PRESS PICKS (Week 3): Has the transfer portal been a curse or a blessing for FSU, Clemson?
STAFF REPORT
Here is a thing about Dabo Swinney….
Someone (maybe Dan Patrick) called the Clemson head football coach “the flip phone of college football” (in reference to his disinterest in the transfer portal). Stuck in the mud, a guy fighting change and so forth.
Swinney’s ways make him an easy target.
So, if Swinney is a flip phone, what is Mike Norvell?
Since the portal became a thing, the Florida State head coach has loaded up on transfers every year and entering 2024, he had about two dozen on the roster.
Does that make Norvell “the new-and-improved walkie talkies?”
Here is an explanation of the metaphor - Swinney is old school but Norvell is attempting to do it the new way but getting less bang for his buck.
If you were like most children growing up in the 60s and 70s, you wanted a set of walkie-talkies. But not just any walkie-talkies. You wanted the kind with the Batman logo on it or Captain Marvel. Maybe Flash Gordon (if you are young, look it up).
Norvell got the Batman kind that looks like it came with a boomerang. But the signal only reaches about 50 feet. In a way, he fell for the logo and not the quality, at least this season. the added decoder set didn’t have the oomph that last year’s model had (aka great quarterback).
Swinney is a lot like his former college coach, Gene Stallings. When it comes to change, the two are hard-headed and typically unwilling to give up on the old ways. Yet both have championship rings to show for it.
In Swinney’s mind, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The problem - he seems to be the only one who believes it ain’t broke.
While many don’t agree with Swinney’s approach, there is a right way to this transfer business, and it’s been proven time and time, including at FSU where the Seminoles won the ACC title last year with a large contingent of transfer.But it’s still a roll of the dice. And, at the moment, the Seminoles just rolled snake-eyes.
This isn’t an all-call or a invitation song at church. You need to seek out the right players in the portal and, to some degree, approach with caution. Some might be easy (Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs comes to mind). Others might come with the pedigree but not the talent one would expect.
Swinney sees his roster as just what he needs to win the ACC, which he’s done and he will be the first to tell you how successful he is.
The only problem is he extended the expectations to include a national championship. He and the Tigers have won it twice in the last few years. Clemson fans expect it every year now, and who can blame them?
Swinney has the resume to hold on at Clemson without any worries of losing his job. Two national titles give him that cushion. How long that lasts depends on how well he does the new couple of years.
Norvell doesn’t have the liberty. FSU hasn’t won a national title since 2013. While they won the conference championship last year, the early “L’s” to start this season have fans howling. But what he does have is a new 10-year contract, thanks to the rumors of Alabama looking his way when Nick Saban retired.
The good news for both: thanks to a 12-team playoff, neither one is eliminated from playoff contention. Win the ACC and not only are they in, they get to sit out the first round.
How convenient. And you don’t need a decoder ring to figure that out.
2024 Standings (Last Week)
1. Wesley Lyle 21-8 (11-3) .724
2. Tim Gayle 20-9 (9-5) .690
3. Michael Butler 19-10 (9-5) .656
Graham Dunn 19-10 (9-5) .656
5. Rosie Langello 18-11 (9-5) .621
Lindsey Bonner 18-11 (9-5) .621
Barry McKnight 18-11 (10-4) .621
8. Rick Hendrick 17-12 (7-7) .586
Mike Peacock 17-12 (8-6) .586
10. Doug Amos 16-13 (7-7) .552
Wesley Lyle (River Region Sports & al.com)
21-8 (11-3) .724
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Stanhope Elmore
Tallassee at Munford - Munford
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Prattville
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Houston Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Billingsley
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Oklahoma St
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Northwestern
Tim Gayle (River Region Sports/Montgomery Independent)
20-9 (9-5) .690
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Julian
Tallassee at Munford - Tallassee
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Prattville
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Montgomery Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Billingsley
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Miss St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Oklahoma St
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Northwestern
Michael Butler (WTLS 106.9&94.7 FM/1300 AM/Tallassee Times)
19-10 (9-5) .656
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Julian
Tallassee at Munford - Tallassee
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Prattville
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Montgomery Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Autauga Academy
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Arkansas
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Duke
Graham Dunn (River Region Sports/WTLS/Voice of Alabama State Hornets)
19-10 (9-5) .656
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Julian
Tallassee at Munford - Tallassee
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Prattville
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Houston Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Billingsley
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Oklahoma St
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Northwestern
Rosie Langello (Sports Director - WSFA Ch. 12)
18-11 (9-5) .621
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Julian
Tallassee at Munford - Tallassee
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Oak Mountain
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Houston Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Autauga Academy
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - South Carolina
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - NC State
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Oklahoma St
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Duke
Lindsey Bonner (Sports Director - WAKA Ch. 8)
18-11 (9-5) .621
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Stanhope Elmore
Tallassee at Munford - Munford
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Oak Mountain
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Montgomery Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Billingsley
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Oklahoma St
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Duke
Barry McKnight (Voice of Troy Trojans)
8-7 (8-7) .533
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Julian
Tallassee at Munford - Munford
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Oak Mountain
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Montgomery Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Autauga Academy
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Troy
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Oklahoma St
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Duke
Rick Hendrick (WXFS 95.1 The Fox/PA Montgomery Biscuits)
17-12 (7-7) .586
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Stanhope Elmore
Tallassee at Munford - Munford
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Oak Mountain
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Montgomery Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Autauga Academy
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Oklahoma St
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Northwestern
Mike Peacock (River Region Sports)
17-12 (8-6) .586
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Stanhope Elmore
Tallassee at Munford - Tallassee
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Oak Mountain
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Montgomery Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Autauga Academy
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Arkansas
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Duke
Doug Amos (ESPN The Ticket)
16-13 (7-7) .552
Stanhope Elmore at P. Julian (Thur) - Julian
Tallassee at Munford - Munford
Prattville at Oak Mountain - Prattville
Houston Aca at Montgomery Aca - Houston Aca
Bullock County at St. James - St. James
Autauga Academy at Billingsley - Autauga Academy
South Florida at Alabama - Alabama
Cal at Auburn - Auburn
Troy at Memphis - Memphis
Texas at Michigan - Texas
South Carolina at Kentucky - Kentucky
NC State at Tennessee (Charlotte) - Tennessee
Miss St at Arizona St - Arizona St
Arkansas at Oklahoma St - Oklahoma St
Boise State at Oregon - Oregon
Duke at Northwestern - Duke