As we approach the end of 2020, a few questions can be asked and I have my projected answers ready.
Question 1) Who will be in the CFB Playoffs this season? Obviously, Alabama and Notre Dame. If Clemson beats Notre Dame in the ACC championship, they are in. Ohio State (technically) qualifies so if they win the B1G Championship they will be in. I project Texas A&M, (unless something happens with them) and the Winner of the Big XII if Clemson or Ohio State loose.
Question 2) Will there be any regrets in the College football world after the National Championship? Well, that depends on the schools, their home states, and their respective conferences. For the schools, it would be all about how they, as individuals, handled the pandemic. Some schools didn’t cancel any games on their own, and were able to get the virus under control within their ranks, while others had a whole bunch of opt outs, canceled or postponed games, among other things. In the eyes of the states, that not only depends on how they handled the virus as a state, but also in how many or how few fans they allowed in their stands. If the parents and other families were never allowed in, they probably will have a lot of regrets. Finally, in the case of the conferences, some handled the pandemic better than others. Guidelines were created by a mix of ideas from commissioners, ADs, presidents, and athletes. Some conferences even found ways to make the season even more enjoyable, like pushing the start of the season into September where the temps aren’t as hot. Others started the season so far down the road that none of their teams can qualify for bowls, never mind the CFP.
Question 3) Where does Clemson stand on Winter and Spring Sports? Well, right now, Men’s and Women’s basketball are on a roll, so I say that they are doing fantastic. Baseball and softball are on the verge of announcing their plans for the season. Rowing just signed four members into the class of 2024, and I haven’t heard anything negative of any other sports
Question 4) What will come of Clemson dropping men’s track and field and cross country? Well first of all, we still have the Women’s clubs of each sport, so it’s not like they are gone for good. Second of all, even if they were, we could still use the facilities often, for recreation, intramurals, or even SCHSL region and state championships. As for the runners, they can either transfer to another school, stay at Clemson and run in intramurals, or anything else they set their minds to. Nonetheless, this is a disappointing time for them.
Question 5) Will Dan Radakovich take John Swofford’s place as ACC Commissioner? That honestly is up to Dan and the ACC. If he does decide to take that job, I feel he will do a fantastic job. Also, we may finally see more than one sports championship be played in South Carolina. The ACC said they would start allowing SC cities to host tournaments five years ago, and they have yet to deliver on that promise. Hopefully, with Radakovich in as Commissioner, he can chat with SC mayors, and legislators/executives to bring some championships into our beautiful state. We have plenty of venues for each championship to be played (with the exception of football, that is the only sport we may never get to have the championship in). As for who will replace him, I personally hope Brad Brownell will get the offer, and then we can either promote a current coach to head coach, or we can even ask Terrance Oglesby or another former player to coach.
