For those who think Strength of Schedule...

[gurnyblanston]

...is an argument against Clemson Tigers' success. The Sagarin strength chart has Clemson listed as having the 5 toughest schedule rating. How does an SEC fan base argue that and not also question every team in his top 5? The same metrics are applied to everyone. So please explain to this Georgia Tech fan the metrics one uses to argue this list?

1 Alabama
2 Baylor
3 Michigan
4 TCU
5 Clemson
6 Southern California
7 Stanford
8 Utah
9 Florida
10 Mississippi

 

[rogue cock]

Is that a preseason ranking?

 

[tigerRob1981]

I have a buddy who is a SC fan who swears by the Sagarin.

 

[Lightpost]

I Think that if you throw out the 2 gimme games at the beginning of the year. AND realize that Louisville & Tech both have losing records & have between them 4 wins & are not near as good as thought at the beginning of the season. Now the ND game appears to be a good, albeit fortunate win and the fact that the SOS was issued before the season stared ....Well you may have to understand that there are questions. The other problem for Clemson is who stands out on the rest of your schedule that could be a win to hang your hat on ??? Outside of Fla. State you do not have another ranked opponent on your schedule. It could very well play out that at the end of the regular season you have a win over 2 ranked teams and that is being optimistic. Don't feel bad as Ohio State doesn't even play a ranked team until November.

 

[LegalTiger]

The chart above is Sagarin's Current Top 10. His current SOS Rating has Clemson's schedule at #16.

By comparison, the other Top 5 AP Teams SOS Rankings are: Ohio State (86), Baylor (124), TCU (46), and Utah (11).

 

[gurnyblanston]

Yes, this is through the current week.. not pre-season. And as I thought.. no compelling arguments against it. This SEC Bias is ridiculous.... and I love USC! But anyone who thinks Clemson's schedule is weaker can NOT claim to use this ranking system EVER again. The same metrics apply to every team on here. So it's all good or all crap. You can't have it both ways.

 

[gurnyblanston]

I Think that if you throw out the 2 gimme games at the beginning of the year. AND realize that Louisville & Tech both have losing records & have between them 4 wins & are not near as good as thought at the beginning of the season. Now the ND game appears to be a good, albeit fortunate win and the fact that the SOS was issued before the season stared ....Well you may have to understand that there are questions. The other problem for Clemson is who stands out on the rest of your schedule that could be a win to hang your hat on ??? Outside of Fla. State you do not have another ranked opponent on your schedule. It could very well play out that at the end of the regular season you have a win over 2 ranked teams and that is being optimistic. Don't feel bad as Ohio State doesn't even play a ranked team until November.

This is not pre season. It is through this week of play.

 

[mbsurfside]

Their overall schedule is extremely weak. Their toughest road game is Louisville ????

 

[mbsurfside]

We are down. FSU is not nearly as good as they were. Ga Tech isn't either. So I see what I would consider 2 tough games. ND and FSU. We have Ga LSU. Tex a and M. Fla. and Clemson. That's 5 tough games vs 2. Not their fault we are down and same with Ga tech but it's obvious they have 2 tough games and play them both at home. Nothing to do with SEC bias

 

[Six Million Dollar Man]

What difference does it make? They have put themselves in position.

 

[mbsurfside]

What difference does it make? They have put themselves in position.

It doesn't and like I said it's not their fault other teams are down. Doesn't change the fact their schedule is very weak

 

[funktavious]

This is not pre season. It is through this week of play.

Clemson has 2 quality opponents on their schedule and they got both of them at home, both playing with back-up QBs. Tell us again how tough Clemson's schedule is.

 

[Bubbaglide]

Playoff time will tell whether they are the b st team in the country or just a big fish in a very small pond.

 

[DarkCock]

Yes, this is through the current week.. not pre-season. And as I thought.. no compelling arguments against it. This SEC Bias is ridiculous.... and I love USC! But anyone who thinks Clemson's schedule is weaker can NOT claim to use this ranking system EVER again. The same metrics apply to every team on here. So it's all good or all crap. You can't have it both ways.

No one loves USC quite like Cock Hudson.

 

[daytonabeach4usc]

Please. Of the power 5 conferences the ACC regular season schedule is the softest. No question.

 

[SCsandlapper]

I Think that if you throw out the 2 gimme games at the beginning of the year. AND realize that Louisville & Tech both have losing records & have between them 4 wins & are not near as good as thought at the beginning of the season. Now the ND game appears to be a good, albeit fortunate win and the fact that the SOS was issued before the season stared ....Well you may have to understand that there are questions. The other problem for Clemson is who stands out on the rest of your schedule that could be a win to hang your hat on ??? Outside of Fla. State you do not have another ranked opponent on your schedule. It could very well play out that at the end of the regular season you have a win over 2 ranked teams and that is being optimistic. Don't feel bad as Ohio State doesn't even play a ranked team until November.

Beating ND and FSU are games that will keep you in the Top 4 if you don't lose. Who has bama beaten? #17 LSU? Lost to a 3-loss Ole Piss team at home?

 

[Sulayman]

The environment in the Upstate, eastern GA and western NC certainly has a tougher strength of schedule every time Clemson irresponsibly and pathetically releases tens of thousands of balloons into the air.

