hated rival UGA. You sir are nassssty. But its fine by me if thats how you are. To each his own my friend.
tg ggirf
November 22nd, 2009
7:26 pm
C Bryan, you are spot-on. The cut blockers go down hard!!
Dacula Jacket
November 22nd, 2009
7:30 pm
Clemson will have some big plays and score a few times, but ball control and a better game plan will prevail. It’ll be a pretty good game, but I think Dabo is out of his league here. He’s good for some cheesball motivation tactics (i.e. kissing Howard’s Rock before the game and giving chest bumps on the sideline), but that’s about it. If Tech plays to its potential, they should win easily.
Clemson has one win against a ranked opponent this year. Tech has 3. The Jackets have been battle tested, and I’m confident they’ll win on Dec. 5. GO JACKETS!