Because of a very poor first half.

We started out with good pressure and A&M shot cold. It was clear from the very start that Clemson held an athletic advantage over A&M, but we couldn’t shoot the basketball, and eventually our defense fell off to go with it. A good team would’ve jumped out to a 15 point lead in the first 5 minutes, given the sluggishness I saw from A&M early. Throughout the first half, my thoughts were this: that this team didn’t feel like playing. I saw rebounds hitting the floor which should never happen. I saw guys not taking shots when they had a clear opportunity. It was sloppy on both ends and for both teams to start, but A&M corrected it and Clemson took until the 2nd half to wake up. We got close, thanks to Narcisse’s great effort, starting a 19-6 run, but the hole was too big.

What Clemson needed tonight was the Guard who would charge the lane and attack the basket strong, and it wasn’t there. Its been something we’ve talked about as being a potential problem this year and today was the first real showcase of the problem. In the 1st half, even when Clemson got looks, we couldn’t sink baskets and Trevor Booker had a bad day overall in shooting despite 18 points. Towards the end, when the lead was under 10, Clemson needed a shooter like Oglesby, and no one stepped up.

Just a very disappointing first-half effort from the Tigers.

Thanksgiving: So it’s Thanksgiving and I’m experiencing the unholy trinity – in-laws, Gamecock fans, and a holiday under one roof.  Actually, spending time with your Gamecock family is entirely tolerable, so long as it’s not game day or the one year in five when USC wins.  Gamecocks also are mouthier during Thanksgiving than Christmas, for obvious reasons.

As we sit at the Thanksgiving table tonight, each person mentions what they are most thankful for.  I am planning to say that I’m most thankful that Carolina hasn’t beaten Clemson two years in a row in my lifetime.  And as a 38 year old, Carolina would have to win every year for the rest of my life to even the series.  I wonder how that will go over with my mother-in-law.  I love Thanksgiving.

C.J. Spiller: I also love C.J. Spiller.  He texted me this morning (okay, it was Twitter) to wish me a happy Thanksgiving.  What a thoughtful young man.

The Carolina/Clemson game has a way of making heroes.  Jerry Butler is remembered for the Catch I.  Woody Dantzler and Rod Gardner are remembered for the Catch II.  Willie Underwood had an interception and a pick 6 in 1980.

What will C.J. Spiller do on Saturday?  He had a pedestrian game against Virginia, so he is due.  I usually don’t believe that something will happen because someone is due, but I suspect that Spiller can dial up miracles on command.

Having said that, football always comes down to blocking and tackling.

SEC: Home of the Urbans: If hurricane fences and industrial zoning say college football, then Williams-Brice shouts a loud “Howdy!”

Florida has Urban Meyer.  USC has urban blight.  All hail pavement!

Charge the fire extinguishers, boys – it’s game time at USC! How surpassingly awesome is it that USC uses one of America’s favorite safety products to enter the field?  Their team only needs to wear oven mitts and PFD’s to complete the theme.

Eponymous: I predict that one day, in my lifetime, Gamecock will be eponymous with crushed dreams.  Here’s how it might be used in a sentence:

“I thought this new job would be great when I took it, but it’s turned into a real Gamecock.”

God has ordained certain things in the universe: laws of physics, laws of economics, and laws that compel South Carolina to crumble in craptacular fashion.

Winning in Columbia is an affront to nature.

Philosophy: Let’s explore the zeitgeist at USC.  It was a means by which elites could hoard power in an old boys club.  Walter Edgar explains in his excellent book South Carolina: a History how the USC folks got their grip on when Thomas Green Clemson bequeathed his estate to found a college:

“Immediately there was opposition from the Conservatives [i.e. Gamecocks], who rightly viewed the Clemson bequest as a threat to their beloved University of South Carolina.  They raised all sorts of roadblocks…”

Dang skippy.  But USC has raised no roadblock that we can’t run through, like we’ve done for a century, and like C.J. Spiller will do all day Saturday.

Inspiration: I saw the Pope at Williams-Brice.  I saw Billy Graham at Williams-Brice, with Pistol Pete Maravich, no less.  USC apparently made no attempt to get those venerated men to make supplication for its program.  Or the blessing didn’t take – one of the two.

If USC is headed to glory, then I guess Olympia is the promise land, Spurrier is a prophet, and Five Points the temptation that ensnares them all.  Somehow I’m not buying it, except for the Five Points part.

Anticipation: The one way for the footstool to become a stumbling block is for Clemson to look past USC as they anticipate the ACC Championship Game.  I don’t think that will happen.  Dabo has prepared the team well all year.  Clemson came back against Georgia Tech when all hope was lost.  Clemson has been business-like when they had to.  Clemson has been a great fourth quarter team, which shows that they have bought in and are “ALL IN”.

The only other way that Clemson might blow it is by losing the turnover battle.  Kyle Parker makes me nervous with his decision-making at times, though he played very well against Virginia.

When it’s all said and done, I think that Clemson wins by seven…and Spurrier falls to 0-2 against our position coach.  Blessings abound.

Please send fawning email to sectionHrowJ@gmail.com and visit www.clemsontigernation.com.

–FigureFour www.shakinthesouthland.com

The annual contest between the two Palmetto State rivals often splits families and causes discussions and commotions from water coolers to school cafeterias to church pews across the great state of South Carolina.  The question that many of us have pondered over the years is whether or not this annual game can ever get into the national spotlight like an Oklahoma/Texas, Florida/FSU, Michigan/Ohio State, Notre Dame/USC, Alabama/Auburn?  Also, for this game to gain national exposure, what is necessary out of each program?

