Dabo disses SEC depth

BamaNation

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"Listen, the SEC is a great conference, but I don't think they've been as deep the last few years. I think they've had two or three really good teams and then it's kind of been hit or miss from there. It's an awesome league, for sure, and I know people say that Alabama was tired because they went through the grind and had to play all these teams," Swinney told ESPN, discussing a narrative he has heard mostly in media circles. "Well, they won by an average of 33.1 points per game [going into the playoff], so they ought to be well-rested."
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27340866/dabo-not-buying-sec-grind-wore-bama


...aaaaand it begins...

I like Dabo and truly respect what he has done at Clemson. Methinks he talks too much, though. He's playing to the home crowd who always view themselves with a chip on their shoulder and a chip is what got HIM to where he is (from walkon to head coach and national champ). I get it. But I also tire of it... even if he were correct.
 
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B1GTide

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This is Dabo trying to get his players to believe that they are not respected. This is what Dabo does. It is working for him. It might even keep them fired up enough to get them back to the CFPCG. But if they make it there, Alabama will be waiting for them, and this kind of talk won't help.
 

CoolBreeze

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Agreed. He is trying to prop up the weak league that is the ACC. Funny thing is that even as a 2 time National Championship winning coach and fresh off of a 4 TD rout in their last game the tongue wagging reeks of the barney mentality that we are all familiar with around here. Seems Clempson really is Auburn with a lake.
 

selmaborntidefan

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https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27340866/dabo-not-buying-sec-grind-wore-bama


...aaaaand it begins...

I like Dabo and truly respect what he has done at Clemson. Methinks he talks too much, though. He's playing to the home crowd who always view themselves with a chip on their shoulder and a chip is what got HIM to where he is (from walkon to head coach and national champ). I get it. But I also tire of it... even if he were correct.

Here's the question to ask: is he wrong about the depth of the SEC?

"Listen, the SEC is a great conference, but I don't think they've been as deep the last few years. I think they've had two or three really good teams and then it's kind of been hit or miss from there."


I don't think he's wrong by any stretch.

From 2006-2015 (an entire decade), the SEC had a bowl record of 66-32 and won eight national championships (and played in a 9th PLUS had an all-SEC final).

2016 - 6-7
2017 - 5-6 (okay, UGA was one, but it's still a losing record)
2018 - 6-6

Keep in mind that that 17-19 bowl record includes a win by 5-7 MSU in 2016.

In 2016, no SEC besides Alabama had FEWER than 4 losses, and every team except UA and Florida had at least 3 conference losses.

In 2017, the SEC was Alabama and UGA and a bunch of four-loss or more teams.

The league was "somewhat" better in 2018 as five teams had 3 or fewer losses, but the reality is that the league isn't the 2006-2013 monster anymore.

The Big 12 has an all-time losing record against the SEC, but they're 9-7 in the last 3 years.
In the last 3 years, the SEC is 7-5 against the Big Ten. In the previous decade, the SEC was 25-16 (and 24-13 from 2007-15).

The ACC was 10-4 against the SEC in 2016 and 9-13 the past two years to total 19-17 in favor of the ACC.

But in that decade of dominance, the SEC thumped the ACC to the tune of 56-35.

We've gone from a winning pct of .615 to one of below .500 the last three years...despite the ACC being mostly a clown show last year.


The EVIDENCE supports Dabo's contention that the SEC is NOT what it was five years ago.

They've had "two or three really good teams"

I'd say in 2016, there was ONE DOMINANT team and a bunch of mediocrity.
In 2017, you had Alabama and UGA - and Auburn put together a good half of a season between losing to LSU and then losing to UGA.
In 2018, you had Alabama and UGA as really dominant teams.....LSU was hit or miss.....as were UF and Kentucky.


Now.....none of this vindicates the ACC in any way, but his comments on the SEC are dead-on accurate.
 
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BamaHoosier

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He can annoy us all he wants, but his statement is accurate. We weren’t challenged in a single game prior to UGA and potentially won’t be again this year. Is the SEC still the best conference day in and out? Absolutely. Still doesn’t change the fact the conference is more top heavy and the middle class is weaker than it’s been in a decade.

My only issue with his statement is that it seems like he’s putting words in our mouth. Unless I’ve missed something, I don’t think anyone of importance has used conference superiority as an excuse for getting beaten. In fact the only “excuses” I’ve heard were having an exhausted defense after facing Murray, and that several players and coaches were no longer focused on winning.

Dabo is just playing up this narrative to keep his team from relapsing. Making up his own bulletin board material, so to speak. And if that’s what it’s taking to motivate his team, than I like our chances even more. They have to be coming in excessively cocky as much as he’s played the victim card... Revenge season can’t get here soon enough s


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

teamplayer

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https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27340866/dabo-not-buying-sec-grind-wore-bama


...aaaaand it begins...

I like Dabo and truly respect what he has done at Clemson. Methinks he talks too much, though. He's playing to the home crowd who always view themselves with a chip on their shoulder and a chip is what got HIM to where he is (from walkon to head coach and national champ). I get it. But I also tire of it... even if he were correct.
He's simply trying to do anything he can to make his guys feel disrespected. He is telling them that people still don't respect them and that they have to go out on the field and earn their respect again. It's the same old coach speak that so many coaches use. Apparently, there are many athletes who just don't take things seriously unless they feel they have been disrespected. Coaches play this angle all the time.
 

