Way too early thoughts on the 2012 Schedule……

After muddling through some schedule changes with West Virginia dropping Florida State at the eleventh hour and Georgia Tech finding an acceptable opponent following their contest against Virginia Tech on Labor Day night the ACC released the 2012 ACC Football schedule. Coach Paul Johnson desired to play a Football Championship Division opponent instead of previously scheduled Middle Tennessee State. I would like to remind Coach Johnson that Virginia Tech played Boise State on Labor Day night and then after an emotional game, came out flat and lost their home opener against James Madison.

Ultimately that is neither here nor there, now that the issues have been worked out and we are ready for the 187 Days of pontificating to begin.

How the schedule shakes out, when you face certain opponents can mean more than returning personnel. Enough talk take a gander……

Date	Opponent	Location
September 1, 2012	Auburn	Atlanta/Georgia Dome
September 8, 2012	Ball State	Clemson
September 15, 2012	Furman	Clemson
September 22, 2012	Florida State	Tallahassee
September 29, 2012	Boston College	Chestnut Hill
October 6, 2012	Georgia Tech	Clemson
October 13, 2012	OPEN	OPEN
October 20, 2012	Virginia Tech	Clemson
October 25, 2012 (Thurs)	Wake Forest	Winston-Salem
November 3, 2012	Duke	Durham
November 10, 2012	Maryland	Clemson
November 17, 2012	NC State	Clemson
November 24, 2012	South Carolina	Clemson

Full disclosure my thoughts about the schedule will likely change more often than Mitt Romney’s views on social issues so bear with me if I lack consistency as we move through the offseason.

I am less than thrilled with the schedule. Back to back road trips to Florida State and Boston College, followed up with a home game against Georgia Tech, scares me to death. I guess you could compare it to the gauntlet the 2011 team faced last year but two of the three game are on the road instead of at home. I do like the bye week before Virginia Tech but, then four days later the team is off to Winston-Salem for a Thursday night game against Wake Forest. It should be noted that the Demon Deacons will be coming off a road game at Virginia. Clemson’s track record against Wake Forest at Groves Stadium, combined with a Thursday night is reason to cause concern.

I do like how the tail end of the schedule pans out with three home games. Depending on how things have played out following Duke, you have to feel good about playing at home against Maryland and NC State. The first six games will set the tone for the season in the same way the first five did for the 2011 campaign. Let the paralysis by analysis begin!!!

The logical fallacy of college football

In the aftermath of Wednesday night's debacle in Miami I have read a lot of dumb stuff written by so called experts in drawing a correlation on bowl performance and next season's performance along with the overall state of a program. I am not trying to convince anyone that what I witnessed from Clemson last night was pleasant or enjoyable but I do think people need to step back a minute.

I have heard a lot of people talk about the 2011 campaign as "disappointing" or "poor" this morning. I know emotions are often raw and just that full of emotion. To say that a 10-4 season for the Clemson Tigers is "poor" or "disappointing" chaps my ass to be frank. I will agree that the 2011 season was overshadowed at times with "poor" and "disappointing" performances. However, to paint the season as a whole in such a matter is shortsighted and disrespectful to the people who invested 1000s of hours into this season.

College football is driven prognostications. Those prognostications are as fleeting as meal cravings. On a week to week basis we all, myself included seek to make definitive judgement statements about a team or program based on one game performances. It's silly and juvenile to be honest. It is like a teenage boy who is in love with girl A one week, she disappoints him so he then hates her, finds girl B days later thinks she is the one who is going to be the one he goes steady with, then 4 weeks later, she finds another guy who has bigger muscles, you catch my drift.

We spend all offseason after schedules come out and say we are going to win this game, that game, there is no way we lose that one because we never lose to those guys. We make these grandiose predictions like our teams can be manipulated like figures on a video game. Just in case some of you out there were concerned, the guys on the field are not the same people that show up on your screen when you play NCAA Football on your gaming platform.

It goes back to September 2, 2011, the night before the first game of the season. If we were having a conversation that day and the football gods came to you and said, Clemson will go 10-4 win the ACC, look abysmal in their losses and get blown out in their bowl game, not many people I know would not have taken that reality and ran with it. 

We can now look back at a total work and draw conclusions but this team with 42 freshmen or sophomores on the roster, under the leadership of a first year starter at quarterback, new coordinator won 10 games and secured Clemson’s first conference title in 20 years. The sting of 70-33 will not go away quickly but this team had a really good year. I hate the fact that when we lost, we were defeated by an average of 24 points. It is head scratching but were you not head scratching when you in your late teens and early twenties?

I realize that people get paid a lot of money to make in the moment commentary. Sadly it is the culture we live in, who’s up, who’s down, who’s hot, who’s not, that is the reality that we face each day of our lives. I find it exhausting myself. Just because a dude that sells exceeds his sales number by 35% for eight consecutive months but then misses his sales quota September bounces back in October going above his number, misses his sales number in November and comes within 3% of hitting his sales goal in December. Is this a guy who should be fired? Has he had a “disappointing” or “poor” year? I would say not when you look at the total picture. 

I have said this in person to several people in the past “experts” put way too much emphasis or attempt to glean future success or failure based on bowl performances. Our friends in Tallahassee defeated South Carolina College in the Chik-fi-la Bowl last year, became the offseason media darlings, had a #5 preseason ranking and how did that workout? 

