Credit Clemson for deciding not to take the coward’s way out. Athletic Director Dan Radakovich is working hard to upgrade the Tigers’ schedule in the future.
The introduction of the College Football Playoff has forced teams to really think about what their out-of-conference schedules need to look like. Some teams have opted to schedule cupcakes to increase their chances of making it through the season undefeated. That has not been, and will not be, Clemson’s philosophy moving forward.
Athletic Director Dan Radakovich is determined to keep the Tigers playing high-profile games outside the ACC. This season, Clemson’s out of conference schedule is highlighted by Texas A&M and South Carolina. It may get even more difficult in the future. Radakovich claims he’s working on scheduling games with LSU and Georgia in the near future.
Playing high-profile games like this will pay big dividends for the Tigers. Obviously, it will help them appear on national television more often. Fans around the country are going to be interested in watching matchups like Clemson versus Georgia. The attention the program will receive should give them a healthy boost in terms of recruiting.
Dan Radakovich confirms that Clemson is in talks with Georgia and LSU for OOC games
— Zach Lentz (@Zach_AllClemson) August 3, 2018
The more important benefit is that it will give Clemson a larger margin for error if it wants to make the Playoff on a regular basis. As it currently stands, SEC teams can typically make it to the final four even if they have one loss. It’s not impossible for the Tigers to do the same thing in the ACC, but they’d be behind any SEC team with one loss if they dropped a game as well.
Making the Playoff should really be the basis of every decision Clemson makes about their football program these days. They are clearly the preeminent program in the ACC. As long as Dabo Swinney stays in place the Tigers train in the league should keep rolling.
The key will be to stay in the mix for national championships. That’s what will allow them to keep programs like Florida State and Miami in a lower tier. If Clemson wins an ACC Title but fails to make it to the Playoff, Tigers fans should and would consider it a failure.
The Clemson administration clearly understands that reality. That’s why they’re going to keep scheduling high-profile games for the foreseeable future. It should help the Tigers continue to make the College Football Playoff and make non-conference matchups more entertaining for college football fans.