DzynKingRTR

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I am tired of Dabo's talk. He could be a 50 point favorite in a National Championship game and 5,999 out of 6,000 "experts" could pick him to win and cover. He will still say "Aw shucks, we just on the ROY bus. Nobody respects us its all Alabama or whatever team he is playing against" And his players and fans will believe it. He can stay at clempson forever.
 

selmaborntidefan

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You know, that whole "nobody give us no respect" nonsense really needs to be called out by pretty much everyone for the crap it is.


There are RARE instances where it's true - 1992 Alabama is a phenomenally good example. Folks weren't saying, "Alabama has a good defense but I just don't think they can beat Miami," they were questioning whether Alabama even belonged in the game. Even after the game, the pollsters put Florida State ahead of Miami despite the Canes beating them head to head.


But most instances where teams do this, it's ludicrous.

I had the misfortune of living in Arkansas during the reign of Nolan "Never Met A Race Card I Didn't Want to Play" Richardson won a national championship. (It ranked right up there with a vasectomy without anesthesia). Those idiots whined all freaking year long about "nobody give us no respect."

Arky began the year at #3 in the rankings behind defending champ UNC and Pitino's Kentucky crew.
The Hawgs were ranked #1 in NINE of 16 polls.
The only reason they didn't end the year at one is because they lost in the 2nd game of the SEC tourney.
Arkansas was a six-point favorite over DUKE - I repeat, the same DUKE team whose seniors had won 2 titles in a row.

And yet Richardson pulled that crap about "getting no respect."


Began the year at #3, nobody respected them.
They were #1, nobody respected them.
They were favored to win the final game, nobody respected them.

Hell, even the Atlanta Braves got ridiculous with it after losing the 1992 World Series, Smoltzie saying that they'd be picked fourth for 1993 and all this utter nonsense.

In most cases, it's nothing but a motivational tool.


Then again, Saban used it in 2015, so.....
 

selmaborntidefan

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I am tired of Dabo's talk. He could be a 50 point favorite in a National Championship game and 5,999 out of 6,000 "experts" could pick him to win and cover. He will still say "Aw shucks, we just on the ROY bus. Nobody respects us its all Alabama or whatever team he is playing against" And his players and fans will believe it. He can stay at clempson forever.
This is Dabo's last year on the gravy train.

Right now he's where we were entering 2013. The Play That Shall Not Be Named wouldn't hurt Clemson as bad as it did us because of the playoff - but he's entering that time frame where an injury to a Vinnie Sunseri, Donta Hightower, or Eddie Jackson is potentially lethal.

He's about to have trouble maintaining depth, and he'll eventually lose his assistants, too.
 

CajunCrimson

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This is Dabo's last year on the gravy train.

Right now he's where we were entering 2013. The Play That Shall Not Be Named wouldn't hurt Clemson as bad as it did us because of the playoff - but he's entering that time frame where an injury to a Vinnie Sunseri, Donta Hightower, or Eddie Jackson is potentially lethal.

He's about to have trouble maintaining depth, and he'll eventually lose his assistants, too.
Yep!
 
Here's the question to ask: is he wrong about the depth of the SEC?

"Listen, the SEC is a great conference, but I don't think they've been as deep the last few years. I think they've had two or three really good teams and then it's kind of been hit or miss from there."


I don't think he's wrong by any stretch.

From 2006-2015 (an entire decade), the SEC had a bowl record of 66-32 and won eight national championships (and played in a 9th PLUS had an all-SEC final).

2016 - 6-7
2017 - 5-6 (okay, UGA was one, but it's still a losing record)
2018 - 6-6

Keep in mind that that 17-19 bowl record includes a win by 5-7 MSU in 2016.

In 2016, no SEC besides Alabama had FEWER than 4 losses, and every team except UA and Florida had at least 3 conference losses.

In 2017, the SEC was Alabama and UGA and a bunch of four-loss or more teams.

The league was "somewhat" better in 2018 as five teams had 3 or fewer losses, but the reality is that the league isn't the 2006-2013 monster anymore.

The Big 12 has an all-time losing record against the SEC, but they're 9-7 in the last 3 years.
In the last 3 years, the SEC is 7-5 against the Big Ten. In the previous decade, the SEC was 25-16 (and 24-13 from 2007-15).

The ACC was 10-4 against the SEC in 2016 and 9-13 the past two years to total 19-17 in favor of the ACC.

But in that decade of dominance, the SEC thumped the ACC to the tune of 56-35.

We've gone from a winning pct of .615 to one of below .500 the last three years...despite the ACC being mostly a clown show last year.


The EVIDENCE supports Dabo's contention that the SEC is NOT what it was five years ago.

They've had "two or three really good teams"

I'd say in 2016, there was ONE DOMINANT team and a bunch of mediocrity.
In 2017, you had Alabama and UGA - and Auburn put together a good half of a season between losing to LSU and then losing to UGA.
In 2018, you had Alabama and UGA as really dominant teams.....LSU was hit or miss.....as were UF and Kentucky.


Now.....none of this vindicates the ACC in any way, but his comments on the SEC are dead-on accurate.
My thing is, compare it to the ACC. This is why I don’t think he needs to talk. The ACC has been a one trick pony for a loooong time.


Sent from my iPhone Xs Max using Tapatalk Pro
 

TiderinAZ

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The real question is, how many nfl quality players does Clemson face vs what Alabama does? Even middle of the pack MSU had three first round picks, compare that to Virginia.
The physicality of play in the sec is second to none.
 

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