Phillips Very hypocritical Towards Clemson, Florida State

During his opening statement at ACC Football Kickoff last Monday, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips highlighted the league’s success as part of the four-team College Football Playoff, as the sport transitions to the 12-team playoff this year.

“Over the 10-year history of the four-team CFP, we have won the second most national titles, and we’re only one of two conferences to have a .500 or better winning percentage in CFP games,” he said.

He is correct.

The ACC is tied with the Big Ten for the second most national championships in the four-team CFP. Each conference won two national championships. Only the SEC had more.

He is correct.

The ACC was 6-5 during the four-team playoff era, only the SEC was better.

However, what Phillips failed to share about the ACC’s success in the College Football Playoff came from one team. Only one school from the ACC won a CFP game. Only one school from the ACC played in four national championship games and only one ACC school won a national championship.

Also, the ACC was represented by just two schools in the four-team CFP.

All of the ACC’s success during the four-team CFP era came from Clemson, while Florida State was the other school to earn a playoff spot.

It’s kind of ironic that earlier in his same opening speech, Phillips was ripping Clemson and Florida State. Saying their civil suits against the ACC were “extremely damaging, disruptive, and incredibly harmful to the league, as well as overshadowing our student-athletes and the incredible successes taking place on the field and within the conference.”

I am not doubting Clemson’s and Florida State’s lawsuits to leave the league are not damaging to the conference.

However, it is kind of hypocritical of Phillips on one hand to praise the use of Clemson’s and Florida State’s success, while saying “we”, like everyone is singing Kumbaya at the proverbial campfire. Then on the other hand, he is taking Dabo’s ROY bus and running over Clemson and Florida State with it.

If I was Jim Phillips, and I know he is just trying to take up for the league and the other 16 member institutions, I would be a little more careful. Football is the money driver in collegiate athletics, and it has been for quite some time.

The ACC has finally learned that, and I have to say Phillips has been pressing that issue to member schools to understand since he came on board three years ago.

However, when your two most successful football programs in the CFP era are threatening to leave the league and are suing for such, I would be a little sensitive to the issue and listen to what I am saying.

Without Clemson and Florida State, the ACC does not have a leg to stand on in the new world order of college athletics. And it could be the next power conference to fall, similar to the Big East 20 years ago and the Pac-12 from last year.