28th toughest schedule according to http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb

[Millhouse]

we've never faced a schedule like this, not even close

Syracuse Orange Index | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

the SRS ranking of point differential weighted by schedule strength has this as the best season since 1996 at the moment.

schwartzwalder, pasqualoni, and macpherson each had one season with a better SRS

if clemson and louisville keep this up, we're going to need to rethink what a good season is. 8 wins in the big east with pitiful rutgers and temple, 80 year old nehlen and majors, chapstick, uconn, USF, whoever was fine but 8 wins now would be great

 

[SU94]

Agreed. We are now playing with the big boys. Likely the 2nd-best division in CFB.

I believe that this will change in the coming years, either via a division reshuffle, or more likely the absolving of divisions and a 3+5+5 scheduling format.

Personally, I see Clemson as more of a sustained powerhouse than FSU. I say this because the CU administration is "all-in," Dabo is hot/young (not that kind of hot/young!?!) and FSU has to fend with the Gators and Canes in-state. I also wonder if Jimbo will stay for more than 2-3 more years. Louisville will likely be a solid program, but not "this" strong going forward.

It's been said before, but if we can just begin "stand out" among those those in the Northeast, we will be in a solid place.

 

[dollarbill44]

we've never faced a schedule like this, not even close

Syracuse Orange Index | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

the SRS ranking of point differential weighted by schedule strength has this as the best season since 1996 at the moment.

schwartzwalder, pasqualoni, and macpherson each had one season with a better SRS

if clemson and louisville keep this up, we're going to need to rethink what a good season is. 8 wins in the big east with pitiful rutgers and temple, 80 year old nehlen and majors, chapstick, uconn, USF, whoever was fine but 8 wins now would be great

Clearly that is a flawed ranking system. Just as an example, compare this year to the 2001 season (excerpt from from Wikipedia) and tell me which is better.

 

[Millhouse]

Clearly that is a flawed ranking system. Just as an example, compare this year to the 2001 season (excerpt from from Wikipedia) and tell me which is better.
View attachment 81292

You're right - they haven't updated the link I was looking at (or i didn't refresh it)

i don't think they've refreshed the SOS on one of the links I was looking at - we do have a very hard schedule but it's not so hard that it makes our SRS look good

good catch

 

[Millhouse]

i'll be more careful

Syracuse Orange Index | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

is very different from

2016 Standings | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

i feel a little silly for posting this one but now I gotta leave it!

we really do have a tough schedule (28th) but it doesn't affect our SRS as much as I thought. we actually look worse because the point differentials are so huge thanks to us playing so fast against good teams

 

[orange_in_VA]

Agreed. We are now playing with the big boys. Likely the 2nd-best division in CFB.

I believe that this will change in the coming years, either via a division reshuffle, or more likely the absolving of divisions and a 3+5+5 scheduling format.

Personally, I see Clemson as more of a sustained powerhouse than FSU. I say this because the CU administration is "all-in," Dabo is hot/young (not that kind of hot/young!?!) and FSU has to fend with the Gators and Canes in-state. I also wonder if Jimbo will stay for more than 2-3 more years. Louisville will likely be a solid program, but not "this" strong going forward.

It's been said before, but if we can just begin "stand out" among those those in the Northeast, we will be in a solid place.

Clemson is a great program don't get me wrong, but last I checked FSU won a title a couple years ago and Clemson has 1 title from the 80's. There is plenty of talent in Florida and Jimbo and his staff have consistently been recruiting top 3 classes every year.

 

[upperdeck]

clemson has been recruiting well for years, lets see how they do when the top 2-3 QB in the country leaves.. I thought the kid they brought in played well.. then he also threw a couple passes that were INTs that we didnt catch and we really dont apply pressure anyway. When teams have elite QBs they often look better than when they dont and the system has to really work. they will be good but FSU has been on the cusp for decades much longer than Clemson.

I still think Dabo does some really dumb things coaching and has gotten some worse results than the talent says he should.. its not coaching that has them at 9-0. they should really be 7-2 and UL/FSU were a coin flip games too. they may win the NT but they will have escaped 2 losses to teams much inferior talent wise.

 

[Millhouse]

clemson has been recruiting well for years, lets see how they do when the top 2-3 QB in the country leaves.. I thought the kid they brought in played well.. then he also threw a couple passes that were INTs that we didnt catch and we really dont apply pressure anyway. When teams have elite QBs they often look better than when they dont and the system has to really work. they will be good but FSU has been on the cusp for decades much longer than Clemson.

I still think Dabo does some really dumb things coaching and has gotten some worse results than the talent says he should.. its not coaching that has them at 9-0. they should really be 7-2 and UL/FSU were a coin flip games too. they may win the NT but they will have escaped 2 losses to teams much inferior talent wise.

We already saw how good they were with an good but not great qb. Forgetting his name but the one who threw to Watkins all day

 

[Chris02M]

We already saw how good they were with an good but not great qb. Forgetting his name but the one who threw to Watkins all day

taj boyd