ESPN College Football

The past few months have been filled with talk of a playoff, or at least something resembling a playoff that the men in charge don't want to call a playoff.

Either way, college football's postseason has never been this close to changing since the birth of the BCS more than a decade ag0.

So, what does the old postseason think?

Colleague Ryan McGee asked around the bowls for their take .

So what are they thinking as they read and hear the playoff comments? Are they confident about the future? Terrified? Indifferent?

"We are absolutely watching what's going on. Always have been," says Rick Catlett, president of the Gator Bowl Association. "But I also think that anyone in this business knows that there's not a whole lot we can do about it. We are in constant contact with the conference commissioners, the people who will ultimately make the decisions about the future of the game. But honestly, we don't have a lot of influence."

The 16-year leader of college football's sixth-oldest bowl game doesn't say this with a tone of fear or foreboding. Neither did the other half-dozen bowl executives I chatted with this week (on and off the record). No one mentioned extinction. Instead, they concede a curiosity as to where and how they will fit in to whatever format is adopted.

Lots of interesting stuff. You'll need Insider to read it all, but it's worth checking out.

You'd never know it's the offseason ...

• The Big East might be open to discussions about Pitt and Cuse joining the ACC in 2013.
• FSU has reached out to more than 50 schools, but so far has come up empty in replacing West Virginia on the schedule.
• One thing we do know is that Georgia Tech will play BYU.
• Injuries could have been a blessing in disguise for Bud Foster's defense last year.
• UNC coach Larry Fedora lured in a wide receiver who wants to major in journalism. Sounds like a good combo.
• Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris wants his players to be tougher, meaner and more physical.
• Clemson is working on extending coach Dabo Swinney's contract.
• Maryland's first commitment of 2013 is excited about the Terps' future.

There has been much speculation recently about the possibility of a Labor Day matchup between Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, though nothing has been officially announced and the ACC schedule is still not out (you can thank West Virginia for that, ACC fans).

Some reports have said that the possibility is more appealing to Virginia Tech than Georgia Tech, while others toe the line on exactly who that matchup might favor. Last November, Virginia Tech beat Georgia Tech, 37-26, and the Jackets struggled to bring down the Hokies' lumberjack quarterback, Logan Thomas, who accounted for three passing and two rushing touchdowns.

One thing is clear -- Georgia Tech's players have no fear of the meaningful early game.

"No ma'am," said Georgia Tech safety Isaiah Johnson. "We amped, we pumped."

Johnson said they haven't heard anything official on it, though.

"There’s been rumors of it," he said. "We’re excited, to tell you the truth. That will be a good one. Last year, with how that turned out, we weren’t too proud about that."

It shouldn't be too much longer until we find out the official word on what the league schedule looks like. West Virginia's last-minute bail-out on Florida State put the Noles in a bind and they're scrambling now to fill the open date. There simply aren't a lot of options available. My guess for the best-case scenario is we see the schedule sometime next week.

I know, I know, you're amped. You're pumped. You're not the only one.

It’s time to review some of the highs and lows from the ACC bowl season (there were highlights, I swear) …

Best performance: NC State cornerback David Amerson had two interceptions in a 31-24 win over Louisville in the Belk Bowl. He broke the ACC single-season record, and also moved into a tie for second place in FBS history for single-season interceptions with 13. The Pack were leading 24-10 in the third quarter when Amerson’s 65-yard interception return for a touchdown broke the record. His second interception late in the game moved him into a tie for second place in FBS history.

Best offensive performance in a losing effort: Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas. He outplayed Michigan’s Denard Robinson in every phase but the scoreboard. He threw for 214 yards and ran for 53. He also had an impressive 13-yard scramble on fourth-and-11. In his first season as a starter, Thomas finished with 3,482 yards of total offense, breaking Tyrod Taylor’s school record, which was set in 2010.

Best team defensive performance: Florida State. The Noles held the Irish scoreless for two quarters, and forced three turnovers, all interceptions.

