Dave Doeren: 'It's on me to prepare them better'

I've been trying to imagine how unpleasant it must be for a coach to start a postgame press conference right after his team just had the snot smacked out of it. Seems like the it would be a bit awkward on those occasions--do coaches walk into those rooms and feel a sense of pity coming from the assembled media? Is there a stadium staffer there for hugs and moral support as necessary?

Dave Doeren probably could have used a hug Saturday night but managed to make his way through the postgame Q&A anyhow. There aren't really any answers for anything in a game like Saturday's other than "they are much better" since the sort of comprehensive breakdown in question has to be due in some part to inexplicable human-assed shit. Stinkin' flawed humans; can't trust them for nothin'.

Doeren said he thought the Pack was ready for Clemson and the environment; instead, they looked just like the terrified bunch that got run out of Doak Campbell in 2013. The Tigers' matchup advantages overwhelmed in a hope-killing avalanche.

"Our players didn't play as they needed to and obviously it's my job to get them ready so it's on me to prepare them better," Doeren said. "We had the crowd noise everyday in practice. I thought we had them prepared. We didn't."

Next time, I think the coaches should let Wil Baumann do all of the preparing. You didn't see Wil Baumann out there getting psyched out by a big crowd, now did you? Wil Baumann was totally locked in and ready to drop mortars on people. It is essential that he share his wisdom with the rest of this young group so that they are better equipped in the future to spare us from three hours of facepalms.