Does ACC Conference Schedule Help Clemson?

I've seen a lot of debate about this...does the ACC conference football teams and schedule help Clemson? Is the ACC that weak?

Some say yes, some say no.

First, my angle isn't how USC compares with the ACC (mid team in SEC gets clobbered by mid ACC team in bowl). It isn't about the ACC vs the SEC, or any other conference.

It's just about Clemson and the state of their conference football buddies and whether or not a juggernaut program like Clemson is even challenged by its conference opponents.

Here is Clemson's 2019 Conference Slate and last year's records

Georgia Tech (7-5, 4-4)...with new coach

@ Syracuse (10-3, 6-2)...all-time best QB graduated in Eric Dungey

@ UNC (2-9, 1-7)...and with new coach

FSU (5-7, 3-5)...some would say with no coach

@ Louisville (2-10, 0-8)...with new coach

Boston College (7-5, 4-4)

@ NC State (9-3, 5-3)...QB Finley gone

Wake Forest (6-6, 3-5)

In my opinion, the ACC is weak, and Clemson is helped by not having any competition in their conference.

But it is the chicken and egg thing.

At some point, Clemson had to show progress, which they started to do. Then you recruit a little better, then you win a few more games, then you recruit a little better, then you win the ACC championship, then you recruit a little better...and so on.

Plus, the admin is all pulling in the same direction, Dabo has done well, the assistant coaches are staying...lots of things are working together for success.

Not having any viable competition in the conference fed into this process as well, as it enabled Clemson to win more games and recruit better.

Now they are in dynasty mode.

And yes, I know they are the best in college football and when they've lined up with other great teams, they are beating them more often than not.

But the more you win, the more you can sell.

Take this year's Clemson schedule above.

With Clemson's talent level vs the other 8 teams on their conference schedule...who is even going to come close to giving them a game, all things being equal?

They will be at least 17-point favorites against all ACC competition...at least.

The only 2 they would be worth watching would be the Syracuse game and the NC State game. But now, both of those schools lost their almost best-ever QBs to graduation.

So yes, Clemson glides through the ACC at 8-0, plays another guppy in the championship game, gets to the Playoff. Win or lose at that point, they have yet more accomplishments to sell to recruits.

Most of these schools, also, won't ever come close to challenging, because they are basketball schools, schools who seat 30k at games, their admin doesn't focus on football, etc (think Wake Forest, Boston College, Ga Tech, etc.).

The schedule does make a difference. Consider...Clemson goes on the road to play UNC (see record above), comes home to play FSU (see record above), then has to go back out on the road to play a tough Louisville team (see record above). Then home against Boston College. That's the only part of their schedule where they play 4 straight conference games.

What if the had to play Texas AM on the road, then head to Miss St, then home against Auburn, then on the road against Alabama...the also throw in their LSU.

Or if they had to play consecutive games vs Penn St, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan.

The cumulative pounding of the schedule would have an impact.

Again, they are the best thing going, and it is NOT because of their non-competitive schedule.

But, the non-competitive schedule helped them get there and is helping them stay there now that they've gotten there, no doubt.

They can almost pencil in 10-0, not including games vs us and AM.

No challenges = another ACC championship = another Playoff appearance = more great recruiting.

And nobody in the ACC is equipped to challenge them for some time.

https://southcarolina.forums.rivals.com/threads/does-acc-conference-schedule-help-clemson.296802/