Wednesday night was terrible, believe me I was there in my seat till the bitter end. To categorize the season as a whole as a “disappointment” or “poor” just just wrong. 

In closing in all of the tweets, facebook comments and editorials coming out of the Wednesday Massacre, I found a blog that pretty much sums up how I feel about Clemson and why I am wearing orange today. A woman named Jess articulated the thoughts of most true Tigers and I will close out the 2011 Season with an exert from her thoughts. Thank you all for allowing to share my rants and thoughts. I will probably not have the time to write as much in the coming months as I close out grad school but I will be sure to send out a link when I am able to get some thoughts down.

Closing......

“My alma mater is more than the color orange or purple. It is more than football or baseball or basketball.  It is a feeling.  And until you have experienced it, you just won't get it.  My alma mater buries itself deep in your heart and thumps louder and louder and louder the older you get.

My alma mater is tradition.  It's military background and agricultural education paved the way for the university we love today.

My alma mater has home-made ice cream.  And for an ice cream lover, that makes for a little piece of heaven on Earth.

My alma mater has the most beautiful sunsets over the most beautiful clock tower.  The sky is painted orange and purple in the most spectacular display of beauty a person can imagine.

My alma mater is family.  I am forever bound by an unseen thread to men and women all over the world who feel the same feeling I do and have experienced the same traditions that I have experienced.

My alma mater is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.  And there is something in those hills that beckons me to return over and over and over again.  It echos in my heart day after day.

My alma mater is Clemson University.  And despite the score of the game last night--or any other time--the fact still remains that I love the ground in which I tread for 10 years, first as an undergraduate then a graduate student and finally an employee. I love Clemson University to the depths of my heart.  Because it was during my time at Clemson, that I learned about faith and family and friends.  It was during my time at Clemson that I learned how to be me.

"There is something in these hills that brings together and binds together and holds together men and women of all persuasions, of all heights, sizes, weights, and cultural backgrounds--something that cuts across every difference, spans every gap, penetrates every wall--something that makes a man or a woman stand taller, feel better and say with high pride to all within earshot, "I went to Clemson."  ~Joe Sherman, Class of 1934

So today--just like any other day--I stand tall, feel better and still am proud to say that I went to Clemson.

Go Tigers!  Congratulations on an amazing 2011 football season!"

http://as-for-my-house.blogspot.com/2012/01/little-bit-of-orange.html

The My State is Better than Your’s Orange Bowl

             In an age of awkward bowl title sponsorships, terrible games, empty stadiums, I thought I would take the liberty to change Wednesday night’s game to a more appropriate name. This will be the second meeting between the Tigers and Mountaineers. The first meeting took place in the 1989 Gator Bowl where Clemson prevailed 27-7.

            This is an intriguing matchup on the field and on the government tape. Lets cut to the chase and see how Clemson and West Virginia match up.

	South Carolina	West Virginia
Per Captia Income	$32,505	$32,080
Poverty Rate	18.1%	18.2%
% Completing College	20.1%	14.8%
% Completing HS only	39.4%	30%
Unemployment Rate	9.9%	7.9%
Population (millions)	4.5	1.8
Fed Funds per person (FY10)	$10,415	$11,260

Information retrieved from: USDA Economic Research Service

http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/sc.HTM

http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/wv.HTM

            The tale of the Fed’s Tape indicates that West Virginia and South Carolina have more similarities than many South Carolinians would like to admit. There is a youtube video making its way throughout the West Virginia message boards of a Clemson fan taking a brutal slap at the people of West Virginia. It is one of those things where a person from South Carolina making fun of West Virginia is like the pot calling the kettle black.

            Two culturally similar schools with similar football histories, the Mountaineers have enjoyed a lot of success over the years but like their counterparts from Clemson, have had a hard time getting over the hump and transitioning into an elite program. In the midst of conference expansion earlier this season, rumors of West Virginia joining the ACC were thrown around. I for one thought the Mountaineers would have been a great fit for the ACC. Unfortunately, the higher ups at member institutions allowed their bigotry to shine through and added schools that do nothing for the conference but allow administrators to fall all over themselves at academic functions.

It is important to understand West Virginia has a unique mission of access for the people of West Virginia. If you graduate from high school in the state of West Virginia, you are effectively given a chance at the flagship university.

            This reality and the fact that West Virginia has held true to this mission, means they are not going to look sexy in US News school rankings. West Virginia is a  more comprehensive institution than Clemson and makes strong efforts to meet the needs of the state. The people of West Virginia are a proud people, they take a lot of pride in where they come from and their values. It is a state that like South Carolina has a hard time getting out of its own way at times but offers its citizens good quality of life.

            Enough about debunking stereotypes, there is a football game to be played tomorrow night. Couple of tidbits about WVU from my perspective, they have several athletes who are capable of putting on a show in a similar fashion as Sammy Watkins and Dwayne Allen. Names you should familiarize yourself with for the Mountaineers quaterback Geno Smith, receiver Tavon Austin, and receiver Steadman Bailey. WVU will throw the ball all over the yard. If the Clemson defense does not tackle well, it could be a long night.