Best defensive game plan: Virginia Tech. Michigan was in disarray, and Bud Foster had a lot to do with that. Fitzgerald Toussaint was held to just 30 rushing yards, and quarterback Denard Robinson had just 13 rushing yards. Nobody scored on the ground, and Michigan was just 4-of-13 on third-down conversions.

Best on-the-job training: Florida State’s offensive line. The Noles started four freshmen against Notre Dame, and they gave up five sacks, but they also grew up right before our eyes and looked much better in the second half.

Best quote: “I don't care what people think. I made a decision what was best for this football team going forward. When I made the decision and weighing all options and looking at the talent this kid has I knew we would have a quarterback. I don't have to feel vindicated by anybody. … But he helped [vindicate] me." -- NC State coach Tom O’Brien on replacing Russell Wilson with Mike Glennon, who was named the MVP of the Belk Bowl with three touchdowns.

Worst defensive performance. None other than the 70 points Clemson allowed, of course. Most. Points. Ever. In any bowl game. Ever.

Worst moment: The look of devastation on Danny Coale’s face when his would-be 20-yard touchdown catch in overtime was overturned by the replay officials and ruled incomplete.

Worst officiating: The Allstate Sugar Bowl. Take your pick. There were plenty of questionable calls in that game, but the most controversial was probably Coale’s negated touchdown catch. Whether it was a catch or not isn’t the point. Instead, there didn’t seem to be enough indisputable video evidence to overturn the original call of a touchdown.

Worst stat: The ACC dropped to 2-13 in BCS bowls.

Worst stat II: The ACC was outscored by 74 points in its bowl games.

Worst effort: North Carolina played like its coach had one foot out the door. Oh wait, never mind. … Missouri racked up 31 points in the first half. UNC had the ACC’s second-best rushing defense and allowed Missouri 337 rushing yards while UNC had 36.

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. Not here in the ACC blog. We like the cold, hard truth. And this time, it hurts. Here’s a look at what we learned during bowl season:

1. The ACC hit rock bottom. As David Teel of the Daily Press put it, if a 2-6 bowl record punctuated by Clemson’s disaster in the Discover Orange Bowl isn’t rock bottom for the ACC, “the conference is in serious trouble.” This bowl season was an embarrassing finish for the ACC, as it was the league’s fifth straight losing postseason. It went 0-for-2 in BCS bowls and dropped to an abysmal 2-13 overall in BCS bowls.

2. It takes more than the BCS bowl bids to earn clout. For the first time in the history of the BCS, the ACC had two teams play in BCS bowls. And it didn’t matter. Not when it comes to national respect. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Clemson made the wrong kind of history in the Orange Bowl, allowing the most points by any team in any bowl ever, and Virginia Tech once again came up short on the big stage, losing 23-20 to Michigan in overtime in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The league’s continued failures at the BCS level are more ammunition for those who oppose automatic bids and will make bowl officials think twice about another at-large opportunity for the ACC.

3. NC State is on the rise again. For the second straight season, NC State finished with a bowl win and with higher expectations heading into the offseason. The Pack finished the 2010 season in similar fashion, with a bowl win against West Virginia (um, yeah, that team Clemson lost to?) and ranked in the top 25 of the Associated Press poll. This season, they beat Louisville and finished on a hot streak heading into the offseason again. If NC State can stay healthy, it could be a surprise team in the ACC race.

4. Georgia Tech’s bowl losing streak continues. The Jackets lost their seventh straight bowl game, and the defense had a little something to do with it. Georgia Tech squandered a 14-point lead before losing in overtime to Utah, and got beat on a fourth-and-14 play that tied the game in regulation. Georgia Tech has yet to win a bowl game under coach Paul Johnson, and it has to be driving him mad.

