re: Stop with this “ but they play in the ACC “

quote:

---

That's the concept the LSU fans can't get.

---

They get it just fine. What they object to is using raw stats gained against a weak conference to make the argument that LSU is somehow overmatched (usually on defense) against Clemson. It could turn out to be true, but victories against a string of mediocre opponents and one tough one aren’t a sound basis for comparison when LSU has played a season’s worth of teams that are significantly stronger in aggregate, with a much more impressive slate of quality wins in the regular season. Using a close, somewhat ugly win against OSU to validate a season’s worth of ACC stats is just picking one cherry off a dozen cupcakes at this point. It can be used to validate the claim that Clemson belongs in the title game, but has far less bearing on whether they’ll get the win.

Again, not Clemson’s fault. But if playing in a weak conference all season makes your path to the playoffs that much easier, then be self-aware enough to recognize it and accept the inherent tradeoff — namely, that you’ll have to take whatever extra energy you might have had to expend in the regular season and direct it to silencing your critics on the field instead of bitching about things you can’t change or control. Fortunately, they’ll have the chance to do just that in a little over 24 hours.