            Defensively, WVU will employ a 3-3-5 defense that can cause teams headaches in the ability to bring pressure from a variety of angles. Clemson fans have seen this offensive line struggle at times with odd front pressure packages. That being said, the Mountaineers are a light up front, which makes them susceptible to a power running game. Clemson will have a real opportunity to establish the run and if they can, it could be a good night for the Tigers. That being said, if the Clemson offense struggles and finds itself in long yardage situations on third down, defensive end Bruce Irvin will make it a long night for Tajh Boyd.

            For better insight into West Virginia, I enlisted one of my best friends, Buseman for insight into WVU. He is currently a PhD candidate at WVU and a rabid college football fan.

Smoke and Mirrors vs. Slightly Better Smoke and Mirrors

WVU is an inherently flawed football team.  No better than last year, the Mountaineers will take the field as a team that relied on a particularly tricky mix of smoke and mirrors and pure, dumb luck to secure the terrible Big East’s BCS bid.

The Mounties possess offensive skill position players who are roughly comparable to those of Clemson.  Geno Smith is, for right now, a more experienced and talented QB than Boyd.  Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey are supreme talents and the RBs are young but pretty good.  If the Orange Bowl was a 7-on-7 contest, WVU would stand a pretty good chance of winning.

Unfortunately for the ‘eers, games are won on defense, in the trenches, and on special teams, and this squad has been either wildly inconsistent or downright horrific in these areas.  The 3-3-5 works particularly well when an opponent has limited time to scout it – Clemson has had a month.  Jeff Casteel, who I believe does about as much as he can with limited talent and a particularly feminine scheme, tends to abandon an entire side of the field in an oftentimes vain effort to supplement a spotty three-man pass rush.  Julian Miller and Bruce Irvin are exceptional pass rushers, but they are too small to stop the run.  WVU rotates in a pretty unremarkable and smallish platoon of NTs in the middle of the odd front.  The LBs are serviceable but a bit on the slow and small side.  If there is any spot on the defense where the Mounties can make some hay, it is in the backfield.  Boyd fell in love with his arm and threw too many iffy passes towards the end of the season.  The WVU DBs are good enough to take advantage of this flaw.  Ultimately, though, I do not foresee Clemson having much trouble road-grading a small defensive front and running the ball downhill.

The WVU offense was also spotty this year.  This inconsistency is the direct result of the OL’s inability to protect Geno game in and game out.  Still, there appears to be enough weapons on offense to keep the ‘eers in the game.  I don’t think CU has an answer for Stedman or Tavon (in the same way the WVU defense will fail to contain Dwayne Allen and Sammy Watkins).

This game will turn on special teams.  I am OK with WVU’s placekicker.  However, punt and kick coverage have been disastrous this year.  The Mounties have struggled on kick and punt coverage for several years now and they were no better this year.  This deficiency comes from terrible tackling and lane discipline – a pretty disastrous combo given the talent Clemson has returning kicks.  Even if WVU does somehow cover kicks, it may not matter as the two punters used this year have the nasty habit of decapitating the ball girl on the sidelines after a wounded-duck, 12-yard punt.

Ultimately, I think Clemson gets at least one special teams TD and runs the ball down WVU’s throat.  The Mounties will stick around, but they will play from behind all day and eventually succumb to a better team.

CU 34 WVU 24

            There you have it from the WVU perspective. If the first two BCS games are any indication of what we can expect, don’t plan on going to sleep early tomorrow night.

            In closing, I am humbled to have the opportunity to attend the Orange Bowl. After all the shoulda, coulda, and wouldas, to see a Clemson team finally rise to the occasion and win an ACC Championship again has brought me an immense amount of joy and satisfaction. Having waited 30 years to return to the Orange Bowl and 20 years for an ACC Title, I am going to soak this experience up like a sponge.  It has been a fun ride and a special night awaits Tiger fans tomorrow night in Sun Life Stadium. GO TIGERS!!

Wait...What just happened?

            It is truly amazing how quickly the college football season comes and goes. We spend so much time yearning for September and then before you know it is October and one-third of the season is already in the books. What is even crueler for people like me is that the end is near. Around midnight on January 4 the 2011 season will be in the books and I will start the countdown all over again.

            It is hard to believe I have been living this Groundhog Day type existence for as long as I can remember. There is something about the fall that brings me and others like me to life. I have long sought to figure out what that is that causes this drastic transformation and I think I have figured it out. It is the elusiveness of experiencing that moment when your team is the last team standing, it is living in the moment where you feel like you are on top of the world and no one and nothing can bring you down. It is walking into your team’s stadium and feeling like you are home. It is gathering with friends often on the same site as some of the best years of your life.

            It is all these things that make college football special. As Clemson Alum and fan, it gets more personal. It is that feeling of knowing, indeed, “There are something in these hills.” It is the concrete structure on the west side of campus that still becomes one of the larger cities in the state of South Carolina on fall Saturdays. It is hearing Frank Howard say, “If ya ain’t gonna give me a 110%, keep your filthy hands off my rock.” It is hearing the first chords of the Orange Bowl March as another edition of the Clemson Football team awaits atop of a hill in the, “Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football.” It is singing the alma mater at the end of each contest, win or lose because my love and devotion for my school goes beyond wins and losses.

            It is that same love and devotion that often takes us on an emotional roller coaster throughout the fall. Game to game, week to year, year to year, we lose ourselves because our happiness and moods are dictated by the actions or inaction of 18-22 year old children. I never said being a college football fan was healthy or made 100% sense but right or wrong this is the reality for many a man and woman.

