ACC Commissioner John Swaford last weekend dismissed the notion that Clemson and Notre Dame provided a way to secure their college football playoff chances, saying the ESPN complaint was “pretty empty”.
SEC Commissioner Greg Changi has criticized the ACC’s decision to offer an open date to both teams a week before the ACC Championship game, based on a change in its league schedule as a result of several delays.
To date, both Clemson and Notre Dame have played in a total of 10 games. This is the same number of Alabama and Florida playing Saturday in the SEC Championship game. As of last weekend, the ACC has played 85 of 96 scheduled games. No league has ever played so many games like the ACC.
“I don’t think there’s anyone else I know who has played more games than Clemson and Notre Dame. Of course there aren’t more games than ACC, so I’m very bored,” Schwartz told ESPN. “We look at our league and we don’t care too much about the other leagues. We look at what we think is appropriate and appropriate for the ACC. It’s not even a defense; it’s simply an explanation, because both teams play our championship game in any form. Or do not need to be protected in form.
“We are in an epidemic and people are doing their best for the players to play as much as they can and finish a season in a healthy way. It is clear that we are lucky enough that ACC and anyone in the country can do that. There are some important things going on in the world, and we care. It’s very frustrating to have to take or try to create a problem. “
Notre Dame started playing Wake Forest on December 12, due to corona virus issues with Irish fighting in a re-scheduled game from September. The Tigers did not want to return to Tallahassee to play in Florida on November 21. It was postponed a few hours before the kickoff due to a disagreement among their respective medical staff over whether it was safe to play, and the ACC did not go to force Clemson to return. It is also important to point out that Virginia did not have the ACC reconsider its game against Florida, which was also canceled on Sports Day after the Cavaliers’ trip to Tallahassee.
Therefore, the league decided that the three teams in dispute at the time would decide who would play in the conference title game based on the nine game schedules, rather than playing Notre Dame when Clemson took over the weekend. The defeated Notre Dame took first place. When Clemson defeated the Virginia deck on December 5, it took its place against the fighting Irish.
“It was a very simple decision, in fact, we adjusted some schedules throughout the year and we knew we would continue to do that,” Swoford said. “We decided to analyze three more teams for a championship based on the same number of games within the conference, which is nine, so it’s a very simple decision as to who joined your championship game. The teams won them there in our championship game.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney dismissed the complaints on Sunday, saying, “If the ACC is really trying to defend Clemson and Notre Dame, why do we even play one game this week? Shouldn’t people take you there? “
In terms of the number of wins required and the debate surrounding the Ohio State and college football playoffs, Schwartz is not as vocal as Swinney, Changi or others.
“That decision was made several months ago by the CFP, and I think it was an epidemic decision,” Swoford said. “It was a tough call, it was now, but like I said before, it’s been an extraordinary year. Everyone tried to get it by making the best decisions they could, so we’re moving forward.”
As to whether Clemson and Notre Dame deserve to be in the playoffs if Clemson wins on Saturday and both teams end in defeat, Schwart said, “I do, without question. I’m not on the selection committee, but if I do, I’ll see it that way.”