Stop the presses! Clemson breaks through for the ACC!
The story of the game: Auburn can't grab the splendid Tajh Boyd. (AP photo by Dave Martin)
For the ACC, the first leg of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic brought another cosmic flop. Tennessee, which finished below .500 last season, beat North Carolina State, which went 8-5 in 2011 and is expected to do better this year, by two touchdowns.That marked the fourth appearance by a team from the basketball league in this football event, and going 0-for-4 is how you get to be known as a basketball league.
At least the ACC’s first three Chick-fil-A losses came against SEC heavyweights — Alabama twice, LSU once. Tennessee had been slotted to finish fifth in the seven-team SEC East. (Behind Missouri, which hasn’t yet played a game in its new conference.) But the Vols beat State, and near the end a few Tennessee fans raised the chant, “SEC! SEC!”, but there was no oomph in it. Who crows over a point that has been proved a hundred times?
The SEC plays the nation’s finest football. That’s a cold fact. The ACC is the fifth-best of the Big Six conferences, and thank goodness for the defoliated Big East. But the weekend offered one last chance for the basketball league to hurl blows against the empire.
On Saturday, Clemson stood in against Auburn. This shouldn’t have been a matchup of peers — Clemson is the reigning ACC champ, Auburn comes off a fourth-place finish in the SEC West, and Clemson had beaten Auburn last season — but such is the disparity in the conferences that the ACC’’s orange Tigers were only a field-goal favorite over the SEC’s version of same.
Here we pause to note more similarities between the programs: Each campus sits roughly two hours from the Georgia Dome on I-85; each has won a national championship since last the Georgia Bulldogs claimed one, and each, in its orange Tiger-y way, is rather strange.
Auburn is coached by Gene Chizik, who was 14-0 with Cam Newton as his quarterback and is 21-30 without. Clemson is coached by Dabo Swinney, who is 1-4 against Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech. (Although one of those Tech victories has been vacated by NCAA sanctions.) Auburn is working with new offensive and defensive coordinators; Clemson, having yielded 70 points to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl, is also under new defensive management.
Through three quarters Saturday night, there wasn’t a dime’s worth of difference between these Tigers. The game was tied at 16. Auburn’s defense, as prepared by the former Georgia/Falcons coordinator Brian VanGorder, was bending against the excellence of Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd but not quite buckling; the Clemson D under Brent Venables, formerly of Oklahoma, was yielding rushing yards but bowing up on third down.
Boyd’s issue was that he couldn’t catch his own passes. Without the gifted receiver Sammy Watkins, who is suspended for the season’s first two games, Clemson kept dropping passes. Two flubs late in the third quarter forced Clemson to settle for yet another field goal, and on the first snap of the fourth quarter tight end Sam Cooper had both hands on a Boyd pass but couldn’t hold it. (To be fair, Boyd threw it a tad behind his man.) The resulting interception led to an Auburn field goal and a three-point lead.
Falling behind galvanized Clemson. Far from dropping the ball, DeAndre Hopkins rose above his defender and, despite being interfered with, snatched a touchdown pass on a fade route. Inside the final 10 minutes now, and the basketball league had a four-point lead.
Technically, it was the first day of September, but the game had taken on a midseason feel. The Dome was packed and loud, both sets of fans roaring, both teams playing as if this was more than a non-conference affair two nights before Labor Day. There was orange Tiger pride on the line both ways, and there was surely conference chest-thumping at work, too. Not that the basketball league has had much cause for that lately.
On this night, however, the basketball league broke through. Clemson and Boyd did the deed. (And let’s not forget running back Andre Ellington, who rushed for 231 yards.) “A big-time gutsy win,” Swinney called it, not exactly underselling the moment.
But why should he? On its fifth try, an ACC team beat an SEC opponent in the Kickoff Classic. Just this once, the almighty SEC wasn’t quite so mighty.
By Mark Bradley
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131 comments Add your comment
LakeDawg
September 1st, 2012
10:49 pm
#1
thebull35
September 1st, 2012
10:49 pm
1st
thebull35
September 1st, 2012
10:50 pm
Nipped at the tape…
LakeDawg
September 1st, 2012
10:50 pm
The SEC still looks strong. BTW What do you make of all these BCS schools struggling with minor opponents today, Mark?
LakeDawg
September 1st, 2012
10:51 pm
I won by a snout.
fan
September 1st, 2012
10:51 pm
clempson might have slipped by auburn but, don’t breathe the word West Virginia around “dumbo” sweeney and the rest of that bunch.
Mark Bradley
September 1st, 2012
10:51 pm
Kudos, LakeDawg.
Mark Bradley
September 1st, 2012
10:52 pm
Florida always struggles in its first game, does it not?
Steverino
September 1st, 2012
10:55 pm
Clemson should have beaten them worse. And while it doesn’t happen often enough, an ACC win over a SEC opponent is ALWAYS sweet.
Gen Neyland
September 1st, 2012
10:56 pm
Hopefully, Florida will struggle in their 3rd game also…
Not Disappointed!
September 1st, 2012
10:58 pm
Nice Read Mark!
Damn War Eagle
September 1st, 2012
11:01 pm
Auburn is going to get better. Frazier looked good. Tre Mason looked great. Dismukes would have made the difference. Frazier will soon be taking over games. He was not quite ready tonight. If we played Clemson three weeks from now . . .
War Eagle 2nite
September 1st, 2012
11:04 pm
Frazier looks almost ready to dominate. Tre Mason looked great. Too bad his fumble happened, because he was ripping it up other than that one play.
Delbert D.
September 1st, 2012
11:13 pm
Best SEC teams after week 1 are Alabama and Tennessee, on my DVR.
Aaron
September 1st, 2012
11:13 pm
Cause it’s good for the ACC that their best team squeaked out a win against the SEC’s 7th best team.
Gen Neyland
September 1st, 2012
11:16 pm
Delbert : Best teams on my DVR after week 1 are Alabama and Alabama…Gotta get a little deeper into 2012 to change my opinion. Thx for the recognition tho.
Bark Madley
September 1st, 2012
11:19 pm
I would bet tennessee finishes better than 5th.
