Q/A time for the SEC doom and gloomers...............

Feb 5, 2013, 9:28 AM

Hopefully when you answer these questions for yourselves it will get you to calm down. I doubt it, but let's see.

I've included my answers for reference.

1) Where is Clemson located? In the Southeast perhaps? When kids don't choose Clemson, where do they typically end up?

Top kids who don't sign with us typically end up in the Southeast. Typically at SEC schools. Been that way since the beginning of time.

2) Has Clemson recruited against SEC teams before this year?

Absolutely.

3) Have SEC schools promoted the SEC before this year?

Most definitely.

4) Does every kid that chooses an SEC school over Clemson choose them simply because they're in the SEC?

Not even close. They choose some other SEC schools because they're good football programs.

5) Has Clemson lost kids to the SEC teams before this year, and has Clemson competed against SEC schools in recruiting since conferences were formed?

Absolutely, in both cases.

6) Have SEC teams competed against Clemson in recruiting every year since the beginning of time?

Absolutely. Same as it's always been and same as it will always be.

7) Have SEC teams lost players to Clemson before?

Of course. Will continue to do so.

8) Has Clemson lost more kids to the SEC this year than any time in the past?

Nope. We win and lose battles against SEC schools every single year. Same as it's always been, same as it will always be.

9) Can winning more games help combat other schools regardless of conference affiliation?

No doubt about it. We're a trending program, not quite set in stone. Getting there though.

10) Has every player that is choosing an SEC school over Clemson an official "decommit"?

Nope.

Now for the specific players cited by another guy.

11) "We lost Adams to 'the SEC'".

I read some speculation that Adams was being pushed to the SEC by some folks close to him, but up to this point I haven't heard Adams say he is going to Auburn simply because they're in the SEC. One poor season doesn't change the fact Auburn is a traditional football program who juts won a national title a few years back. If Auburn was all that in the ACC, no doubt they could do exactly the same thing.

12) "We lost D Robinson to 'the SEC'".

We lost Robinson to one of the best programs of the last decade and one who has a couple national championship trophies in their case. And one who was in the top 5 at points last year.

13) "We lost Jenkins to 'the SEC'"

Jenkins is on record as saying he wants to follow in his father's footsteps. Not a single word about "the SEC".

14) "We lost Fullwood and North to 'the SEC'".

We lost some players we were interested in to other schools in the region. Same as it's always been, same as it will always be. we alos will sign several kids who were interested in SEC schools.

The guy should stop trying to say we lost all these kids to "the SEC". We will lose some kids to good programs with certainly as much or more history as us, both past and present

15) Same guy said, "I could almost guarantee you that if we were in the SEC, we would've landed some of these prospects"

Same guy doesn't seem to realize we will sign tons of kids with SEC offers. We may have signed some of the kids he mentioned and maybe not. Every single year we win some battles and we lose some battles. That will never change, but winning over time is far more important than any conference.

The bottom line is this - this year is no different than any year. Every single year we lose kids to SEC schools and we sign kids who could have gone to SEC schools. We have always battled SEC brand, and we will always battle SEC brand. We win our share now, and if we will win our share in the future. Win more, and our share will naturally increase.

Some of you doom and gloomers need to step back from the ledge. Things are not bad and things aren't getting worse.

What we do need to be concerned about it winning. Not "the SEC". Stop feeding the hype machine. We have players and coaches to win - win and that will improve all. I've said it numerous time before but it bears repeating here - Winning trumps everything, including conference affiliation.

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suffers from a perception problem related to the SEC. Living here in Atlanta there is little to no talk about "ACC football" and there is an ACC school here IN TOWN. It's SEC football 24/7. Now we can say it's bias or whatever it is but the media talks about SEC football constantly...building it up just short of the NFL and in some people's eyes as big as the NFL. The ACC is viewed as JV football and that perception while not accurate affects the way kids perceive our program.

It started in 2004 when Auburn got locked out of the national title game. The SEC decided to build the brand of the conference was just as important as the schools. The leadership within the SEC has been superior to the ACC but also their programs have stepped up and won big games. FSU and Clemson were down at the time and VT has never been able to break through.

Q/A time for the SEC doom and gloomers...............

Spin it like you want, but if we were in the SEC we would

Not "spin" at all. Feel free to try and show otherwise.

What about Ole Miss then? *******

Re: What about Ole Miss then? *******

Did Ole Miss just join the SEC?***

You don't know what is and what isn't spin.

agreed but I think we would all agree that the ACC

All true - but to be clear - "playing in the SEC" will be a

Of course it matters. Just like it always has.

All great points but as Smiling said above lots of kids

Yep***

Nope.........

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