Who is best in the Atlantic Division?

[Hawkinole]

Who is best in the Atlantic Division? Gosh I dunno. Hope y'all do know!

[Drew4UTk]

I never thought i'd say this, but there are three really good teams in that lineup. 

-Louisville
-FSU
-Clemson

If I had to choose, that is how I'd plant them and in that order- but it is sooooo close it isn't hardly worth picking.  Louisville has a dynamic offense and was a few mistakes out last year- which could be attributed to age/experience of the hiesman winner.

FSU is rounded top to bottom and easily a top ten team.

Clemson, by my reckoning, and strange to say is the most suspect of the three... yeah, reigning champions and two years at the very top- but.... i just don't know how well they'll translate success to swagger, and translate it instead to arrogance, which almost cost them (and did once) several times last season.  when they play hungry? well, they're still in this conversation because of that attribute, imHo.

[Hawkinole]

Drew,

You didn't vote that way, if you did vote.

I appreciate your comments. I traveled to Louisville 2x (my daughter had tumbling meets there a few years ago as a child). It is the most God forsaken town. I don't know how they can get recruits. But, somehow they built quite a football team the past decade or so.

[betarhoalphadelta]

I always look at this as a combination of two things.

1) Can they recruit at an elite level?
2) Is the coach an elite-level coach?

FSU in my opinion has the best claim at both. I don't think Louisville can recruit anywhere near FSU's level, and Clemson has 5-year recruiting ranking of 12th, but FSU is 5th. Petrino hasn't sold me as an elite coach yet, but I think both Fisher and Dabo can argue they are.

To me, recruiting leaves Louisville out of it even with a returning Heisman winner. And I'll give the edge to FSU over Clemson based on the fact that Clemson has to replace Deshaun Watson.

[Hawkinole]

Sadly, Jimbo Fisher is no Bobby Bowden, at least not in personality.

Being an FSU alum I sometimes listen to his coach speak, and about 10% of his words are lost on me, and I think lost on him and his audience. It is hard to follow him. I don't know how this guy has done it, other than by recruiting sheer talent, and perhaps good assistants. They have had some talented players.

[CWSooner]

Interesting discussion in light of subsequent events.

[ftbobs]

Interesting discussion in light of subsequent events.

However were you able to find this thread among all the others in this forum?

[Cincydawg]

He looked.

[Hawkinole]

Interesting discussion in light of subsequent events.

I had a bad feeling about Fisher since the national championship year, because although, as an attorney, I viewed the rape allegations against Jameis Winston as near impossible to prove, Fisher's unquestioning support of Winston put a very young female student in a light that could have resulted in him being removed as coach. The coach's job is not to adjudicate disputes between students. I think it was okay for him to keep Winston on the team in view of the legal problems with her claims. But his support of Winston in the media over an event he was not a witness to, and didn't hear all the evidence concerning, were attacks on that girl. His job was coach, not public adjudicator. I question his social intelligence, and understanding of what his role is as a coach.
If you ever listen to a Fisher press conference, he is near incomprehensible. I miss 10% of his words and about about 35% of his meaning. He relied upon very talented athletes, and talented assistant coaches.
I am happy Fisher left FSU. Texas A & M attracts good recruits; Fisher may survive 5-years. I don't want him on the campus of one of my alma maters.