(05-29-2017 06:30 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(05-29-2017 04:34 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(05-29-2017 08:25 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(05-28-2017 11:47 AM)IHAVETRIED Wrote:  The ACC would not trade FSU or Clemson for Georgia/Tennessee. That's also a fact.

I guarantee it.

You're 100% dead wrong. UGA and Tennessee are massive flagships, Clemson and FSU are ... beloved by their graduates. It's not close.

Look, you're a Louisville fan, so you probably feel for FSU and Clemson because you are what they are - second bananas in their own states.

I have no skin in this game. But Tennessee and Georgia are massively undervalued by the average sporting fan.

True, they haven't won big in the last 15 years. But that doesn't mean much to long-term fans. Tennessee and Georgia are both solid academic schools even by ACC standards, and each is the undisputed most popular school in a large, fast growing state.

Yes, when it comes to football attendance, the biggest correlate of a program's stature and power, you don't look for Georgia and Tennessee in the top 20 or top 30, but in the top 10. And that's despite not having won a BCS bowl in at least a decade for each. That's true enduring value.

They are easily more valuable than any ACC school.

It really is amazing seeing schools like Clemson and FSU being compared to dominant flagships like UGA and Tennessee.

I think you're right with regards to Clemson vs. UGA, but I'm not sure about FSU vs. UGA.

(05-29-2017 08:25 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(05-28-2017 11:47 AM)IHAVETRIED Wrote:  The ACC would not trade FSU or Clemson for Georgia/Tennessee. That's also a fact.

I guarantee it.

You're 100% dead wrong. UGA and Tennessee are massive flagships, Clemson and FSU are ... beloved by their graduates. It's not close.

Look, you're a Louisville fan, so you probably feel for FSU and Clemson because you are what they are - second bananas in their own states.

Clemson isn't second banana to South Carolina in any conceivable way, but especially in football.

(05-29-2017 03:33 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I've been watching college football since 1991 and I haven't seen anything from UGA that would make me think they're close top the same level as FSU or Miami. They were comparable to Clemson until Clemson went to back to back championship games and won one of them. UGA is more comparable to GT who has more national championship and one more recent than any of UGAs. UGA has a lot going for it. So much going for it that they are a huge underachiever. They have a lot of 10+ win seasons but not a lot of conference championships and haven't played for a national championship since I've been following college football. Many of the other barons have played for or won a national championship in the last 26 years but not Georgia.

Auburn has the best argument of the Barons to be a King other than Nebraska. Just because Mandel downgraded Nebraska doesn't mean that anyone regards them any less. That said I agree with Mandel's reasoning for dropping Nebraska the same way I agree with his reasoning for dropping WVU. While he dropped those programs both of them stand out as more prestigious than the other teams in their respective groupings. It wouldn't take much success from either to be promoted back to where they were in my opinion but who really cares what Stewart Mandel thinks.

Before 1991 Georgia had some beastly teams, the Hershel Walker years of the 80's...before that of course. Florida St is still somewhat of a newbie power. They used to play at schools like San Diego St before the legend Bowden turned them around in the 80's...