CLEMSON FOOTBALL

My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
Photo by Jeff Blake / USATODAY

My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant


by - Senior Writer -

My conference is better than your conference, so there.

That one statement, which sounds petty and like a six-year old trying to win an argument with their five-year old neighbor, is the last bastion of the ignorant and misinformed. And people who cheer for programs that don’t have their own individual successes to brag about.

Prior to Saturday’s kickoff against South Carolina in Williams-Brice Stadium, I was roaming the sidelines as usual, looking for picture opportunities for Twitter and talking to some of the personnel that surround the program. At one point, I heard a roar from the Clemson fans already on hand and turned around to see the Clemson players and coaches begin Victory Walk.

As the players neared the end zone the South Carolina student section began to react, and as is normal began to hurl insults and epithets toward the Clemson players’ direction. It’s part of college football and it’s what makes the game so great. Those passions are why we love it, and if they hadn’t shown derision and distaste for their rival, I would have been disappointed.

However, one poor fellow did disappoint me. As the insults and shouts drifted out of the stands, I turned around to see if I could catch some of the more original insults. This one, down near the front, scrunched up his face and I could tell he was trying his hardest to think of something clever to say before time ran out. Finally, he lifted a fist skyward and screamed, “Get a real conference, you losers!”

Again, the last bastion of the ignorant and misinformed, but I can’t really blame the poor kid. And this isn’t an entire story written with the purpose of trying to make fun of some poor slob who has been spoon fed the ESPN agenda and believes it. The purpose is to point out that college football is now past all of that dominant conference baloney – there are actually a lot of really good teams out there and they span across several conferences. And they beat up on the not-so-good teams, of which there are a lot.

As I turned away and started to head back to the press box, I wanted to walk over to the youngster and ask him, “So, which conference is a real conference? The one with Kentucky and Vanderbilt and South Carolina and Missouri? The one with teams that don’t have a clue how to throw a forward pass like Missouri or Florida or LSU? That conference? The one that has gone 1-7 against the ACC on rivalry weekends the last two seasons? That conference?”

But I didn’t. Because the rest of the country is beginning to see what the rest of us already knew – the SEC isn’t the king anymore. No one is the king because parity reigns. The tired old “get a real conference” or “if they played our schedule” are now concepts that are set up for ridicule by those of us who actually watch college football and realize that teams like Houston and Temple are better than more than one SEC or ACC or PAC 12 team.

The storyline that started last season continued into this season – each conference has a few really good teams up at the top that beat up on the bottom-feeders. And there are a lot of bottom-feeders in each league. I don’t have to name them. You know them. And then there are a lot of teams that are good but not great. They are average. And the teams at the top are really good, but I don’t know that we’ve seen greatness. Not like we’ve seen in the past.

I thought that perhaps the perception had changed after last season, but the voters had eight SEC teams in the Top 25 of both the AP and Coaches Polls prior to the start of the season. Teams that had more holes than a third-grader’s notebook paper snowflake. Teams like Missouri and Arkansas and Auburn. Those teams are nowhere to be seen, and the ACC has Clemson, Florida St. and UNC all trending towards the top. But that doesn’t mean the ACC is the best conference or is better than the SEC, because the reality is it doesn’t matter. Those three teams have survived the gauntlet of the schedule, and they’ve done it because of what their coaches and players have accomplished on the field. Not what their conference has done.

Sure, conference affiliations and strength of schedule will always matter. As it should. But if any program has to ride the coattails of their conference in this day and age it speaks to bigger problems. It’s 2015 after all, and it’s about wins and losses more than it is about your conference. Ask the College Football Playoff committee.

Alabama is very good. Clemson is very good. Oklahoma is playing well and Iowa is undefeated. Four different conferences.

Get a real conference? That needs to be replaced by get a real team and win some games. Then you’ll be speaking my language.

Ultimate Level LogoUpgrade Your Account

Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.