            Because of the microwave culture we live in, often experiences are lost in the busyness of life and memorable experiences are missed because we fail to reflect on what we have just experienced. There are so many moments of the 2011 season that I will remember.  The magical three game stretch in late September and October is unlike anything I had experienced in recent memory. Lets be frank I was 12 years old and living in Colorado the last time Clemson won an ACC Football Title.

            We fell behind Auburn at home and it had shades of yet another disappointing let down but these guys began to show that they were different from Clemson teams in the past. The following week we held off a pesky Florida State team who had been showered with National Championship chatter all summer. It was October 1 and my Tigers were 4-0 heading into Blacksburg, where they had little success in recent visits.

            The wins against Auburn and Florida State were nice but a cold, wet, dreary Lane Stadium awaited these young Tigers. It was time to put up or shut up against the big kid on the block  the Hokies of Virginia Tech. Winners of four ACC Titles since joining the conference less than 10 years ago, they had a right to have an air to them.

            I was stuck at home with a catheter in and a bag hanging off my lazy boy coming off of surgery earlier in the week. All the pain and discomfort in the world was not going to keep me from watching the game. Most know how animated and emotional I get during Clemson football games and this one would bring out many emotions throughout but not to be lost was a sure fire way to tame me during a Clemson game. Have a five tube running out of you and I assure you become acutely aware that one false move can and will put you into an indescribable agony that you would not share with your worst enemy.

            In the midst of my timidity, my mighty Tigers went to Blacksburg and roared like a Tiger standing over its prey. Even the honey badger stood in applause on that chilly October evening that saw Clemson deliver an emphatic road win that started a national stir around the 2011 team and the Clemson program.

            It would be another two weeks before I got to see my beloved Tigers in person. I made the short drive over to College Park, MD to see Clemson take on the Maryland Terrapins. It is this game that I came away knowing that this team was special. Falling down by 18 points twice to ultimately come back and win by 11 in regulation is mind-boggling. Early on it seemed like the fairytale would come to a not so happy ending.

            The thing that stood out about the Maryland game was what took place before the game. I gathered with friends from college grilling out, enjoying food, reliving days gone by and then going to the game. That night was an indoctrination night for one person in our group, there first time at a Clemson football game and their first Clemson football game with James. God is good because the feeling of jubilation that she witnessed from me was much more attractive than what would have been on display if we had lost.

            While in the midst of this up and down emotional roller coaster real life is still happening on the outskirts of this oblong shaped piece of leather that causes even some of the nicest, well-mannered people to suffer a slip of the tongue. For me it was October 29. Clemson is playing Georgia Tech and I am on my way to Delaware for a family wedding. For a kid who grew up in Atlanta, this was the perfect storm of torment. It was an evening wedding so the game would be going strong during the reception.

            As much as I would have liked to have skipped the reception, it just was not an option. It gets better, the country had been split by ABC and the game being shown was Stanford-USC (the real USC). The only thing I had was my phone. I had spent most of the day trying to talk myself into being classy and not allowing the ebb and flow of the game to impact my enjoyment of the reception. I was able to watch some games between the ceremony and the reception, so I was feeling pretty good about being able to handle myself and by the way, Georgia Tech had just gotten their butts kicked the week before, Clemson would be in a fight but in the end would cruise on to victory and everyone would be happy.

            As we all know this did not happen. In fact it got ugly and it got ugly early for my Tigers. Nothing was going right and my ability to put a happy face on quickly went up in smoke. I did not care about the stupid reception, I was pissed, at this point in the season, we were 8-0 and I will be man enough to admit it, I had National Championship on the mind and those plans were crashing in on me like a ton of bricks.

            By the time we leave the reception, Clemson is down 14 in the 4^th. At this point I wanted to be left alone and was glad no one was left to ask me how Clemson was doing. I am fortunate to have satellite radio in our car so I was listening to Wes Durham on the call, when we forced the turnover that we needed to get back into the game. I had gotten my swagger back and then my All-ACC quarterback threw the ball into the end zone and right into the hands of a Yellow Jacket defender. I was crushed. I remember walking into the hotel, with my head down in disbelief. Any delusions of grandeur had gone out the door.

            It took me a good while to go to sleep that night. I was so pissed. I hate losing in general but I loathe Georgia Tech and they had ended my dream season temporarily. The Tigers would lose 3 of their next four but was able to secure the Atlantic Division Championship in a thrilling win over Wake Forest.

            Then came the rematch. At this point you had two team heading into Charlotte heading in two very different directions, the Hokies were riding a 7 game win streak with their only loss coming at the hands of my Tigers back in October. Clemson had lost three of four, including a butt whooping in Columbia from South Carolina College.

            The boys dressed in Orange came up with a performance no one could have dreamed of based on what had happened during the last quarter of the season. Early in the 4^th quarter barring a meltdown of nuclear proportions I was on my way to experience that feeling of watching my team celebrate as the last team standing. It may not have been a Nation Title but it did not matter. 20 years of angst and frustration were relieved.

            The win as great as it was, did not surpass the time spent with friends and family before and after the game. We can talk about the hoopla, the pain that is noon kickoffs, stupid play calls and so on, but what always stands out when I am on my way home is the time spent with people.

