Geez, back when we invited FSU and Miami we thought the conference was up. The conference was very good in 2016, but since then it’s been us and nobody.
And now Cal, Stanford, and SMU are nice schools, but they do basically nothing for the football landscape. Something needs to change. Can’t stay as-is that’s all I know.
The "U" still gets so much hype because of "who they were". Much like Michigan, before Harbaugh got there and they actually deserved the praise thrown on them. Penn State is another school in that category. Same with a few others who haven't done much of anything in recent years.
Yet, the talking heads of CFB hype them up as much as possible when ever possible. Dang shame really.
They still actually recruit well despite having done "boo boo" for years. No real stadium of their own. Their fanbase is mostly people who remember "how it use to be".
All of that to bounce off of and say to the Tigers fans who panic because we don't get every single best player around. Be patient. Wait for it. Name recognition will keep Clemson in the minds of those who know CFB for a long period of time. Miami hasn't won a National Championship since 2001 and played for it in 2002. But, they still get the benefit of the doubt and the hype.