GT GRAD
September 1st, 2012
11:20 pm
Face the facts: Clemson beat Auburn without Sammy Watkins AND they did not even play well (Clemson was not sharp and they simply allowed Auburn to stay close with numerous dropped balls and several bad penalties). All of this said ====== Clemson is 1-0. Auburn is 0-1.
NC State is not very good. Period.
(Excluding Alabama & LSU) the SEC very rarely plays any decent teams out of conference except for the automatic rivalry games (i.e. UGA/GT, FL/MIA, SC/CLEM, etc.). Alabama & LSU play decent teams because they are so solid everyone knows they will still win; however, the other 12 teams in the SEC rarely take any chances they might lose an out of conference game. This is an unfortunate but effective scheme…………the SEC is STRONG at the very top………..this “soft schedule” scheme makes sure the lower tier SEC teams get some certain wins and pads the SEC win/loss ratio. Padding the SEC win/loss ratio results in inflated strength of schedule for all of the SEC teams = reality.
This is why I have suggested for years now that games against teams ranked outside of the Top 100 should not be considered in BCS voting or any of the computer polls!!!
I was also hoping for an annual ACC vs. SEC challenge just like the ACC vs. Big 10 challenge in basketball………this is the best way to compare conferences head-to-head. The conference that wins the most games is better Top to Bottom (rather than just claiming the SEC is better at the very Top……which is obvious).
Go GT!
P.S. UGA did not look good at all against Buffalo (except for Gurley and Jarvis Jones). I watched the game.
babstolstoy
September 1st, 2012
11:21 pm
Bradley,
I’m assuming you cash a check for this bit of obviousness. And if you do I’m not giving you enough credit for IQ based on the banality of your ordinary drivel. Apparently you have found a way to hynotize your employers with nothing while you make for the bank with your salary. Really, sportswriting the way you practice it is an exercise in nothing. What did you tell us here new? I say nothing. Clemson thinks they have the best team they have fielded in a long while and Auburn is rebuilding. That’s it. You could have stayed home enjoying valuable family time and accomplished as much with your column. But kudos to you again for figuring a way to get paid for this bit of nonsense. Then again maybe you do it for free because you love it so much. And that would seem fair.
War smeagle
September 1st, 2012
11:22 pm
I would bet tennessee finishes better than fifth. They looked better than SC and UGA.
War smeagle
September 1st, 2012
11:26 pm
i saw wisconsin, stanford, amd florida (ranked teams) look way worse than clemson did against a quality SEC team.
i love how when the gamechickens barely beat vandy it was a ‘gritty’ and ‘gutsy’ win. SEC fans are as dumb as they look.
Also, the PAC 12 lost three out of conf games this weekend didn’t they?
KR
September 1st, 2012
11:30 pm
Um, what did we expect was going to happen when #14 Clemson played unranked Auburn? Wasn’t this outcome somewhat predictable?
Clemson is to be congratulated for the win. But overall, both teams looked pretty sloppy and made a lot of mistakes. Auburn corrects a few of them and they win. Clemson corrects a few of them and they blow Auburn out. They both correct, and you get the same outcome as actually happened.
Gen Neyland
September 1st, 2012
11:39 pm
GT Grad : From the ‘Blitz’…” To dismiss the accomplishment of Tennessee’s win is egregious. Sure, there will be no shortage of killjoys who will discount NC State based on the inferiority of the ACC compared to the SEC. But NCSU finished 2011 about as hot as any team in college football and returned a loaded roster. I still anticipate the Wolfpack having a solid, 8-or-9-win season.” …Are you a killjoy..?
Paul
September 1st, 2012
11:43 pm
it’s funny oregons offense is so like gts but they can pass and the qb is fast. and the gt coach is toooo stooooopid to realize this so he runs the archaic offense with an immobile qb who can’t throw! brilliant!!
jason
September 1st, 2012
11:56 pm
don’t even compare any team to last year. let the games play out before passing judgement. i think clemson will be good as will auburn but bama is once again the sec dominant team. lsu bama will be fun as for uga? they will lose in columbia next week.
William
September 2nd, 2012
12:02 am
A lot of close games for ranked teams today and some were beat. Right now Oklahoma and UTEP are tied 7-7 late in the half. Auburn is a middle of the road SEC team. Could have won the game. Got tired at the end on defense. Clemson is vunerable this year. GT could beat them. Georgia played poorly and still beat Buffalo easily. We will find out a little more about everybody in the next couple of weeks. Bama looked strong and maybe the best team in the country again.
ignition
September 2nd, 2012
12:04 am
Oregon got some cool uni’s, and their offense is basically the same as Tech’s but they just way smoother and efficient.
Clemson should have blown Auburn out, but blew a lot of opportunities in the redzone..
Kudos to them for still winning even though it was terribly sloppy..
NC State finished what in the ACC .. Like 3rd or 4th in the Coastal .. Not exactly a league leader..
This is a horrible article from a supposed journalist..
Paul in NH
September 2nd, 2012
1:00 am
“North Carolina State, which went 8-5 in 2011 and is expected to do better this year,”
NCSU went 4-4 in the ACC in 2011 and finished 4th in the Atlantic. This year they will probably finish 3rd in the Atlantic, behind FSU and Clemson, with another 4-4 record. There is no doubt that the SEC is better than the ACC but let’s not make NCSU to be something they aren’t – in 5 years under TO’B, they have never finished higher than 3rd in their Division.
Casey
September 2nd, 2012
1:23 am
That’s why they actually play the games instead of just asking reporters who is going to win.
GTBob
September 2nd, 2012
1:27 am
which went 8-5 in 2011 and is expected to do better this year
Who expects them to do better? They aren’t very good. They have no chance at all of winning the ACC, one of the weakest conferences in college football. The way the media (mostly ESPN) acts after SEC games is getting old. They always try to build up the other team like they are much better then they really are. According to ESPN, NC State, Vandy, and Bowling Green are top notch teams this year.
jim
September 2nd, 2012
3:02 am
saying that a team should do good this year based on what they did last year is a joke.bringing up clemsons bad loss in the orange bowl is pointless.for it is a new season.the past is the past.also the SEC isnt as mighty as the media makes it out to be..other than lsu arkansas and bama the rest are just a little above average.in fact the SEC is like any other conference.they have 2 to 3 really good teams and the rest average to above average
ha
September 2nd, 2012
4:33 am
hats off to the purple penis eaters and daboo whiney you beat a half azz Auburn team.
