Too many of y'all sound like you'd rather play the University of North Texas (6-6) just so we could get a bowl win, and an 8-5 season. Like this ISU team is crap, and isn't very good.
On the contrary... Despite our 7-5 record, this is still a very good football team. And I'm sure they'd rather face Clemson. And it would be a great matchup and a close game, I can almost bet on that. I'd much rather have the chance to beat a name brand.
If we wanted a better record, we had plenty of chances during the season. It is what it is. Now it's bowl season. One game. Let's get it. Clemson.
In a word, no. It has nothing to do with not thinking this team is good and realizing the reality of who we are. We don't have an elite offensive line. We don't have elite skill players to keep their safeties out of the box,.... and they have an elite defense.
We are a good team yes but its hard to call the 7-5 record a fluke because the problems that persisted much of the season didn't seem to totally be fixed (starting slow, etc). Its one thing to have faith and belief that we're a good team and bleed Cardinal and gold... its another to have blinders on and not acknowledge the possibility that a matchup with Clemson results in a Mack Truck going down a one way road.
as you say, we had chances to prove to have a better record during the season. we are who we are. and that's a solid, good football team. maybe we do compete with Clemson and we're all wrong, thats a possibility. but if you're asking what team has the greatest possible "I'm gonna beat you A" game that we might play? That answer is most certainly Clemson
------------
lol, no. playing the big boys is not what elevates programs. Winning, conference titles, winning meaningful bowl games, recruiting well, etc... that's what elevates programs.
If playing the big boys is what elevated programs than Duke, and Vanderbilt would be great programs since Vandy gets to play Florida, Georgia , and sometimes LSU / Alabama every single season. Rutgers would be amazing because they play Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State every single year.
Winning is what elevates programs. Playing the "big boys" and losing does very little. Had Oregon curbed stomped us in the Fiesta Bowl that would have not meant much but the fact that we won... that mattered. And how did we get there? By winning games. Winning is by far the main that elevates your program. You win, you go to better bowls, you play better teams and than maybe you win some more. It comes down to W's.
Do we have a chance against Clemson? Sure, there's a chance. there's just also a huge BUT that exists that it feels like is being ignored. If you're some kid thinking about colleges in a year or two and you see a team get blown out versus a bigger name school - do you think man, it was cool they got to play them or , man, that was a bad matchup?