5. The Everett Withers era ended with a thud. It was an easy win for Missouri, which ran all over North Carolina’s defense in lopsided 41-24 win. The Tigers scored 31 points in the first half, and it didn’t seem as if the Tar Heels even noticed. Larry Fedora was hired before Withers had a chance to leave, and UNC played as if the season was already over.

It's possible that I may have -- ahem -- possibly (cough, cough) given the ACC too much credit this bowl season.

Yes, me, the one you guys are always saying never gives the ACC enough credit.

Well I was trapped. Duped. Lured into believing that Georgia Tech could handle Utah. Fooled into thinking that Virginia stood a chance against Auburn and that Wake Forest could surprise Mississippi State. Convinced that Clemson by God could beat West Virginia.

Silly me.

I projected a 6-2 bowl record this year, with losses by Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Turns out it was 2-6. HD KOD? Possibly. Typical ACC? More likely. But here's the thing, guys: Those predictions -- that's what you should have expected. That's what you should continue to expect. Georgia Tech should not have blown a 14-point lead. Wake Forest should not have lost when winning the turnover battle 4-0. Those two games right there flip and suddenly at the very worst the ACC is looking at a 4-4 bowl record.

It's easy, though, to give the ACC too much credit. It happens almost every preseason.

Florida State, Clemson and Miami always load up on big-time recruits. NC State has developed a reputation for finishing the season strong under coach Tom O'Brien. Virginia Tech is always expected to be a contender. There are plenty of reasons to keep the expectations high.

Maybe it's not a matter of giving the league too much credit, rather it's a problem with the league failing to reach its potential.

MIAMI -- There is being disrespected. And then there is the Big East.

Er, the Big Least.

The league everybody wants to diss and dismiss. The league that does not deserve its automatic qualifying status. The league that nobody wants to invite to the party.

As much as the ACC has stunk up nearly every one of its BCS games, it is the Big East that gets derisively mocked. It is the Big East that does not belong. It is the Big East without a marquee national team.

Consider what happened Wednesday night.

No Big East team has been embarrassed in a BCS game the way West Virginia embarrassed Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl. What was supposed to be an offensive shootout certainly was on the West Virginia side of the field. Clemson delivered duds in the form of turnovers, missed tackles and blown assignments.

The Mountaineers turned a first-quarter deficit into a rout behind a 35-point spree in the second period, scoring often and at will in a 70-33 victory. No team has ever scored that many points in a bowl game. Quarterback Geno Smith teamed with nationally unheralded Tavon Austin to shred the Tigers. Smith, named the game's MVP, set a BCS and Orange Bowl record with six touchdown passes, and set an Orange Bowl record with 401 yards passing.

Know which quarterbacks he surpassed? A couple guys named Matt Leinart and Tom Brady. Not bad for Smith. Or West Virginia. Or the Big East, guaranteed to finish with a winning bowl record. Come to think of it, the Big East will have a winning bowl record in six consecutive seasons.

But before we get carried away with this Big East redemption story, there is one little problem.

West Virginia is headed out the door for the Big 12. So is this a West Virginia story, or a Big East story? Can it be both, with so much bad blood between the two?

It absolutely should be, for one final glorious night.

Just ask West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, who sounds just as perturbed as a perpetually disregarded fan base when asked about the bad rap the Big East gets, and whether this win says anything about his league.

"I've only been there a year, I know, but West Virginia has won three BCS games in the last six years, which is a pretty good track record," Holgorsen said. "West Virginia has been in the Big East for the last six years, last time I checked. So I think that's a pretty good track record.

"Then going through the Big East schedule one year, we had some pretty tough games. We lost a couple of those, and then the ones that we won were tough. So the product at West Virginia was out there. There was a lot of teams in the Big East that gave us all we wanted."

Clemson -- not so much. It is not lost on many Big East fans that West Virginia has more BCS wins (three) than the entire ACC (two). But again, the same sentiment follows -- what happens to this league when its best representative finally leaves?