Now we will hear about the puke purple and orange clowns winning a national championship,hell they may upgrade the hampton inn, the ace hardware, and that strip trailer in Clmepsome. WOOO HOOO!!!!
m
September 2nd, 2012
5:47 am
Mark…..what?? Did you mean they “finally” broke through for the second year in a row over awBarn???
I'm flying a Georgia Tech flag right now
September 2nd, 2012
6:12 am
`
The Jackets have bigger hokies to fry.
Fred
September 2nd, 2012
7:40 am
Like someone has already stated, Clemson won without their best player. The SEC has 2 top tier teams. The remaining teams are just ordinary.
BigTimeTECHFan
September 2nd, 2012
7:50 am
SEC is good, they always seem to have 3 great teams, then a couple of good teams.
I think SEC overall best football conf year after year. But last year the Big12 was a little better. Biggest issue with SEC is it seems to easy to go undefeated in Conf play. Year after year if a team is real good they just walk though their SEC schedule. LSU, Bama, Auburn, Bama, Fl,…… Even when Auburn went undefeated their toughest win was Clemson, in fact they were very lucky to win that game.
Yesterday
Bama looked awesome, wow, that team is loaded.
Vols looked real good, key to their season is health, if they stay healthy the will battle for the SEC-East.
UGA, LSU, Auburn looked looked real good.
USCe, Vandy looked ok to bad.
Any team from the SEC would beat the top NFL team by 50...
September 2nd, 2012
7:53 am
“If we played Clemson three weeks from now . . .”
This statement reflects one of the (many) inanities spouted by SEC fans.
They always seem to think that any team they play is in mid-season form and as good as they are going to get from opening day. Never occurs to this guy that if they played Clemson 3 weeks from now, they may improve on a few things as well. Not to mention having their best player back.
Biggdawg33
September 2nd, 2012
8:23 am
All that matters is that Auburn lost. I like seeing SEC dominate, but a loss by Awburn, UT, or the lizards from trailer park state south of Georgia makes my day.
lowcountrylem
September 2nd, 2012
8:23 am
Its always strange to read a sports columnist having to pander to his lowbrow readership to maintain a modicum of popularity. Mr. Bradley’s vehicle can be easily identified in the parking lot—it has two SEC car flags fluttering from the windows.
Hmmmmmmm
September 2nd, 2012
8:26 am
It’s time for all the excuses to go away… GT vs. VT. Will Paul Johnson and company make this a special year? CPJ either wins big this year, or he heads back to Georgia Southern, where he can recruit, and win National Championships…
George Stein
September 2nd, 2012
8:48 am
When did people start rooting for conferences and not teams?
Conference rooting
September 2nd, 2012
9:16 am
When their school except in rarest circumstances has a chance to win and they have 1-2 conference heavyweights that are exceptional and always in conference and national championship games.
For the sec in the rare are a slew including Georgia while the exceptional are Alabama and LSU – in past years these two teams are at the top.
So I am a middle to lower tier sec fan beating up on other mid to low tier teams is a big thing even bigger because my conference is the sec
Vince Doodley
September 2nd, 2012
9:19 am
Kudos to the clempsonites. The difference was the experience of Boyd at QB. Frazier will be good, but not ready for prime time. I thought AU’s extremely young O Line played a pretty good game. Tunde Farenyike at Back up center I thought played GREAT. No snap problems, no offsides, and pretty good blocking. Dismukes better get his ISH together quickly or he might lose his job.
Auburn will be OK. Ellington is a great back. Especially in the pistol formation. Little guy hiding behind a big QB worked well.
GT
September 2nd, 2012
9:23 am
That Michigan team in the Big 10 didn’t look so great did it. I not so sure that conference is better than the ACC.
The ACC has gone through a horrible couple of years in football. But their is a couple of things different about the ACC than your other conferences. I think Bradley had them broken up and Clemson going one direction and FSU, Miami going another, didn’t happen, in fact they added two teams. The ACC has fired a lot of coaches in the last few years and doesn’t have the problems of some SEC teams in finding high level replacements. Top to bottom the ACC may have the best coaching in the country. We had some of the same problem the big leagues have had in Butch Davis which set the conference back with not putting a good North Carolina on the field, but FSU and Miami if the don’t get suspension are back because they have great coaches.
Two things this crowd has, one is money and the other is a educated leadership. Sometimes doing this correctly takes time but we been around since the 50s. Don’t count us out so quick, add to all this metro coverage in all the major east coast markets, we are pretty smart cookies.
Steve
September 2nd, 2012
9:41 am
Damn War Eagle
September 1st, 2012
11:01 pm:
“If we played Clemson three weeks from now . . .”
Sammy Watkins would be playing, and Clemson would win by (at least) another TD.
Just Stop
September 2nd, 2012
9:46 am
Maybe Kentucky should join the ACC, huh Mark?
Max Sizemore
September 2nd, 2012
9:48 am
Did the Auburn defensive setup look familiar to anyone? Yes, it’s the old bend-but-don’t-break, let ‘em gain 79 yards and stop ‘em at the 1, Van Gorder defense we used to see at Georgia.
ESEC,(ESPN)
September 2nd, 2012
9:58 am
ESEC,(ESPN)is looking for more reporters like you.Please accommodate them.The SEC needs another television recruiting tool from at least one more moron.
GT
September 2nd, 2012
9:59 am
You want to see defense that Alabama team plays defense, so does LSU.
Also I am not so sure Arkansas is out of it. I love watching those guys play football, the whole atmosphere. The ACC may never be like the SEC too academic, but that does not mean we don’t love watching the better SEC teams and traditions when done right like so many do in the SEC. I was very proud as a southerner to see southern boys tear up the Big 10, I am equally proud of the ACC for being what it is. The south needs an ACC as much as it needs the SEC, maybe more.
Nester
September 2nd, 2012
10:01 am
Are we sleeping on UNC?