Upgrade Now
Comment on this story
Print   
Send Feedback to David Hood: Email | Comment
4-star lineman picks up Clemson offer on visit
4-star lineman picks up Clemson offer on visit
WATCH: Clemson coordinators talk spring progress, break down latest scrimmage
WATCH: Clemson coordinators talk spring progress, break down latest scrimmage
No. 2 Tigers take on Hurricanes
No. 2 Tigers take on Hurricanes
PHOTO GALLERY: Clemson 72 Baylor 64 (NCAA 2nd Round)
PHOTO GALLERY: Clemson 72 Baylor 64 (NCAA 2nd Round)
Post your comments!
Subject (Replies: 100) Author
spacer New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
TigerNet News®
spacer very well said...***
dw1959®
spacer Re:My conference better than yours:can U say bastion here?
74TIGER
spacer Re:My conference better than yours:can U say bastion here?
Salty55®
spacer One of your best David, BRAVO!***
CTiger423®
spacer BOOM! Roasted!***
JeffersonStTiger
spacer It's a loser mentality....
BigCUFan®
spacer Re: It's a loser mentality....
Dugatiger®
spacer When conference is all you have to hang your hat on,
grover173
spacer Spot On But..................
BIG ORANGE
spacer Re: Spot On But..................
Classof09®
spacer Re: Spot On But..................
sgttiger
spacer Re: Spot On But..................
deleted
spacer It's Not Just One Kid
BIG ORANGE
spacer Not exactly
mrmatt
spacer or....
BigCUFan®
spacer Re: Spot On But..................
RayHartFordTiger
spacer SEC Inferiority
Mecklenburg Tiger
spacer Re: SEC Inferiority
Classof09®
spacer I believe it's the other way around
deleted
spacer Re: I believe it's the other way around
Classof09®
spacer Oh, so coot football started in 2009? Funny, I forgot about
Ridgeland Booster®
spacer Re: Oh, so coot football started in 2009? Funny, I forgot about
garrick3270
spacer Again, I repeat
deleted
spacer Re: Again, I repeat
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: I believe it's the other way around
sgttiger
spacer Re: I believe it's the other way around
deleted
spacer Re: I believe it's the other way around
Dugatiger®
spacer Re: I believe it's the other way around
Dugatiger®
spacer Coot football started at that moment
mpercy®
spacer Re: Coot football started at that moment
Dugatiger®
spacer Re: Coot football started at that moment
mpercy®
spacer Re: Coot football started at that moment
Dugatiger®
spacer Re: Coot football started at that moment
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: I believe it's the other way around
CUNo1Fan
spacer Re: I believe it's the other way around
GSCtiger®
spacer Re: I believe it's the other way around
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: ACC 7-1 against SECleast last two seasons...'nuff said***
Ridgeland Booster®
spacer The $EC Least is ranked below the ACC Coastal....
BigCUFan®
spacer Who in the world is 'upset'??
PGTiger
spacer Re: Who in the world is 'upset'??
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: SEC Inferiority
Copenhagen kid
spacer Re: SEC Inferiority
fencebusters®
spacer Re: SEC Inferiority
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: SEC Inferiority
saluda tiger
spacer Re: SEC Inferiority
ddclemson
spacer Send photos of your trophy case please...yours not SEC's*******
TigerLinks®
spacer winner winner Chicken dinner!***
Fireball
spacer This should help ...***
CUTiger1989®
spacer You mean the BCS era?
ClemsonTiger1988®
spacer Re: Spot On But..................
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer ^^^Lacks Self-Awareness^^^***
TigerHawk76®
spacer Guess what rival's fan is on Clemson board talking about
Tiger5
spacer You are right about 1 thing - WAS.***
tigerteez
spacer Bet you were that kid.
CUTiger1989®
spacer Re: Spot On But..................
Dugatiger®
spacer Why do I see SEC stickers on cars, printed on t-shirts, coffee cups, flags
tigerdrummer®
spacer The fact you are on a Clemson board trying to argue...
deleted
spacer Looks like a coot is still gonna coot
BentZero
spacer You key word is "was". Get in the now.***
longtallsam®
spacer What conference is the Citadel in?
MarineOneClemson®
spacer elCid has the same number of wins in the $EC Least as $CU***
BigCUFan®
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
8992Tiger
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
H8nusc®
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
RRFTigerFan
spacer Extremely Well Said!!!!***
4everatiger
spacer True
tigersincepell®
spacer Get a Real Team! LOL ... Coots are dumb.***
clemchem®
spacer Re: Get a Real Team! LOL ... Coots are dumb.***
Dugatiger®
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
jembkhallman®
spacer Good story! I find it funny that almost every espn announcer
colberttiger®
spacer Crickets chirp in Columbia as David Hood drops the mic***
saluda tiger
spacer This has been USC's built in excuse for two decades
Tiggity®
spacer Re: ACC 7-1 last two seasons vs. SECleast.....
Ridgeland Booster®
spacer Re: ACC 7-1 last two seasons vs. SECleast.....
2000®
spacer What is often failed to be mentioned is that the string of
TigerLinks®
spacer I believe it was also the lowest rated***
deleted
spacer Re: I believe it was also the lowest rated***
2000®
spacer yup ok state got robbed that year
tgrfan42069
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
stumc
spacer My Writer Hood can beat up your Mouthy Finebaum***
Charlestontigersacc
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
oldschtiger70
spacer D Hood, this article is the ultimate burn. well done***
djosey13
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
MaukaTiger®
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
TigerHawk76®
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
StephenD93
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
wisertime
spacer Simple retort: "Get a real TEAM."
Centennial Tiger
spacer Not that we would want to do this but
Baltimore Tiger®
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
HBCU
spacer Bravo!
Dugatiger®
spacer Obviously kid was ignoring their "1969 ACC Champions" banner***
JREwing®
spacer good article .Gamecocks remind me
fatboy
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
breeze89
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
GarnetGold
spacer agree w/most of your post....but just to let you know....
tigrjm76®
spacer If the ACC isn't a real conference,
orangeday
spacer Re: If the ACC isn't a real conference,
76clemson
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
I bleed orange
spacer Re: New Story: My conference is better than yours: The last bastion of the ignorant
cougar11
spacer University if SEC not so skrong this year.***
Fordtunate Son