            The friends who make the fall weekend pilgrimages to see their Tigers play makes for such a meaningful and purposeful day. Regardless of the outcome on the field I am always thankful for the opportunity to gather as friends, to cheer on a team, represent a school and community we all love. I will not forget this season for many reasons but the main reason is because of the time spent with people I care about and share unbreakable bonds with. I am blessed beyond measure to have that as a reality in my life and I appreciate everyone who has shared this 2011 Clemson Football journey with me. It ain’t over just yet, we have one more but what an unforgettable year it has been and thank you for being apart of it.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Tweet That!!

             First I would like to remember my uncle Haywood Bostic who fueled my love for Clemson football and helped me understand the game as a young man. While he is always on my heart, the week leading up to the Championship game he was front and center as I headed to Charlotte to see my Tigers play for an ACC Title.  As much fun as the beat down of the Hokies was his absence was felt in a profound way and I know he was smiling down as we finally busted down the door to a conference championship.

            I had commented what a difference three weeks makes as I was perusing Clemson message boards and saw numerous posts of people selling their tickets to the Championship game. The bandwagon had thinned out and looking back, I want thank those folks who did not have the character or the intestinal fortitude to stay by your team. Ultimately the Clemson Faithful who rolled in to Charlotte Saturday night rolled in leaner and meaner than they had all season.

            A lean and mean machine football team showed up in Charlotte on a cool crisp Saturday night. I did not have high expectations for the outcome but we were in the game as the Atlantic Division Champions and that gave us a chance.

            Upon arrival in Charlotte, we were welcomed to a Bowl-like atmosphere. The ratio of Clemson fans to Hokies  was roughly 2 to 1. On a side note, Charlotte has grown into a dynamic city. It is a city with southern genteel, coupled with professional exuberance that has allowed it to make tremendous strides in the last 20 years. Our colleagues from Blacksburg were walking around with a quiet yet smug confidence. Coming into the game the Hokies had won seven in a row and had risen to number five in the BCS rankings.

            Early in the week I think I was like a lot of Clemson fans who found themselves reeling from the loss to South Carolina. I am not sure what was more disturbing the fact that our Tigers had lost or the fashion in which the Gamecocks seemingly dispatched Clemson with relative ease. Then what was a ho-hum week, changed profoundly the Thursday prior to the ACC Championship game as Coach Swinney met with the press after practice.

            Coach Swinney responded to comments tied to South Carolina College coach Steve Spurrier regarding Clemson. While the comments may or may not have been made by Coach Spurrier, Coach Swinney’s response created a buzz throughout Clemson Nation that there was no reason for Clemson fans to be walking around with their heads down and with their tails tucked between their legs. We may never know who the comments were directed to but it served as a wake up call to a fan base that had lost its way just like its football team’s offense.

            Not that Clemson fans could have dreamed up what was about to transpire on the field in Charlotte, it was a shot in the arm that Clemson fans did not need to make any apologies to anyone about going to Charlotte and playing for an ACC Title. Prior to Thursday’s comments, there were offers all over Clemson message boards with people trying to off load their tickets to Charlotte. The feeling was not good surrounding this Clemson team. More time was being spent on Coach Swinney’s comments and the post-South Carolina game aftermath than the game in Charlotte.

            Luckily for Clemson fans, they are fans and not players. It was reported that Coach Swinney had a 2-hour meeting with his team the Monday leading up to the rematch with the Hokies. The meeting was about accountability to themselves and to each other. Football is a game of execution and it does not take Knute Rockne to know that this Clemson team was not executing well in any phase of the game.  Despite the cloud and uncertainty surrounding the Clemson team, they took the field with an opportunity to emerge Champions.

            It was clear from the get go, that this was a different Clemson team than what fans and coaches had seen in the closing weeks of the season. We saw a team that was focused on the task at hand and prepared to do what the coaches had prepared them to do. Despite the 10-10 score at half, it was becoming apparent it was one of those Saturdays where Clemson was the only team in the stadium that could stop Clemson.

            What transpired on the field of Bank of America Stadium during the first 16:56 of the second half was art in motion. Our Tigers came out like a team that was 30 minutes away from fulfilling its destiny and the execution, the poise displayed during the 3^rd quarter will be appear in coaching clinics for years to come and may go down as one of the finest 3^rd quarters in Clemson Football history. This team could not be stopped in any phase of the game.

            You saw coaches on the sidelines giving chest bumps and high fives. There was an energy and swagger on the Clemson sideline that had been missing since prior to the Georgia Tech game. Our good friend Mo Mentum picked a great night to reacquaint himself with the Clemson football team and fan base.

            There is so much in the third quarter that I see with each time I watch the replay on DVR. First and foremost is the fact that Clemson ran more running plays than pass plays. The offensive line held up after losing Phillip Price. Andre Ellington is the engine that makes this team go and he is one of the best backs to play at Clemson in recent history. Dwayne Allen is a beast. Sammy is Sammy. Do not forget about DeAndre Hopkins and Jaron Brown making big catches for this team. Andre Branch, Brandon Thompson those defensive linemen have played well all year.  Coty Sensabaugh a late addition when he signed with Clemson has been superb all year in the secondary. It is amazing when linebackers play downhill and with good run fits.