Buzzilla
September 2nd, 2012
10:08 am
Mark, I think this ACC/SEC argument is a bit slanted. FYI, the Chik-fila bowl since the game has been exclusively heads up ACC vs SEC (1993) is a dead heat at 10-10. Not taking anything away from the SEC, the top teams in the SEC have competed successfully at the highest level. Just keep in mind when you look outside of those top 1 or 2 teams in the conference on a given year, the rest of the SEC is just as pedestrian as any other conference.
GT
September 2nd, 2012
10:14 am
UNC football probably has had more good athletics wasted than any team in the conference if not the south. Watching Yates at Houston last year, in the pros, he never played like that in Chapel Hill. They are the Georgia of the ACC only maybe a little worse at wasting talent. I remember in all that trouble and with players suspended they gave LSU as much as they wanted in the Georgia Dorm two years ago. No football coach wants to be there because it is a basketball school, so you have Lawrence Taylors go to waste. Some day someone is going to wake them up, and they will play with anybody.
Dawgdad (The Original)
September 2nd, 2012
10:15 am
What is it with the bash Bradley nonsense. Good read Mark, not sure what they complainers want. Its Saturday in the South, college football is what is happening and what people want to read about. Not sure what Bradley is supposed to write about, the unused space in Fredi Gonzalez’s head, or a somber piece of how we are going to miss Chris Redmon, ugh!
Jacket Man
September 2nd, 2012
10:21 am
And yet, in their infinite “wisdom,” the founders of this game have shied away from including GA Tech from playing…while it may be argued they “tried” to get one matchup against USC West or UCLA, when they the game fell through, there was NO attempt to replace it (how about against Tennessee instead of NC State????). If I’m not mistaken, didn’t UGA grace the field last season, and aren’t they trying to place SEC versus ACC against each other now? I think the Yellow Jackets qualify.
With Syracuse and Pitt joining the ACC next season, and the Conference going to a nine game schedule, it will now be doubtful any ACC team will be interested in playing in the CFA Kickoff…thanks for “supporting” your “home” team…
Buzzilla
September 2nd, 2012
10:27 am
One more note..Georgia Tech has more SEC championships than half the current conference and they haven’t been in the SEC in nearly 40 years. There is no parity in the SEC. A handful of monsters on any given year and the rest are the sacrificial lambs. Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Arkansas, and now Texas A&M and Missouri. None of those teams have won an SEC championship in over 30 + years. You want to talk about the mighty SEC, tell it like it is. It’s a top heavy conference with either Alabama, LSU or Auburn when the west is good or Tennessee or Florida when the East is good. And the East isn’t going to be good again for a long time. The rest are average to weak. All this conference talk is just hiding the fact that you have a handful of serious football factories and the rest ride the coat tails.
GT
September 2nd, 2012
10:29 am
Dawgdad you are right, but NC State does suck even in the ACC, they are one of those teams that you never think of like Kentucky, then someone tells you they are going to be good. What they do is catch teams like Kentucky does, coming off a big game, and upset them. Good enough to beat you if you are down that week and they are up. Dodd and Dooley always beat teams they should beat, it is the ultimate sign of good coaching, they also knew what teams to put on the part of the schedule they controlled, one which has more hype than good football. And they worried about every team like it was Alabama.
Steve
September 2nd, 2012
10:34 am
Buzzilla don’t waste your time trying to say the ACC is anywhere close to the SEC. The SEC is far from “pedestrian” you moron. Let me know if you would like a list of SEC schools who go to bowl games every year. Enjoy your loss tomorrow. VA Tech by 14 at least.
Steve
September 2nd, 2012
10:35 am
Buzzilla = living in the past!
Steve
September 2nd, 2012
10:39 am
“There is no parity in the SEC.” Really? Every team has gone to the SEC Championship except Vandy, Kentucky, and Ole Miss.
It's OK if an SEC struggles...
September 2nd, 2012
10:43 am
Mark,
why write this as a reply to someone…
Mark Bradley September 1st, 2012, 10:52 pm
Florida always struggles in its first game, does it not?
Who does not struggle in first game? Even #1 teams and #2 teams “struggle” by their own admission and leave plays on the field, make mistakes.
The sarcastic kudos to Clemson is silly.
The SEC East is no better than the the lowly ACC.
Did NC State win? No.
Does the record of last year mean a damn thing for this 2012 season? Again, NO.
TN is 1-0, NC State is 0-1. The two teams played. TN’s defense must be very good b/c the NC State QB was picked off 4 times. Right?
But the SEC as a whole does not play the best football or the toughest football or etc. They are a smart football conference that takes care of its football programs and a stellar record for NCAA championships.
But does this mean that Ole Miss, Miss St. Vandy and Kentucky are high level football powers because they play SEC Football with SEC speed?
UF and TN have stunk for the last few years. So does that mean SEC football has stunk too?
Auburn roller coasters their season from #1 to # what?
Is that indicative of SEC Football?
The SEC has Alabama and LSU. Consistently good football programs.
USC is seen as good b/c UF and TN are down. They have beaten Clemson 3 times in a row for the first time in 30 years. What else have they down? If beating a team three times in a row and that hails from a conference that you think of as lowly.. if that is your lone steallr accomplishment, then what does that say about your football program?
Does USC’s history and only recent success reflect the power and supreme authority of SEC Football? I heard a great comment recently “USC is Alabama ego with Vandy trophy case.”
Arkansas – what will they do this year? Does the coaching scandal of Arkansas represent SEC Football?
Let’s see how Texas A&M and Missouri do in the mighty, vaulted SEC Football Kingdom.
Has the SEC beaten the ACC in football? Sure, but it depends upon the game you are considering.
Using CFN preseason expectations for 2012 ranking, what happens if you pitted…
FSU vs KY Alabama vs Maryland
Clemson vs Miss UF vs UNC
VT vs. UT LSU vs UVA
BC vs Vandy Auburn vs Wake Forest
GT vs Arkansas UGA vs NC State
Miami vs Miss St USC vs Duke
After week three, let’s return to this bc College Football News predicts UF as the second best team in SEC. They see TN as the 3rd worst team.
Hype is hype. All media should wait until after the 4th week to even proclaim which team and which conference is best.
