Winning the BYE week: Why Georgia should Catapult Clemson in the polls
When the final seconds ticked away in Chapel Hill the currently #1 ranked Clemson Tigers walked off the field looking less like Tigers and more like a group of declawed kittens wondering what in the world had just taken place.
We've all been told by nearly all of the experts that Dabo Sweeney's Clemson Tigers are far and away the best college football team in the nation. However, the locked-in, diehard college football fans outside Clemson, SC have said is quite the opposite. In fact, most have thought that Clemson is still riding the wave of winning the National Championship while looking over the scores of talent that left afterwards for the NFL.
When comparing resumes you'll see Clemson and Georgia have both played 1 ranked team to this point. Clemson played and beat the only ranked team that they will likely face until the College Football Playoffs, the 24th ranked Texas A&M Aggies by 14 points in week 2. Georgia discarded the #7 ranked Fighting Irish last week in Athens GA the first of 4 ranked teams on the Bulldogs schedule this season.
Georgia OLB, Nolan Smith celebrates with DC Dan Lanning
What does all of the mean? In my opinion, it can only mean 1 thing. The University of Georgia must catapult Clemson in all polls this week. It's time to give respect when it's due, and it's due. Being ranked number 1 isn't the objective. It serves no purpose at this point anyway. This is about the legitimacy of in-season college football polls and the people that control them.
We hear criticism all the time about how big-time schools don't play tough out of conference schedules, why not reward Georgia for the best win of sorts to date.
Going on the road to Chapel Hill can be very intimidating. If you're playing on the hardwood. What the world witnessed today was not a blue blood basketball team defending its home court. It was an average, at best, football team, that was a play call away from tying the game with an extra point with less than 2 minutes left in regulation. Instead, N.C. went for 2, failed, and then watched Clemson run out the clock to escape with a win.
Where should the chips fall? I'll leave that to the "experts" but what I will do is offer some advice. Take a close look at the top 5, and a hard look at the schedule that has already been played. You'll find a single team that has won a conference game on the road and beat a top 10 team. I know what you're supposed to do. In fact, I've already told you. Now, the ball is your court. Time to prove your expertise.
I hope you've enjoyed the bye week Dawg fans. Time to gear up for another SEC road game! I'll see you guys in Knoxville and as always, Go Dawgs!
