Clemsoning

The Clemson Tigers are not close to being the wealthiest program in the nation, but so what? The Tigers provided a blueprint for how universities with less money than Alabama can climb to the top. Clemson became the first team to win a national football championship being ranked outside the top 20 in total athletic revenue since 2005. The Tigers were 39th in 2014-15 with $83.5 million, according to the USA Today financial database, yet the Tigers defeated two schools who have over $300 million in athletic revenue. Clemson won its first national championship in over 30 years

“It’s a testament to understanding it’s still about people,” Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said. “I think there’s still pockets of places in this country where if you get the right people at the right time doing the right things, you can be incredibly successful. I really believe that. Without that, let’s just look at USA Today and figure out who spends the money and those are going to be the ones that win.”

I took this picture in Dabo's office. Dwight Clark diagramed the "The Catch" for him on a football. Does the route look familiar? Wow. pic.twitter.com/uC3HYF9ryw

— Greg McElroy (@GregMcElroy) January 10, 2017

On last Clemson play, why not just tackle all of Clemson’s receivers at snap and force them to kick field goal on untimed play?

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 10, 2017

Part of the reason why it was a breath of fresh air to see Clemson defeat a dynasty is that Alabama’s dominance made College Football a little boring to watch. As offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt put it, the Tigers are “America’s Team.” It is usually very enjoyable to watch LeBron James or Tom Brady achieve success that lasts more than 3-5 years, but how long are dynasties really supposed to last?

While the upset shocked many, some saw the upset coming. Take Brandon Streeter, who started at quarterback in the late 1990’s. “I knew it was going to happen,” Streeter said. “It was just a matter of time.” He went on to say, “We talked to everybody about calming them down.” Clemson won the game more than Alabama lost. The tigers and crimson tide were in a back and forth game with both teams taking the lead but Clemson did not let the pressure get to them and keeping their composure was as big as the championship itself.

Clemson is not exactly a football powerhouse and coach Dabo Swinney did not see Clemson football as a serious title contender.“Eight years ago, I don’t think anybody saw us as a national championship contender,” said Swinney. This game brought some back to Super Bowl XLIX when the Seahawks should have run the ball with Marshawn Lynch at the goal line with less than a minute left in the game. Clemson had the correct strategy to defeat Alabama and that was the passing game.

Last week Ben Boulware told the Players Tribune that before the last drive, the Tigers sideline was “totally relaxed.” Furthermore, the team was not going to let close losses of previous years repeat itself again. He also said that the championship was not the end and believes that the football program can take it to the next level if there is a team willing to do so.

At least for the summer leading to the beginning of the College Football season, someone else besides Alabama should garner more national sports media attention. Lets hope what Clemson earned on the field translates into media coverage at least until early September. Breaking the college football monopoly at least for one season is making college football greater again.

Big Zero 6

On Wednesday, Bears General Manager Ryan Pace did not rule anything out for the 2017 season. However, the indications are that the Bears are ready to move on from Cutler. The Bears could address this issue as they have a top 5 pick in the first round of the draft, but none of the team’s options are terrific.

What are Jay Cutler’s future plans assuming he will no longer be in a Bears uniform? On Monday, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com reported that Cutler didn’t appear to shed light on his future after another season being on and off the field. One sign that many are pointing to in their belief that Cutler is done was that he did not show up to Halas Hall on Monday. Furthermore, if Cutler is gone, the team would only be hit with a $2 million cap as opposed to having to pay him $16 million.

“I know Jay’s a guy that can make the most of any situation,” guard Kyle Long, one of Cutler’s biggest supporters, said. “He’s a very positive guy. He’s been so supportive of me through all my ups and downs here in Chicago. I’ve seen him do it for so many guys. Him being injured right now can be tough on a guy, as it has been for me mentally. It’s really, really tough.”

Jay Cutler is a "tough son-of-a-gun" but injury-prone. He never has played more than 19 consecutive games as a Bear without getting hurt.

— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) December 1, 2016

There hasn’t been a more polarizing figure in Chicago sports in the last 8 years than Cutler, but while many want him gone, what is their replacement plan? Matt Barkley was behind center to end the season but didn’t do quite enough to prove himself to earn a promotion this quickly.

While Cutler has frustrated Bears fans more than pleasing them, he has had a couple solid seasons that many have completely forgotten about. Barkley is under a one-year $675,000 contract. In 2016, Barkley threw 8 touchdowns and 14 interceptions appearing in 7 games.

The next question and the main question that looms over the team is: who will be the Bears quarterback in 2017? One strategy the team could do is bring Cutler back for one season that could bring a smoother transition from Cutler to either Barkley or someone who may not be on the team’s radar. One of those possibilities is Patriots back up Jimmy Garoppolo with Tom Brady not slowing down. Garoppolo has only started 3 games in two seasons and could be exposed as the next Brock Osweiler. Another option is to make second string quarterback Brian Hoyer as a transitional starter.

Some contend that drafting a quarterback in the first round is the safest way to mitigate what has been a long-term issue. It is important to put some context into this Jay Cutler saga. As much of a liability Cutler has been for the team, his offensive line has never been able to protect him and that is a major problem. Even Peyton Manning and Tom Brady would be average quarterbacks if either were surrounded by a sub par offensive line.

The Bears have to be extremely careful and take some time to weigh their options. As much as the fans despise Cutler, the team do not have a viable transition plan in the event Cutler is not on the team. Pleasing fans is something to not take for granted but, considering the team does not have any good options, keeping Cutler seems to be the lesser of two evils at the moment.