GT
September 2nd, 2012
10:46 am
Vandy is pretty good, Fla is weak, as is Auburn who lost to Clemson without Watson, I am not sure about Tenn. or Miss. State.
Buzzilla
September 2nd, 2012
10:50 am
Steve,
The truth hurts I guess but that’s no reason to stoop to childish insults. There have been 5 teams from the SEC in the last quarter century that have mattered on the national scene. Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, LSU and Auburn. The rest of the SEC is irrelevant nationally and canon fodder for the factories. That’s a fact. Deal with it.
Steve
September 2nd, 2012
10:53 am
HA HA HA. Georgia has not mattered in the last quarter century? Man you obviously don’t know college football. Auburn? They mattered for one season and that’s cause they cheated. Would you like to talk about the ACC? What do you losers have besides FSU, who has sucked lately?
Uganda
September 2nd, 2012
11:15 am
Enter your comments here
Georgia standing
September 2nd, 2012
11:20 am
Georgia has mattered by being just average over the last 25 years breaking the surface to excellence on a few occasions
Still most humorous is the annual hype about a national championship – creating a feeling of excellence – unfortunately that takes a junkyard dog attitude that has not been seen for quite a while
ormewood
September 2nd, 2012
11:26 am
GT,
In Lawrence Taylor’s senior season, they went 11-1. Look it up.
Steve
September 2nd, 2012
11:28 am
You can thank the media for the annual national championship talk. I am a realist. I say 10-2 this year with losses at SC and against FL. Not Tech though. We know that is an annual win : )
Flounder
September 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
Hey Steve … be quiet and play with your toys while the adults are talking. You’re a child and a putz.
it is what it is boring
September 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
for the SEC to beat their chest and brag what a powerhouse it is, then why do the gutless wonders UGA and FL play sisters of the Buffalo and Murray. I mean the ugag inbredville fans want the nation to look at them the way they look at Bama then play somebody week in and week out. It doesn’t have to be a top ten school but Buffalo, really? That AD is going to lead you losers down the wrong path setting you up to play nursery school teams just like he did at FL.
I mean, you are suppose to be so dominant, then play SOMEBODY GEEZ
Gene
September 2nd, 2012
11:39 am
Clemson has a very good football team. Auburn won’t be great, but will likely win seven or eight games after the new coaches and systems settle.
bamaguy
September 2nd, 2012
11:42 am
If Clemson were truly a top fifteen team, they should have blown unranked Auburn out of the Dome. Instead they barely tweaked out a win. This would be like Ohio State beating Kentucky and claiming a victory over the SEC.
Steve
September 2nd, 2012
11:47 am
I am a child and a putz because I speak the truth? Interesting, little boy Flounder.
ormewood
September 2nd, 2012
11:49 am
Clemson beat a quality opponent in the first game of the season, something most teams avoid. They did so without their best, most explosive player.
bamaguy
September 2nd, 2012
12:08 pm
I agree about the quality opponent. It can make you or break you (See Michigan).
Gone Fishin'
September 2nd, 2012
12:19 pm
The techsters are truly lame……Want to compare conference records in BCS games? Your league is the laughing stock along with the Little 10!
Georgia standing
September 2nd, 2012
12:29 pm
Steve, what is the downside for Georgia if things don’t pan out 9-3? 8-4?
Keep fishing because conference records don’t mean squat if you are Not one of the top 2 or 3
Just look at the record
September 2nd, 2012
12:35 pm
It amuses me at how often ACC fans try to cleverly dismiss the SEC dominance of the ACC. It was only a few years ago that a mediocre UGA and SC team both killed GT and Clemson in a year they were playing for their division championship. Vandy destroyed Wake Forrest last year. SEC dominates the Chic fil A opener, plays and wins more bowl games( when did Tek actually win a bowl game) and has won the last 6 national championships with 4 different teams. The gap is so wide this is a silly argument. Just look at the head to head meetings and there is no argument. By the way UGA has smacked Tek 10 of the last 11 years. That reflects the dominance better than any example since Tek is elite in the ACC and UGA is secon tier in SEC
Birmingham Jacket
September 2nd, 2012
12:36 pm
I admire Auburn, kind of.
They’re the step child of the great state of Alabama, like Georgia Tech is in Georgia.
Bunch of total cheaters, but I wish Georgia Tech had a little more of that. Would make for better Saturday afternoons in the fall.
Mad Dog One
September 2nd, 2012
12:43 pm
Has any of you checked on the games the trade school will play this season????? GO DOGS & GATA
Mike Bell 790
September 2nd, 2012
12:49 pm
FIRST!!!
GTBob
September 2nd, 2012
1:16 pm
If Clemson were truly a top fifteen team, they should have blown unranked Auburn out of the Dome.
Clemson didn’t have their best player and they played pretty horrible overall. You are right, they should have handled a poor Auburn team more than that but it was a good game for them to get their first game jitters out of the way.
Paul in NH
September 2nd, 2012
1:21 pm
Steve
September 2nd, 2012
10:53 am
HA HA HA. Georgia has not mattered in the last quarter century? Man you obviously don’t know college football. Auburn? They mattered for one season and that’s cause they cheated.
———-
Auburn has played in (4) and won (2) EXACTLY the same number of SEC CG’s as UGA. They also have had 2 undefeated seasons in the last 10 years.
James
September 2nd, 2012
1:23 pm
Love how Bradley says the ACC’s Champion “should be way above the SEC’s fourth best” after a loss by Auburn. I thought the SEC mantra was that their fouth and fift best teams could beat other league’s best teams. I mean that’s what they always say. Let’s be real, Auburn would probably finish behind Clemson, FSU, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech in the ACC, and maybe behind Miami as well. I think GT beat Auburn their last two meatings. They’d robably be the sixth best team in the ACC. As for the game being close, Auburn on a neutral site, with exactly half the stadium their crowd would not be an easy out for most teams.
Auburn should have scheduled somebody easier than Clemsons for their non-connference early season game. Last year in Clemson was a beat down and the year before in Auburn the overtime nearly cost AU the national championship.