            A week later I am up on a Sunday morning still in disbelief of what happened last Saturday in Charlotte. Leave no doubt the Clemson University Fightin’ Tigers are the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions!!!

            I am thankful for my friends and their wives who took the time to travel to Charlotte and gather together with the opportunity reconnect, laugh and bond. There is not another group of people who I would have rather shared last Saturday night with than my boys.

            Our Tigers are Orange Bowl Bound. I cannot wait for the January 4, 2012 match up with the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Tire Fire

             After watching South Carolina dispatch Clemson like a rented mule I was pissed. Pissed because losing to South Carolina is just unacceptable. It was apparent early on in the ball game the Clemson coaching staff did not care, they were not interested in the outcome of this game in the least. It is not a big deal to them that people have been defending them during this four game nightmare as this team flounders.

            We were fed the all of our goals are still out there, we will get it fixed, this is the biggest game of the year and come out with the effort they came out with Saturday? This Clemson team did not have a chance in this ball game, in spite of the numerous opportunities the Clemson defense gave the offense, especially in the second half.

            I am not making 180k a year to coach football so anything I write is merely theoretical thinking but I am going to write it any way because football is a simple enough of a game that a team like South Carolina can play basic football and kick its opponent’s ass up and down a field for 6o minutes.

            Everyone and their mother knew Clemson was not going to be able to block the South Carolina front four, especially on deep drop back passes. There are things you can do against an athletic front four. You can max protect, you can roll your quarterback out, use the screen game or utilize the three-step drop to get rid of the ball quickly. We basically saw none of this in the Clemson game plan. 

            If you cannot block a team rushing four on five and seven steps drops then you have to switch it up. Please feel free to do something. Is not the definition of insanity trying the same thing over and over after getting the same result, thinking it will somehow change? For some reason, this team has linebackers who are coached not to read and attack the line of scrimmage. For some reason this team has a secondary who could not slow down a Pop Warner team because of its dependence of man coverage. For some reason this team does not know that fundamental tackling involves wrapping up, playing with low pad level and running through the ball carrier.

            While we the fans and supporters are made to be morons, while we are being lied to why should we care? I am honestly trying to figure out why in the hell am I so freaking pissed off when I am a fan of a team who’s coaching staff failed their team. If Coach Swinney fails his team and thinks it is ok then there is no reason for me to defend this coaching staff or to get upset over something I had no direct involvement.

            There is a difference is losing and getting beat. These guys are getting beat up and down the field. This is a team that has no confidence whatsoever, especially on the offensive side of the ball. There has to be a way to get back to basics. I know the coaching staff did the responsible thing by taking Phillip Price out of the ball game but he has to be able to play next week in Charlotte. Get a hyperbaric chamber for him to sleep in, call in a witch doctor. It is terrible how one injury has decimated this team.

            Yes I am out of my mind pissed off about 9-3 as should every Clemson fan under the sun. It is not an issue of being 9-3 it has everything to do with what has transpired in the process of getting to this point. Momentum and confidence are a huge part of the college game and when you have it, you feel like you can beat anybody, when you lose it, you feel like you cannot beat anybody. That is where this team is at this point.

            In the midst of the pain and frustration there is another game to be played next weekend in Charlotte. While Clemson has willingly relinquished the role of state dominance, there is a chance this team could win the ACC for the first time since 1991.

            The thought of winning a conference title is almost laughable after what has happened during the last four games of the season but the opportunity is still there. The chance to do something that has not been done in a long time is out there for the taking. I am not sure what this team can do to make that a reality because you will see a carbon copy offensive game plan from Virginia Tech next week. In the same way Clemson is not the same team it was back in early October, the Hokies have found their identity offensively with quarterback Logan Thomas as the table setter.

            I am going to say it now, be prepared to see more quarterback runs next Saturday. Thomas is a more physical runner than Connor Shaw but is capable of being just as effective in the running game. The Hokies have running back David Wilson who has put up excellent numbers throughout the season. They have a defense that has held its own despite some key injuries up front and at linebacker.

            Silver lining in all of this? Their front four is not nearly as dominant as South Carolina. Virginia Tech regardless of their ranking going into the game on Saturday is not unbeatable but they are confident. They have payback on their mind and it will take an out of body type experience by Clemson next Saturday in order for Clemson to win.

            Back in October Clemson won the battle up front on both sides and did a nice job making enough plays on offense to get a huge win on the road. The Clemson defense neutralized Thomas and Wilson was not a factor despite going over 100 yards rushing on the ground. Andre Branch went back to his home state and had a field day in the Virginia Tech offensive backfield.

            It is going to take that type of effort if the Tigers have a glimmer of hope in winning in Charlotte Saturday night. Lets face it this defense is not going to stop anyone at this point, not Edwards Middle School, let alone an offense with a mobile quarterback like Logan Thomas. The only hope at this point is to contain Thomas and Wilson and hope they do not make too many plays down the field or this one gets ugly early.