Teams like Cincinnati, Connecticut and Louisville have played on this stage, but none impressed the way the Mountaineers did on Wednesday night. There was no doubting which team had the best quarterback, and the best wide receiver. National pundits wanted to talk Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins. Nobody wanted to talk Smith and Austin.

So yes, even though West Virginia is about to bid adieu, this team feels just as disrespected as everybody else in the Big East. The players saw that few national media members picked them to win. In an ESPN SportsNation poll, 73 percent of the country picked Clemson to win.

"That was huge for me," said Austin, who finished with a BCS and Orange Bowl record four touchdown catches and 280 all-purpose yards. "Me and Devon Brown were in the hotel, and it's the first time I'd seen it. I kind of got mad and turned the TV off and went to sleep. Coach Holgorsen got us together in our meeting and told us just to believe in ourselves and believe in the people in this room, and that's what we did. We bought into what he said, and we got the job done."

Let's just throw around the disrespect card a little bit more. All three Big East co-champions were underdogs going into their bowl games: NC State was favored to beat Louisville; Vanderbilt was favored to beat Cincinnati; and Clemson was favored to beat West Virginia.

The Cardinals faltered. But West Virginia and Cincinnati finished with identical 10-3 records as the two best teams in the Big East. These two teams have been tied together since Nov. 12, when West Virginia beat the Bearcats 24-21 after knocking starting quarterback Zach Collaros out for the rest of the regular season. That win ultimately decided the BCS representative in this game; Collaros returned to guide the Big East to yet another win over the SEC. You can understand why a few Cincinnati players were a bit salty on Twitter while they watched West Virginia dismantle the Tigers.

No word on whether commissioner John Marinatto felt just as salty. To root or not to root had to be the question. There is resentment and bitterness on both sides, but the Big East absolutely needed to have one of its teams deliver this type of performance on a national stage.

Even if it is one that is saying goodbye.

Heather Dinich and Andrea Adelson wrap up West Virginia's win over Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Heather Dinich talks with tight end Dwayne Allen about Clemson's future and his future.

MIAMI – You want to be first in line at the movies?

Stand behind Clemson’s defense, they’ll let you in.

First through the door at the Esso?

Don’t worry, Clemson’s defense will hold it open for you. And you might want to stay a while after watching the Tigers in Wednesday night’s 70-33 beatdown by West Virginia in the Discover Orange Bowl. If you watched more than three quarters, you lasted longer than most of the Clemson fans in Sun Life Stadium, which cleared out faster than a middle school during a fire drill.

Embarrassed isn’t the right word, said defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.

“Ass-kicked,” he said. “Excuse my language.”

The language can be excused. It was Clemson’s performance that was insulting.

The ACC champions. The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year. And the most points ever scored by a team in any bowl game. Ever.

“It’s probably as bad a defensive performance as I’ve seen in a long, long, time,” said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. “It’s incredibly disappointing.”

Just when you think the Tigers put it all together, they fall apart. Fine. We’re used to that. After an 8-0 start this season, Clemson lost three of its last four regular season games. It’s not unusual for Clemson to follow a stellar performance like the one in the ACC title game with a flop like the loss to NC State.

But this one – this one was a monumental fail, even by Clemson’s standards. It wasn’t just an embarrassment for the school and the program, but also for the ACC. Thanks to Clemson, West Virginia alone now has more BCS wins (three) than the entire ACC (two). With the loss, the ACC finished its bowl season with a forgettable 2-6 record and an 0-2 record in BCS bowls. The ACC was supposed to celebrate and bask in the achievement of having two teams qualify for BCS bowls for the first time in history. Instead, those two games made ACC fans cringe.

Don’t confuse Clemson’s debacle with Virginia Tech’s loss to Michigan, though. This was nothing like what happened to the Hokies in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, or even last year against Stanford in the Discover Orange Bowl. That was the ACC getting kicked in the shins. This was the ACC getting pantsed.