If Clemson had Sammy Watkins, that were be a ugly game last night in the Dome. Sammy Watkins took over that game last year. Auburn need to thank the lord Sammy watching the game from his dorm in Clemsons, South Carolina..
As for Tennessee to beat NC State, they was due on the ACC. Tennessee last ACC games were losses to Clemson 27-14, Maryland 31-3, North Carolina in a bowl
ANd being an Atlanta resident and a fan of the UGA bulldogs, I think they should put Clemson in the SEC and let Clemsons and Auburn play every year in Atlanta, like the Outdoor Cocktail party game in Jax.. Since this is the halfway point between the two call in the Midway Bash. That crowd last night lookeded like the OU-Texas game in the Cotton Bowl, You could see the fans split right down the middle and both fanbases jacked.
Think what that would do for the economy of Atlanta once a year. Also those two don’t need to visit each other campus they are similar campus with bg university in small college town. They know each other campus already. And that’s what I;m saying..
alphamale
September 2nd, 2012
1:49 pm
Shocked that some Auburn fans (were they REALLY Auburn fans?) thought that Frazier played well. And the tech fan says Auburn played very well?? Hate to break it to yall but Auburn is a bad team this year. Their QB is awful. their 0-line is way too young. Their secondary is soft and suspect and their d-line is vastly overrated. If they lose next weekend in Starkvegas, and I expect they will, they are staring straight into a 4 and 8 season.
Let's Go
September 2nd, 2012
2:10 pm
Last night was a perfect example why most teams schedule cupcakes like Buffalo, Bowling Green, Savanah St, and Wyoming for their first game. Beating Auburn on a neutral field by 7 is a heck of a lot more impressive then beating some cupcake at home by 22. Actually I give Paul Johnson a lot of credit for playing VATech to open the season. Not just a good team but a conference game on national TV.
cmac
September 2nd, 2012
2:40 pm
Hilarious!! Clemsux ..a team picked by many to win its conference vs AUful … a team picked by many to finish 6th in their division of the SEC … and Clemsux barely won. At least the organizers matched the talent correctly …. the top of the ACC vs the bottom of the SEC & the ACC squeaks out a win. FANTASTIC WIN ACC!!!
mark
September 2nd, 2012
2:49 pm
Mark,
How come this game consistently features Alabama (3 times including next year) and Clemson (twice in 4 yrs) but no FSU from the ACC? I thought the point of the game was a matchup that would draw fans in from elsewhere that would travel,fill hotels, stay for the long weekend. FSU would be bring high ratings and a team that can compete with the SEC over the past years (3-2 vs SEC over past 3 yrs) plus lots of long term travel. Most Clemson, AUB or AL fans can drive over in 2 hrs and drive back, if needed, that night. Quite honestly, it seems like the games are set up to favor the SEC team – this year being the sole exception (and it was a fair match up). UNC (2yrs ago vs LSU) is never going to bring a bunch of fans to any football game. I think CFA prefers to keep their fat southern baptist chicken eating fans happy and that’s why we’ll NEVER see FSU square off against AL/LSU/AUB. THe biggest mistake we ever made was beating So Carolina in the CFA Bowl 2 yrs ago – the Old South Mafia (SEC, CFA, SBC) doesn’t like to see their boys matched up against teams that aren’t afraid of them Clemson is a “football” team, I suppose, but they hardly have teh same TV draw as FSU nor will they draw in revenue for Atlanta. In short, until I see a legit ACC team other than Clemson and VT (questionable early in the season, i might add), I see this game is a farce set up by the Old South Mafia to prop up an SEC team early on National TV. I went to the game last night and those poor Clemson fans could hardly muster an ACC ACC ACC chant afterwards – how sad.
mark
September 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
the game is a set up for the SEC team that is poised for a strong year – usually Alabama. The complete oversight by CFA of ever inviting FSU to play is a sham. IT’s billed as a game to encourage tourism, hotels and spending in ATL by CFA but both teams last night could have left at 3 pm made teh game and been back home in bed by 2 – assuming that they even have to travel at all. As an FSU alum, I would love to see us be the ACC team that plays AL one year – we could beat them like we did 5 yrs in Jacksonville. Also, TONS of fans would take a long vacation, stay in hotels and turn out for the game. It’s a farce really – unless you’re team is part of the Old South or have a traditionally conservative fan base (VT), you’re not invited. Let’s be real, guys, does CFA want a bunch of South FL FSU fans coming here and taunting AL / LSU / AUB fans while FSU goes toe to toe with them? No, they want good southern folk that will come take their beating and go home quietly so the SEC can stay proud.
Call it like it is , Truett and Dan, or give us a matchup. Trust me, Clemson winning last night means they just lost their place at the table for this game. We’ll be seeing a lot of VT for years to come. Oh, like next year against…..Alabama. How unusual.
olbird
September 2nd, 2012
3:05 pm
UH GT grad, until recently, Georgia was very aggressive at scheduling tough OOC games. Boise St. last year, two games with Oklahoma State, Two games with Arizona State, and I know they sucked when we played them, although they beat us once, Colorado. Considering these games are scheduled well in advance, no one knew that Colorado would be that bad when we played. We have ACC champ Clemson on the schedule next year I believe. Who, other than UGA, does tech play out of conference?
Let's Go
September 2nd, 2012
3:05 pm
Beating Auburn by 7 on a netural site is more impressive than beating some cupcake at home by 22.
It’s funny reading the comments here about Auburn. They lose so they suck and probably the worst team in the SEC but had they won the same morons would being talking about how dominating they are. The thing about the SEC is it’s Alabama and LSU and a whole bunch of hacks playing for 3rd place.
Brian
September 2nd, 2012
3:08 pm
Yes, I am glad to see Clemson win a “big” game they were supposed to win. But this was not South Carolina, Georgia or even Arkansas. Auburn probably is a an 8-4 team at best. Georgia smacked them around last season and while they probably are better than last season, I don’t buy Auburn as a relevant team… I think they are pretty much average without better play by their defense. So I would not consider this an impressive win.