            I will be honest. I am not enamored with the Hokies, I am sorry Turkey fans, you do not have a chance to play for a National Title and if you did, you would get your brains beat in so bad, you would need dental records to identify the remains. They are not complex on offense but the Hokies will be facing a defense that allegedly, knew what South Carolina was going to do and how did that work out? They are going to try to get David Wilson going in the ground game on the perimeter. I have never seen a running back run so fast towards the sideline in my life. In order to stop this, Clemson has to be physical up front and the linebackers have to play downhill and force Wilson back inside. (I just laughed when I wrote that but it is the truth)

            To be honest unless the defensive staff is prepared to swallow their pride and change things up, play less man coverage, get the linebackers playing downhill instead of taking false steps, Clemson has no chance. All night long the Clemson linebackers were seen taking steps backwards and having linemen in perfect position to make blocks three seconds after the Clemson linebackers had diagnosed the play. I don’t care what level of football you are playing if you first steps are backwards as a linebacker you are done.

            Clemson cannot have their back seven running around with their backs to the football while a quarterback is running for 20 yards. You cannot grab at a Division-1 skill player and think you are going to arm tackle them. Tackling is like free throw shooting, it has nothing to do with talent but everything to do with repetition and attention to detail. You cannot run into an opponent and expect them to go down, especially with a low center of gravity like David Wilson and a quarterback with Cam Newton-esque size. Virginia Tech is going to lull you to sleep with the run and then throw the ball down the field to one of their serviceable wide receivers. There is not much else to say other than hope for the best.

            Offensively Clemson is a dumpster fire. The Clemson offensive line is softer than down comforter. The offensive line was effective in pass protection for eight games. Their run blocking has been something to be desired throughout and as teams have adjusted what how they play in the secondary, the wheels have slowly come off the ship. You can have the good Lord himself lined up in the backfield or at receiver but if you put the Clemson offensive line in front of Him, even he would have to work overtime to make anything happen.

            Tajh Boyd is pressing, he is not accurate, and is lacking in his decision-making. A lot of that comes from running for your life but his pocket presence is horrendous. His inability to step up in the pocket and to show just a little bit of mobility he is done. Opponents are right, if you can put pressure on Boyd he will fold like a tent. At this point given how poorly the offensive line is playing I am calling out Chad Morris.

            You have an offensive line that is about as competent as White House Chief of Staff Billy Daley. Instead of being creative with the three step passing game, screen game, rolling your quarterback out, you continue to put him in danger by calling five and seven step drop pass plays that your offensive line is not capable of blocking at this point. I am sorry. It is apparent that if Phillip Price is not effective, this Clemson offensive line is not capable of holding up against a stout pass rush. What is Coach Morris prepared to do to help this offense be successful?

            Saturday, Clemson was starting to have some success on the ground and he ultimately went away from it. It was overall a disappointing effort from the coaching staff from top to bottom. Despite the personnel issues, especially on defense, coaches have to put players in position to be successful and unfortunately the Clemson staff failed miserably last week at preparing this team to win.

            There is not much to say about next week going against Virginia Tech. There is no reason to believe that the light will come back on for this Clemson team.  I fully expect this one to get ugly early. There is no getting around it. This team has lost its mojo and Virginia Tech is not the team that is going to willingly allow you to regain it. I am looking forward to spending time with friends next week but unless this team spends the week with a sports shrink and the coaching staff decides to come to terms with the reality of this team’s current limitations it will be an evening of Hokie Coronation on Saturday night. 

No Not Again.......

            There was five minutes left in the 3^rd quarter, the Tigers had just played the worst 10 minutes of the season and all I could think, “Please, please not again”. With 20 minutes of football left to be played I knew there was enough time but was there enough defense or enough offensive execution to get the Tigers back in the game? I have to be honest, I would have had to been taken to a mental hospital if Clemson had lost Saturday. There was no way anyone could have stopped the tirade that would have ensued. Someone was looking out for the public good and once again, this team showed true mettle down the stretch and came away with a 31-28 victory over Wake Forest to claim its second Atlantic Division title in three years.

            Lets go back to Columbus Day 2008. I remember getting a call from my dad saying, “it’s over”. Referring to the termination of then head coach Tommy Bowden. At that point, Clemson was coming off of a bad loss at Wake Forest. The program seemed in disarray and was now under the leadership under a guy who had been the wide receivers coach, just hours before. Fast forward to the present and Clemson will play for an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship for the second time in three years. I think Clemson fans should take a few moments to revel in the progress that has been made and credit coach Swinney for the job he has done to put his stamp on the program and continued ability to recruit high caliber athletes to Clemson.

            Clemson fans cannot forget about last season. Offensively, Clemson resembled an out of control dumpster fire. It was a team with out an identity and seemingly could not get out of its own way. I remember being in the West End Zone for the South Carolina game and having a mini meltdown because I was sick of watching my team be toyed with like a punk. I had long voiced my frustration towards the coaching staff, especially on the offensive side of the ball due to their inability to put teams with good to great talent in position to win games.

            Last season happened and there is no excuse that can legitimize what occurred on the field. Though it did not seem like it at the time, Coach Swinney is not as stupid as I was beginning to think he was after watching Clemson stumble at the end of the 2010 season. Do I agree with every call? Of course not but I do know that he is far from the village idiot that many people outside of Clemson attempt to make him out to be. First Coach Swinney is an intelligent man who was groomed in one of the most successful programs in the country, secondly as reports support after the dismissal and additions of staff members, Coach Swinney on his own had begun to look at staff changes before the conclusion of the 2010 season.