“Am I embarrassed?” said quarterback Tajh Boyd, “definitely. I’ve never been a part of, never actually been on that side of getting beat like that.”

“You have to be slightly embarrassed because we know we’re better than that,” said defensive end Andre Branch. “For someone to say they’re not embarrassed is kind of false.”

And Clemson’s defense “kind of” allowed quarterback Geno Smith 427 yards of total offense – just 16 yards shy of what Clemson’s offense totaled as a team.

Clemson had five weeks to prepare for this game. It looked like they practiced for five days – against T.L. Hannah High. Clemson hadn’t been to the Orange Bowl in 30 years, and it will be another 30 before it returns unless the defense makes drastic improvements.

“We’ve got to do a better job and it’s my responsibility,” Steele said. “I take responsibility for it. In this business, you stand in the paint, take your shots and get better. It’s what you do.”

After allowing 589 yards of total offense, seven touchdowns in seven trips to the red zone, and 49 first-half points, Clemson’s defense was more effective in paving the way for the Mountaineers than West Virginia’s offensive line. The Mountaineers were 10 of 16 on third-down conversions.

“We just got outplayed, point-blank, period,” said Branch. “They just out-executed us and made more plays than we did.”

The offense, with its four turnovers, didn’t exactly help matters.

You want to be the first out of Sun Life Stadium on Wednesday night?

So did Clemson.

Rece Davis, Lou Holtz and Mark May break down West Virginia's historic 70-33 victory over Clemson.

MIAMI -- West Virginia beat Clemson 70-33 in the Discover Orange Bowl on Wednesday night, putting up an NCAA record for points scored in a bowl game. Here is a quick instant analysis:

How the game was won: The second quarter. West Virginia went on a scoring blitz, thanks to its impressive and opportunistic defense. Darwin Cook got the spree started when he picked up an Andre Ellington fumble and returned it 99 yards -- the longest defensive score in school bowl history. It was the fourth defensive score of the year for the Mountaineers, the most since 2007. After that turnover, it was all downhill for the Tigers -- who turned the ball over a total of three times in the second quarter. West Virginia turned that into 21 points, and when halftime came the Mountaineers had outscored Clemson 35-3 in the period.

Turning point: That Cook fumble recovery changed everything. Clemson was down 21-17 and about to go in for the go-ahead score. Instead, Ellington fumbles and Clemson did not get a touchdown again until late in the third quarter. That one turnover brought Clemson's momentum to a halt and had a snowball effect. The Tigers simply could not get out of their own way.

Stat of the game: Hard to top the incredible bowl-record 70 points the Mountaineers scored. Consider this: West Virginia scored a TOTAL of 75 points in its final three games.

Player of the game: West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin. The best, most versatile player on the field, Austin finished with four receiving touchdowns, a career, Orange Bowl and BCS record. That also tied the record for all bowl games. He ran the ball, he caught the ball, he returned the ball to the tune of over 280 yards in yet another stunning display of his speed and escapability. Folks in the Big East knew all about his talents. Hopefully the entire nation knows as well.

Unsung hero of the game: West Virginia defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. Clemson ran up and down his defense, scoring touchdowns on two big plays and taking a 17-14 lead after the first quarter. It appeared a shootout would be in order. But the Tigers scored 16 points the remainder of the game, and the defense created four turnovers -- including its third score in the past four games. Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins were completely shackled and ineffective after that opening period. Speculation has swirled about Casteel's future in Morgantown, so if this was indeed his last game with the Mountaineers, it was his best of the season.

What Clemson learned: It's not so easy being the ACC rep in a BCS game. The league moved to 2-13 in BCS bowls, including 0-2 this season. It's one thing for Virginia Tech to be the punching bag because it has represented the league so many times in BCS games, but no ACC team has ever been embarrassed this badly in a BCS game. It's one thing to lose. It's another to give up a bowl record for points scored. This is a young team, and will have every opportunity to bounce back from this loss. But it's going to be a stinging offseason.