Brian
September 2nd, 2012
3:10 pm
I am glad that Clemson started off with a win and actually could beat an SEC team. But I just don’t think Auburn is a good team right now. They haven’t accomplished anything without Cam Newton and Fairley and their defense is still horrid.
mark
September 2nd, 2012
3:22 pm
Are my comments about this game being a farce set up by the old south mafia being censored? Why is alabama disproprtionately invited to an event that was supposedly created to generate tourism $ for atlanta? 75% of the fans last night were from atl. The rest could have left at 3:00 and been home by 1:30 am. Invite FSU, chick fil a.
Whatever
September 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
please choose new teams to play this game. it’s already predictable that 75% of the time AL will play some team below them but somewhat known to boost their image.
Whatever not
September 2nd, 2012
3:32 pm
yeah, i know. I just dropped a note about how the Old South Mafia sets it up that way. They don’t want teams like FSU coming up to spend money over a long weekend and beat an SEC team in a Nationally televised game. We did that in the Peach Bowl agains South Carolina and we’ll be black balled because of it
Whatever not
September 2nd, 2012
3:34 pm
how come UF, FSU, UM haven’t been invited? They’re national brand names more so than UNC, WVU, CLemson, Auburn or NC State. Oh, that’s right, we’re not “Southern Enough”.
Bring Back Ted Roof
September 2nd, 2012
3:34 pm
I felt sorry for White, the Auburn DB. He was picked on all night. Tough road trip next weekend, Auburn may be 0-2.
olbird
September 2nd, 2012
3:37 pm
@ GT grad, you are talking about OOC schedules when tech has the Presbyterian Blue Hose scheduled next week? Really?
charles
September 2nd, 2012
4:06 pm
One noticeable difference in Clemson’s team this year is how much quicker Taj Boyd looks compared to last year-many of his runs on third down kept the chains moving and were a real key to Clemson winning the game!
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
September 2nd, 2012
4:14 pm
Fraizer will never amount to much at Auburn but no surprise. He played at a YMCA league HS and put up big numbers against 145 # players. He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer as well. VanGorder gave up 578 yards of offensive to Clemson without Sammy playing a down so I guess he’s better than Ted Roof?
Hope your favorite team did well and nobody lost any players due to injury. In the SEC you better have you sheet wired tight each week or you will get beat and that includes Alabama. As Nick said winning isn’t enough.
Big Crimson 75
September 2nd, 2012
4:34 pm
The ACC saved face with Clemson.
I hope the Conference Champ is better than an average Aubie team.
Big year for chisik. Cam ain’t walking thru that door.
Poor Ruby Foster. Hope that $$$ works out for ya sport. If the tat is any indication, probably not.
230gr Full Metal Jacket
September 2nd, 2012
4:35 pm
“Just this once, the almighty SEC wasn’t quite so mighty.” The SEC has NEVER been mighty period, except in the imaginations of writers who have likely never even played the game. Bama and LSU are indeed mighty programs, but it’s laughable watching the rest of the SEC chest-thumping, when they are mediocre at best (and that is a stretch). Take away the top 2 programs in each of the current big 6 conferences, and suddenly the SEC would be at best 4th strongest, probably 5th. The entire SEC Least is a joke (again), and the West has Bama and LSU (I don’t consider Arkansas to even be a top 25 team this season, but we’ll see in coming weeks) but that’s all. The rest of the teams (KY, Vandy, Miss St, Ole Miss, Tenn, Fla, UGA, SC, Miss, Ta&m) are nothing exceptional, and wouldn’t be any better playing in another conference, with the possible exception of the Big East.
We HAVE had a couple of teams that have been completely dominant in the last few years, and they happen to be from the same conference. That, however, does NOT make the rest of the conference better by affiliation. But I guess the Bubbas have to have SOMETHING to make themselves feel better, lol.
230gr Full Metal Jacket
September 2nd, 2012
4:40 pm
And I apologize Mark, if the start of that last post came across as a dig at YOU. That wasn’t my intent at all, but when I re-read it after posting, I realized I could/should have worded that first part a bit differently!
Pitbull
September 2nd, 2012
5:09 pm
The Chiz is not much without Cam.
Aubarn used to have the best college team that money could buy.
Maybe the NCAA has shut that down. Re the game, Aubarn cut the Chiz Saturday night.
Maybe they will be better when they play in the Barnyard.
Gone Fishin'
September 2nd, 2012
5:09 pm
Another clueless nerd fan as a 230 grain bullet head…….I guess the NFL just keeps drafting SEC players in greater quantity than any other league becuase they read the hype. I guess the BCS records of conferences mean nothing when you actually play the games? Exactly what other league is considered better? Crickets…….
Salty
September 2nd, 2012
5:10 pm
Are there folks who honestly think Oregon and GaTech run similar offenses? Seriously?
ESEC,(ESPN)
September 2nd, 2012
6:02 pm
Stop the presses!3rd qtr Louisville 32 Kentucky 7.Lets rip the SEC now Mr.Bark Madly.
Bring Back Ted Roof
September 2nd, 2012
6:53 pm
I felt sorry for White, the Auburn DB. He was picked on all night. Also some very poor tackling. AU better get it together quickly or they’re going to be 0-2 after their visit to Starkvegas next week.
Bring Back Ted Roof
September 2nd, 2012
6:56 pm
That 4th and 14 fake punt attempt from his own 20 by Joker has to be one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen. What the heck was he thinking?
ESEC,(ESPN)
September 2nd, 2012
6:57 pm
What goes around comes around real fast in the real world.Have a nice day.
CLEMSONDUDE240
September 2nd, 2012
7:24 pm
GO TIGERS! THE ORANGE AND PURPLE ONES………GREAT WIN CLEMSON!
jason
September 2nd, 2012
7:36 pm
Stupid article as clemson beat auburn last year and darn near beat them 2 years ago when aub won the nc.
Mike S.
September 2nd, 2012
7:49 pm
I’m not sure I would consider this a breakthrough, Mark. No more than last year’s win over Auburn for sure. Auburn has been picked 4th in the West, and likely wont do much better if at all than 7 wins. Its clear Van Gorder has a lot of work ahead of him to revamp the defense, and the passing game is almost non-existent.
