It is all about the matchups. While the Clemson Tigers play a formidable schedule, it may not be in the cards for them to host ESPN College GameDay later this year. During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Nick Saban told his colleague to pump the brakes on him potentially running down the hill anytime soon. Saban really wants to see if the Tigers will be playing up to their lofty standard first.
Saban did not beat around the bush when it came to the many big questions he has about the Tigers.
“I think we’ll see if they’re back," Saban said. "I know they’ve got a lot of question marks too, whether it’s quarterback, and they got a lot of holes to fill. I mean, everybody thought they were going to be, you know, the class of the town last year, and it just completely disintegrated on them."
He then said "somebody better beat Miami", as the Hurricanes enter this year with so much promise.
“So I don’t know. I’m not ready to put my stamp on it," Saban finished. "I have to see it first, but I think in that league, somebody better beat Miami because I think you know Mario's got it going down there, and they got some good players, and they’re physical.”
Keep in mind Miami has never won the ACC before. The Hurricanes may have played for a national championship a season ago, but their last conference championship came way back when the Big East played FBS football. Clemson had been the gold standard in the ACC throughout much of the College Football Playoff era, but the Tigers have lost their shine a little bit. Maybe they will reclaim it?
Here is the entire segment of The Pat McAfee Show where Saban appeared and discussed Clemson.
Saban entering this season with a wait-and-see approach on Clemson feels like he is non-commital.
Nick Saban is unwilling to say Clemson will be back on top of ACC soon
When looking at Clemson's schedule, there are a few dates where College GameDay could happen.
Date | Opponent | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
Sept. 5 | at LSU Tigers | Baton Rouge, LA | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Sept. 12 | Georgia Southern Eagles | Clemson, SC | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Sept. 19 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Clemson, SC | 12:00 p.m. ET |
Sept. 25 | at California Golden Bears | Berkeley, CA | 10:30 p.m. ET |
Oct. 3 | Miami Hurricanes | Clemson, SC | TBA ET |
Oct. 10 | BYE | ||
Oct. 17 | Charleston Southern Buccaneers | Clemson, SC | TBA ET |
Oct. 24 | Virginia Tech Hokies | Clemson, SC | TBA ET |
Oct. 31 | at Florida State Seminoles | Tallahassee, FL | TBA ET |
Nov. 7 | at Syracuse Orange | Syracuse, NY | TBA ET |
Nov. 14 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Clemson, SC | TBA ET |
Nov. 20 | at Duke Blue Devils | Durham, NC | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Nov. 28 | South Carolina Gamecocks | Clemson, SC | TBA ET |
Dec. 5 | ACC Championship | Charlotte, NC | 12:00 p.m. ET |
The Miami home date on Oct. 3 immediately jumps off the page. Should both ACC programs still be undefeated by that point, we should not rule out GameDay coming to Clemson. While the Virginia Tech home game a few weeks later on Oct. 24 could be in play too, especially if James Franklin has his Hokies rolling, the next best one might be for Palmetto. This might play exactly into Saban's point.
While Clemson does play a compelling schedule, so much has to be decided between now and then on whether GameDay will be coming to Death Valley. Not only do the Tigers have to hold up their end of the bargain, but their opponents will have to be strong enough to merit any potential big television rating. This is the consequence of being in the ACC, as opposed to playing in the Big Ten or the SEC.
Overall, Clemson has to get back to being Clemson before Saban is more than willing to say College GameDay will be coming to our city anytime soon. The good news is the longer a season goes along, the more time narratives have to be developed. Let's be honest with ourselves. If there is a great season of redemption unfurling for Clemson, you better believe that GameDay will want to be there.
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Ultimately, McAfee could get his wish to check out what Death Valley is all about sooner rather than later. Clemson is still a big football brand, one that regularly plays games on ESPN channels. Rather than go to a Big Ten school, or any Big 12 game where FOX has the broadcasting rights, ESPN could make the smart business decision and go to Clemson to make it a destination for College GameDay.
Getting GameDay should always be a big deal, but Clemson fans have to be patient with its return.
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