1) ESPN cut the worst sports deal of the century with the NBA and in doing so has had to sell-out everywhere else
2) ESPN does not hate or love anyone, the lone exception being they would kill their own mother to make a dollar
3) The SEC spin machine is solely resultant of their dire need to drive revenue from their SEC deal
4) Any broadcaster who openly takes any action that is contrary to the Corporate Message is looking to get fired. This has essentially left ESPN staff with commentators that don't truly voice their own opinion. Don't think for a minute Dez Howard is soo football stupid and clueless that he genuinely believed that USUC would win the East.
5) This all being said, Clemson is part of their spin machine. Bama plays the role of arch-villian, juggernaut etc. Clemson is scripted largely as the white knight / paladin, the ying to Bama's yang. That narrative sells.
6) ESPN, just like any multi-national brand company has pigeon holed most every relevant team in the Top 50 into one of a few archetypes. Essentially they have turned the drama of the CFP process into a Mexican Telenovella and have scripts to drive viewership.
7) The Maria Taylor - KB drama was put in place to gently present innuendo around racial bias in QBs, they play this story like their College Football variant of Collin Kapernick.
Bottom line, I have learned to just watch and enjoy the movie. The one thing those CLOWNS at ESPN cannot control is the game outcome and this Tiger program is solid physically, emotionally and from a character standpoint. Be Proud of our Tigers, resist the media greed message.