What West Virginia learned: This team has one heck of a future in the Big 12. The Mountaineers showed they can score with the best of them, and their bowl record for points scored just surpassed the 67 points future conference partner Baylor put up in the Alamo Bowl against Washington. Geno Smith and nearly every skill player returns on offense, and Dana Holgorsen won 10 games in his first season as a head coach. It's also West Virginia's first 10-win season since 2007.

Record performance: Where to begin? You already saw the scoring record. Geno Smith had a career-high six touchdown passes, breaking an Orange Bowl and BCS record, held by USC quarterback Matt Leinart against Oklahoma in 2005. His 401 passing yards also set an Orange Bowl record, surpassing Michigan quarterback Tom Brady, who had 369 against Alabama in 2000.

MIAMI -- West Virginia blew open the Discover Orange Bowl against Clemson with a huge second quarter and leads 49-20 at halftime. Here is a quick first-half analysis.

Turning point: Easy. Clemson running back Andre Ellington was going in for the go-ahead touchdown from the 3-yard line when he fumbled in the middle of a huge scrum. West Virginia safety Darwin Cook picked up the ball and ran 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Mountaineers a 28-17 lead and send all the momentum the Tigers had to a screeching halt. That was the first drive of the game that the Tigers failed to score, and they managed only a field goal the rest of the way.

Stat of the half. 69. The teams set an Orange Bowl and BCS record for total points in a half. The previous record for the Orange Bowl: 48. West Virginia's 49 points in the first half were the most scored by any team in any bowl game ever.

Best player in the half: West Virginia all-everything man Tavon Austin. With three touchdown receptions and 158 total yards, Austin has been everywhere on the field. He has touches as a receiver, running back and kickoff returner, and has been incredibly hard for Clemson to tackle.

What Clemson needs to do: Ask for a do over. The Tigers had three turnovers that led to 21 West Virginia points in the second quarter. They actually ended the quarter with three turnovers on their final four possessions. The Ellington fumble was an absolute killer and essentially began their nightmarish second quarter.

What West Virginia needs to do: Continue to be aggressive. This defense has come to life in the past four games, and now has defensive scores in three of their past four games. This team is playing inspired football right now, and is absolutely dominating in every area. It is an understatement to say this is the team's best game of the year, on the biggest stage of the year.

MIAMI -- Clemson left tackle Phillip Price is out of the game with a knee injury and won't return, according to an announcement here in the press box. Price is a redshirt senior. Brandon Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, is his backup.

MIAMI -- Hello, offense! We have been expecting you.

Clemson and West Virginia were locked in the expected fireworks show in the highest-scoring first quarter ever of the Discover Orange Bowl. Clemson running back Andre Ellington opened the scoreing on a 68-yard run right up the middle of the West Virginia defense. Linebacker Jared Barber could not get off a block, and Darwin Cook took a bad angle for a tackle -- and Ellington was off for the third-longest run in Orange Bowl history.

Then it was Shawne Alston with a 4-yard touchdown run to get West Virginia on the board. True freshman Andrew Buie had the highlight on the drive, when he rolled over the back of would-be tackler Rashard Hall without allowing his knee to touch the ground.

Sammy Watkins answered with a 27-yard touchdown reception of his own later in the quarter -- marking the first time this season the West Virginia defense has given up multiple scores of 20-plus yards in a game. The touchdown also was the Tigers' 56th of the season, a new school record.

Then it was time for Tavon Austin, who scored on a 5-yard run. Austin, who came to West Virginia as a running back, is being used plenty out of the backfield -- he already has three carries for 25 yards and a score -- with Dustin Garrison on the sideline.

The longest scoring drive of the four in the first quarter belongs to West Virginia: Two minutes, 39 seconds. Each team has a touchdown drive that lasted under 2 minutes. Yup, this one has the feel of the back-and-forth shootout we all expected.