After a one week absence, the Clemson Tigers are back in the College Football Playoff rankings!
The Tigers have won two out of the last three National Championships. They are undefeated in 2019 and well on their way to another ACC crown. In college football’s initial playoff ranking this past week, Clemson was not listed as one of the teams that would be in contention for the National Championship. Well, after losses by Penn State and Alabama in Week 10, Clemson finds themselves ranked third in the updated rankings.
It is very likely Clemson will finish the season undefeated, as the only teams remaining on their schedule are the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the South Carolina Gamecocks. After that, there is just the ACC Championship Game, which Clemson will enter as heavy favorites no matter the opponent.
Bottom line, Clemson has one of the best coaches in college football in Dabo Swinney and their roster is absolutely loaded with NFL talent. They deserve a spot in the College Football Playoff. Do they have what it takes to beat the likes of LSU and Ohio State? Only time will tell.
Senior Bowl invites are out, and the ACC will not be well represented
Last week, Senior Bowl invites were sent out and so far there have been 44 invites that have been accepted. Out of the invites that were accepted, only three came from players from the ACC. North Carolina Tar Heels defensive tackle Jason Strowbridge, NC State Wolfpack defensive tackle Larrell Murchison and Clemson Tigers safety K’Von Wallace are the players from the ACC that have received and accepted Senior Bowl invitations thus far. I would be shocked if these players are the only individuals from the ACC to play in the game, as more accepted invites should be announced in the very near future.
It will be exciting to see Murchison in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. Murchison has emerged as an upper-echelon defensive tackle prospect. He has the quickness, motor, and strength to cause constant disruption.
There are plenty of players from the conference that I would like to see receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Names like Joe Reed (Virginia Cavaliers), Tremayne Anchrum (Clemson Tigers), Trevon Hill (Miami Hurricanes), Shaq Quarterman (Miami Hurricanes), Essang Bassey (Wake Forest Demon Deacons), Myles Dorn (North Carolina Tar Heels), and Reggie Floyd (Virginia Tech Hokies) are all talented, worthy candidates in my eyes.
Prime Time gearing up to be the head honcho in Tallahassee?
Just a week ago, the Florida State Seminoles relieved Willie Taggart from his duties as the teams’ head coach. One name being floated around as a potential replacement is Deion Sanders. Sanders, a Florida State legend, has addressed the rumor by stating that he has not had any conversations with Florida State about a potential job. However, Sanders did say, “But let me assure you, I am 100 percent — 100 percent — desiring to coach at the next level. And I will.”. My take, while hiring “Prime Time” might be good for nostalgia, it is paramount that Florida State gets this hire right and hires a man with no coaching experience that doesn’t add up.
ACC Week 10 Recap: Down goes Wake Forest!
Entering Week 10 of the college football season, there were only two teams from the ACC that were ranked. Those teams were the Clemson Tigers and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Well, now there is only one. Wake Forest is no longer ranked after being dominated by the Virginia Tech Hokies 36-17. This loss comes as a major disappointment, as it takes away the excitement surrounding the Demon Deacons matchup against Clemson this week. Wake Forest just came out flat and their offense wasn’t able to move the ball consistently.
Further south, under interim coach Odell Haggins, the Florida State Seminoles were able to squeak out a 38-31 win over the Boston College Eagles. The Seminoles have a solid roster and are a good football team, but for some reason, they just didn’t respond to Willie Taggart’s coaching.
This week the team seemed much more organized and energized under Haggins. Two underclassmen, who are draft-eligible prospects, achieved stand out performances worth noting. Wide receiver Tamorrion Terry caught seven passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. Terry, a redshirt sophomore, is eligible for the 2020 NFL Draft. It would be wise for him to return to Tallahassee for his junior season due to a very deep 2020 receiver class. Also, the gifted Hamsah Nasirildeen was all over the field for the Seminoles defense, accounting for 22 tackles.
In other games, the Duke Blue Devils were steamrolled by Notre Dame, the Virginia Cavaliers beat Georgia Tech led by another sensational performance by quarterback Bryce Perkins and the Miami Hurricanes embarrassed the Louisville Cardinals 52-17.
Let’s look at the ACC top performers from Week 11.