quote:
Clemson's schedule is possibly the worst major P5 schedule (especially when you tack on another crappy game in Charlotte) for a true title contender in years.

Exactly. And they'll get a pass as long as the next best team is somebody like Oregon. But the second that 4/5 line becomes a test between Clemson vs. Alabama, suddenly the talking heads are going to want to zero in on that soft schedule.

The way I see it, Clemson's schedule is no different than UCF in 2017 or Boise State several years back when they'd run the table. It's horrendous. And if you are going to play a schedule that soft, you better tear through it like an NFL team playing a junior high school team.

... Clemson hasn't done that. They needed OT to beat North Carolina already.

I have no doubt Bama is a better team than Clemson this season and I think everyone would agree with that. So if Bama loses to LSU but otherwise blows out every opponent, there is going to be a big debate about who should go to the playoff.

People are crazy if they think Clemson is going to ultimately win that debate.

quote:
I personally think Clemson at this point is right at or near Alabama in terms of "respect" given by the national media/hierarchy,

You are mistaken. They might have been there in January, but when you have to go to OT to beat North Carolina, that respect flies out the window. If Clemson had as much respect as Alabama, they wouldn't start the year #1... then slide to #2... then slide to #3... and now slide to #4 all without losing a game.

Their slide from #1 to #4 while staying unbeaten is a perfect metaphor for how much respect they have currently. Right now, its not as much as you think.