            Staff changes are made in January, in February, Clemson signs a Top 10 recruiting class, and there is positive buzz around the program. There is an excitement about the new offensive scheme that promised to be more explosive. Move forward to the middle of September Auburn came to Clemson, jumps on the Tigers early but the 2011 Clemson Tigers showed they were a different bunch by coming back after being down 14 points. Here we are with two games remaining 9-1 with an opportunity to close out an 11-1 regular season. Let that marinate on your mind for a few minutes.

            Back to Saturday’s game and being a mental case. I would be equally distraught if I were a Wake Forest football player or coach. Your team forces three turnovers that lead to 14 points, commit one penalty, and return a punt for a touchdown and lost? How in the world does that happen? There are not many circumstances where that happens and a team loses a ball game.

            You have to give Wake credit. I thought they came out focused and ready to play for 60 minutes. I honestly thought Clemson could prey upon a solid team that was coming off of an emotional game at home the previous week and coast to victory. I was wrong to say the least.

            The Demon Deacons came to Clemson with a good game plan. Defensively, they dropped eight in coverage and made Tajh Boyd try and nickel and dime them, something that worked effectively for over two quarters of football. In turn Boyd could have thrown eight interceptions on Saturday compared to the three that went in the box score. It was ugly to say the least. Clemson continues to struggle in the run game despite rushing for a final total of 179 yards. The Clemson guards are soft. Antoine McClain and Brandon Thomas have generated no push and are largely responsible for the inefficiency of the Clemson running game.

            Offensively, Wake leaned on their big and experienced offensive line and just worked Clemson like a dog. In the passing game they gave Price all the day in the world to complete passes and he did with good efficiency. It was frustrating to watch the defense not get pressure or not secure sacks. Wake came into the game with one of the worst rushing offenses in the nation, shows up in Death Valley and running back Brandon Pendergrass rushes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

            After going up 28-14 Wake Forest would have the ball four more times and those drives ended with Punt, Punt, Missed Field Goal and Punt. Clemson was able to go on three scoring drives that included two touchdowns and the game winning field goal from Chandler Catanzaro.

            As frustrating as Saturday was Clemson rolled up 522 yards of total offense and held Wake Forest to 317 yards of total offense. The lack of numbers for Wake come from getting the ball on turnovers on a short field but when the dust cleared those are not bad numbers. Clemson made its move without the services of Super Frosh Sammy Watkins who had gone out of the game with a shoulder injury. The area of concern continues to be turnovers. Clemson has turned the ball over seven times in the last two games and lets be honest should have been two Clemson losses.  Clemson cannot continue to turn the ball over and expect to win. 

            Fixing the turnover issue started Monday with film review and practice. Clemson heads to Raleigh Saturday with the Atlantic Division in hand a date with South Carolina looming the following week, you catch my drift?

I am not sure what to make of NC State. This is a team that has been up and down like the stock market. Wolf Pack head coach Tom O’Brien came under tremendous scrutiny after he parted ways with three-year starter Russell Wilson who played professional baseball during the off-season. Wilson is now at Wisconsin where he is having a fine season in Madison. Wilson’s replacement Mike Glennon has put up good numbers this year having thrown for over 2000 yards with a 20-10 touchdown to interception ratio. The Pack has several receivers who can make plays. We cannot forget about preseason All-ACC tight end George Bryan who has not put up the numbers many expected but is a big play threat.

            The Clemson defense will have their hands full with junior running back James Washington who has shown the ability to get things going on the ground. Clemson must find a way to play with better run fits with their linemen and linebackers. Last Saturday, the linebackers seemingly were non-existent on Wake’s two long rushing touchdowns that came on basic plays. I would expect NC State to make a concerted effort to establish the ground game and keep Clemson off balance with a steady passing game.

            As Jekyll and Hyde as NC State has been this season, they are good enough to beat the Tigers if they cannot get off the field on defense, turn the ball over and cannot sustain drives. This is a NC State that has struggled to score points in its last four games. They were shutout against Florida State, scored 13 against North Carolina and 10 points last week in a loss to Boston College. Sadly with Clemson’s defensive woes the last several weeks, I expect NC State to move the ball effectively against the Tigers. The key is going to be keeping them out of the end zone.

            Offensively, Clemson is going to face the leading interceptions leader in the nation David Amerson with 10 picks on the year. If Tajh rolls into Carter-Finley thinking he is Brett Farve on Saturday, it could get interesting. NC State likes to bring pressure and mix coverage, it is going to be imperative that Tajh goes through his progressions and not be afraid of his check downs. Anything Clemson gets from the running game should be counted as money in the bank. The Tigers will continue to struggle running the football as long as the guards are unable to get a push. I am interested to see how the absence of tackle Phillip Price will impact the Clemson run game. Guard Brandon Thomas will move to tackle while 5^th year senior David Smith takes over at guard. This was the combination that was in the game late last Saturday that helped Andre Ellington break a couple long runs.

            The game Saturday in Raleigh will boil down to Tajh Boyd’s decision making. If Boyd goes out Saturday over zealous, it will cost Clemson. If he is smart with the football, Clemson is hard to stop. Clemson cannot just show up and win. NC State needs one win in its last two games to be bowl eligible. NC State looks solid one game, then looks terrible the next. I hate to say it but the Pack was awful on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, so I would expect them to play with enthusiasm as they host a Top 10 team in their stadium.