GT Girl
September 2nd, 2012
10:31 pm
Get points made by GT Grad on page 1 of these comments; also agree with comments made above by GT. GO JACKETS!!!
zeke
September 2nd, 2012
11:52 pm
Pretty good game. Some mistakes by both, but, if Auburn had a seasoned QB, I think the outcome would be different!
Hal
September 3rd, 2012
6:47 am
This kind of article that will continue to make the SEC so dominant in the eyes of the public. Ten years ago this would not have been you opinion and while true it is not the kind of article that is good for college football. Conference affiliation has never been as important as individual schools except on payday when the revenues are split. No articles like this has been written for any other conference because it has never happened before. It has never happened before because no one has placed so much importance on conference association since the SEC signed big money contracts with the networks. Now of course they cant legally pay recruits but they can pay the networks and sports writers to influence recruits with articles like this. It has only been the past four years that this type of article that belittles every other conference at every turn promotes the SEC. You should have delayed your article one day so you could include the Big East for Louisville beating Kentucky. What goes around comes around. Articles like this also plant seeds in fertile young minds to hate the SEC and go with the underdogs to beat Goliath.
trey
September 3rd, 2012
7:41 am
I was pulling for Clempson over the AU cheat$
Will somebody post the non-ACC games that the maggots play? Reading this thread would leave someone to think they play powerhouses all the time. lmao.
The Presbyterian Blue Hose (ROFTLMAO) game really oughta be a ….. well….umm…. you know…..tuff game for dem girls…lol
yellow britches
September 3rd, 2012
8:45 am
Looking ahead, always a big mistake, but I think Tech can run against Clemson. The Tiger ends seemed slow to the corners and there were plenty of missed tackles. We will have to control the game clock and keep the ball away from Clemson because they are an offensive powerhouse. OMG. Ellington and Boyd and Watkins, that is scary. Nice win Clemson! ACC, ACC
old dog
September 3rd, 2012
9:45 am
One of the top ACC teams against a mediocre Auburn at best………..
macrotech
September 3rd, 2012
10:54 am
Ahhhh….all the bitter cries of, “My team is better than yours” and “Our conference is DOMINATE”….LOVE this season!!! GO GT!!!
Lola R.
September 3rd, 2012
10:58 am
Bradley you must be a big homer. NC State wasn’t considered to be a better team this year and Clemson beat Auburn last year too. Clemson also played this game without their AA Watkins. Your “homerism” is so obvious. Wasn’t the last ACC team to beat Tenn was UNC in a bowl game last year? Double overtime wasn’t it? If it was up to you most SEC teams could beat the SD Chargers of the NFL.
Mr Objective
September 3rd, 2012
11:19 am
As a relatively newcomer to the area it appears that the SEC and ACC are not that far apart. The SEC does have one or two teams at the top that may be better than most but the rest are average. The ACC is more balanced with a number of good teams. As far as the ACC vs the SEC this kick-off game is at 10 – 10 since the mid 90s. Man you are a homer!
NCAA FAN
September 3rd, 2012
11:42 am
Say whatever you will but the Clemson Tigers would likely finish third in the mighty SEC. There are several ACC teams that could certainly compete in the SEC just not against Bama or LSU. But who can??? The difference is that the SEC has two elite teams and a bunch of teams that are good. Other conferences might have one elite team and a couple of good teams where as the SEC goes 9 teams deep with quality (UGA, UT, Aub., UF, Miss St., USCe, Ark. are good but not elite). The ACC likely has only one potentially elite team and that is FSU and they tend to underachieve. CU, VPI, GT and maybe UNC are good. UGA beats Tech but Tech has proven consistently that they can beat Miss. St. and Auburn. Only the Pac12 has two potential elite teams like the SEC in USC and Oregon but they are weak after those. The BIGI has no elite teams and doubtful the Big 12 does this year either (even though they usually have 1).
kenny
September 3rd, 2012
12:56 pm
Its funny how everytime a ACC team beats a SEC team alot of SEc fans make excuses saying oh tht was a middle of da road SEC team tht lost smh excuses excuses!!!!! they said the same thing when Va tech blew tennessee out in the bowl game afew years ago. while i give the SEC theyre props for bein a great conference dont act as if he ACC is totally weak and doesnt have top notch talent in fact last year in the NFL there were more players in the Pro bowl than any other conference soo take tht and smoke it in your pipe and thts real!!!!!
Joe Bob Thibodaux
September 3rd, 2012
1:41 pm
Mark, I would have preferred Clemson over Missouri joining the SEC.
Good Win, Clemson. Enjoy.
JBT
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
September 3rd, 2012
1:56 pm
Word on the street….USA didn’t want to show anything before flying up to Columbia.
NoleRick
September 3rd, 2012
2:17 pm
Uhh…seems to me the Noles have consistently beaten SEC teams…so this is not a shocker…IJS
harold
September 3rd, 2012
3:26 pm
Clemson looks great. BUT TENNESSEE WAS SHOCKING IN THEIR WIN.
SAL WILL BE AN INCREDIBLE D COORDINATOR AT UT. BRAY-PATTERSON-AND HUNTER ARE NFL LIKE.
DOOLEY MAY HAVE BEEN TELLING THE TRUTH WHEN HE SAID: ‘YOU WON’T HAVE TENNESSEE TO KICK AROUND ANYMORE!”
ACC : The Latest Fuzz
September 3rd, 2012
11:40 pm
[...] against Georgia Tech in 1987.Score one for the ACC: Clemson knocks off AuburnYahoo! Sports (blog)Stop the presses! Clemson breaks through for the ACC!Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)ACC Football: Clemson Tigers Tame the SEC and the Auburn Tigers, [...]
robodawg
September 4th, 2012
9:41 am
Clemson = Auburn with a lake
Mightysecman
September 4th, 2012
6:25 pm
Hold on their buckaroos, Bama and LSU are the best in the SEC but USC (real one) is in the mix with them…and maybe Oregon. USC (Columbia) didnt impress anyone at Vandy and give them credit for a win but how man teams in SEC is 67 yards gonna beat?? Tennessee beat a sorry ncstate team that wasnt ready for prime time. For 3 quarters Auburn played with Clemson but the defense was gassed in the fourth quarter – the biggest difference. The SEC is the best football conference but Clemson won and Auburn lost.