 

[UpstateGamecock2]

Beating ND and FSU are games that will keep you in the Top 4 if you don't lose. Who has bama beaten? #17 LSU? Lost to a 3-loss Ole Piss team at home?

From USAToday:

"The Tide ranks third in the Sagarin ratings, having played three Top 30 teams and are 6-1 against them. In its biggest games against Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU and Mississippi State, Alabama won by an average margin of 21.3 points. Clemson on the other hand, who ranks 34th in Sagarin having only played two Top 30 teams, beat its two biggest opponents — Notre Dame and Florida State — by an average margin of six points."

 

[SportsSuites1]

This is not pre season. It is through this week of play.

You mentioned 'metrics' several times claiming the 'exact' same standards are applied for every team. If so I submit whatever they are aren't very dependable. Time of day, home or away, weather those are potentially viable comps that 'might' shed some light comparing ying to yang but whether Wake Forest is or isn't 'better' than Vandy or whether 'Bama's defense is or isn't better than clemson's can't really be 'measured' given they play entirely different teams at entirely different times even if/when they do play common opponents. The best measurement is 'eye test'. clemson looked very good against Miami - then we learned Golden's players were dogging it hoping he'd get 'fired' which he did two days later. Notre Dame had a brain fart or would (and should) have beaten clemson and they ain't 'zackly Top 5 material, anyway. Louisville IS lousy this year (who knew) and NC State scored at-will they just couldn't stop Watson. clemson's a 1-trick pony that maypole's around one of college football's better QB's. It's far from the #1 team in America and even if they are the last one of those WE SAW in Williams-Brice Stadium we beat like stepchildren, something clemson has NEVER DONE.
METRICS.
Worthless. WF, NCS, Miami, FL State, Wofford, App State, BC, Lousiville, Ga Tech, Syracuse ... man, please. THAT ain't 'murderers row'.

 

[zriley73]

Clemson has 2 quality opponents on their schedule and they got both of them at home, both playing with back-up QBs. Tell us again how tough Clemson's schedule is.

Wrong FSU did not play a backup he is the starter

 

[Scuba_do]

...is an argument against Clemson Tigers' success. The Sagarin strength chart has Clemson listed as having the 5 toughest schedule rating. How does an SEC fan base argue that and not also question every team in his top 5? The same metrics are applied to everyone. So please explain to this Georgia Tech fan the metrics one uses to argue this list?

1 Alabama
2 Baylor
3 Michigan
4 TCU
5 Clemson
6 Southern California
7 Stanford
8 Utah
9 Florida
10 Mississippi

Clemson has 2 opponents currently in the AP top 25 and USC has 4. Do YOU really believe Clemson's schedule is stronger than ours?

 

[tngamecock#]

...is an argument against Clemson Tigers' success. The Sagarin strength chart has Clemson listed as having the 5 toughest schedule rating. How does an SEC fan base argue that and not also question every team in his top 5? The same metrics are applied to everyone. So please explain to this Georgia Tech fan the metrics one uses to argue this list?

1 Alabama
2 Baylor
3 Michigan
4 TCU
5 Clemson
6 Southern California
7 Stanford
8 Utah
9 Florida
10 Mississippi

I won't make fun of the tater schedule again until we are actually better than any of the a she she teams we make fun of. We bring down their strength of schedule a ton.

 

[Scuba_do]

I won't make fun of the tater schedule again until we are actually better than any of the a she she teams we make fun of. We bring down their strength of schedule a ton.

Yet we've beaten the only one we have played and they are undefeated in the ACC.

 

[tngamecock#]

Yet we've beaten the only one we have played and they are undefeated in the ACC.

Good point. ACC is that bad after all.

 

[DeBoer31]

Hey schedule Bama, Georgia, lsu, Florida on a rotating schedule like SC has done with Unc/ state TOUGH GUY. That's all you have to do. See how that turns out. Until then, just live with the fact that you play in a b!tch conference. Shytty SC team beat the ACC sub conf champ....it is what it is.

 

[funktavious]

Wrong FSU did not play a backup he is the starter

Golson started most of the season, not that he's any better. Both of FSU's qbs leave a lot to be desired.

 

[SportsSuites1]

To the poster claiming the SEC 'East' is a 'weaker' sub-group compared to either ACC division citing Georgia and Florida's OT wins yesterday against D2 schools and our loss as examples ... the lines out on Florida/FSU and it's Florida -2 1/2 over FSU, notwithstanding what occurred yesterday against Florida Atlantic.

A bomb big as we are this year is GA Tech, also 3-8 ... FAVORED in every game this year 'cept FSU (which they won as a dog) and clemson; yet they LOST 'em ALL 'cept Tulane and Alcorn State ... they were giving points at Miami yesterday yet got beat by three scores.

Yea, we lost BUT that 'not set' penalty flag (thrown AFTER #11 passed the safety) was a bummer. Shouldn't have been that close to begin with but that one hurt. 'Tis what it is, but no way the ACC is better than the SEC - east or west.

 

[objectivetruth]

Clemson enjoys their cupcakes