The first portion of any relevant rivalry game is the game’s history.  Clemson and USC have been playing each other for well over 100 years,  the longest uninterrupted series in the South (with consecutive games dating back to 1909), and share the former Big Thursday tradition, so there is a rich history of games between the two schools.  The series includes the 1902 riot that resulted in the series being suspended for seven seasons, the counterfeit ticket scandal in the ’40’s, Frank Howard’s legendary goodbye kiss to Big Thursday, the Sigma Nu prank in the ’60’s, Jerry Butler’s catch, Orange Britches, Rod Gardner’s catch, and the Brawl.  Certainly these items provide enough of a backdrop and historical character to lay the foundation for this rivalry.

The next portion of this equation is historical football success.  This is an area that both teams use a good bit more of, especially over the better part of the past 20 years.  USC has historically struggled as a program, with highlights being the ‘69 ACC championship, George Rogers’ Heisman Trophy, and consecutive Outback Bowl victories (it should be noted that USC was Independent for two decades, and thus did not compete for a conference championship until being initiated into the SEC in 1992).  Clemson has had a good bit more success, winning 13 ACC titles and the 1981 National Championship.  Clemson’s modern era success is limited to the mid-Frank Howard years and the Pell/Ford juggernaut from the late-70’s to the early-90’s.  South Carolina’s successes in the modern era are limited to the mid/late ’70’s Carlenteams, the Black Magic/Black Death/Fireants of Morrison in ‘84 and ‘87, and Lou Holtz’s Outback Bowl wins.

Recent success is yet another important portion of building a rivalry.  As you can see above, there has not been much great success from either side recently.  Clemson had an unbelievable finish to the ‘03 season and a nice run early in the 2000 campaign, Carolina the two Outback Bowl wins.  In fact, since 2000, USC has finished in the final AP Poll just twice (19th in 2000, 13th in 2001).  Clemson has fared just a little better, with four such appearances (16th in 2000, 22nd in 2003, 21st in 2005, and 21st in 2007).  Obviously, the only year in which the two teams both finished ranked was in 2000.  This definitely does not create national appeal, as recent history pits two middle of the road teams in this football game.

Rivalry competition is my fourth metric for a rivalry game, with these recent results weighting more heavily than results from 90-100 years ago.  Clemson leads the overall series, 65-37-4.  Over the past 20 meetings, Clemson leads the series with a commanding 15-5 record.  It should be noted that an estimated 40 games have been decided by a touchdown or less.

What can these schools do to make this rivalry more important?

Using the metrics listed above, it is apparent that the history and game traditions between the two schools give this rivalry a solid foundation that can only be built over years of competition.  However, the relative lack of national relavence in football by either university over the past 20 years continues to hamper this game and its ability to be a prime-time contest.  Both teams need to do a better job of cashing in on their better than average facilities and loyal fan bases to consistently win more football games.

Each team will need to prove that it is an elite team in its conference.  Conference champions competing against one another creates a general sense of excitement.  This improvement would create another dynamic that is not normally seen in college football.  Clemson appears to be making progress in this area, as the Tigers have won the Atlantic Division of the ACC and will battle Georgia Tech for the conference crown one week after the South Carolina game.

While I (as a Clemson fan) do not wish to see this, South Carolina will need to compete in more contests to make this rivalry relevant.  Nothing is more boring to the media than a one-sided affair.  Clemson just seems to come out and want to win more each year.  Recently, the game may have meant more to Clemson, as Tommy Bowden routinely needed this win to keep his job and Dabo Swinney used last year’s victory as a springboard to the removal of the internship portion of his title.

Overall, how close are these two programs to putting this game on the national stage?

Until both programs can sustain consistent success, this game will have minimal national exposure.  While Clemson has made it to the championship game this season, the Tigers have been incredibly inconsistent since the last championship.  This is a team that, for the past 10 years, has either started fast and finished slow or vice-versa.  South Carolina’s program success can be lumped into this same category, with the Gamecocks opening strong the past few years only to falter down the stretch.

Both Clemson and South Carolina have to prove that they are legit in their respective conferences.  Clemson will need to win at least 6 conference games a season, and South Carolina at least 5 to garner the attention larger rivalries get.  To capture the attention of the country, each team will need to play a complete football season with the opportunity to finish the year with double digit wins.

Where are we in this progression?  Both teams have advanced dramatically on the recruiting trail over the past decade, as the Holtz/Spurrier and Bowden/Swinney combinations have brought in several nicely ranked classes over the years.  Neither team has cashed in with consistent wins, with SC’s best run over this stretch in 2000-2001 and Clemson’s late in 2003 and the 2009 ACC division championship finish.  Clemson is beginning to take a step in the right direction, but really needs consecutive wins to legitimize the 2009 run.  All in all, I think this rivalry is about where it was in 2001, as outside the Palmetto State there is little anticipation of 8-3 Clemson visiting 6-5 South Carolina this weekend.

Clemson went out last week and beat up on a poor NCST football team. This gives the Tigers 5 consecutive wins, with the Tigers scoring 38 or more points in each of these contests. This offensive surge comes just in time and puts this team in an excellent position for post season play, as the Tigers can make it to the ACCCG with a win this week over Virginia or a BC loss this week to UNC or next week to UMd.

Clemson football has a chance this weekend to complete what just a month ago seemed nearly impossible. When the Tigers rub the rock and run down the hill Saturday, this team will be able to lock up the Atlantic Division championship. While I will not say that this achievement is life-changing,it would be nice to see a Clemson football team finish strong and go to the ACC Championship game. Coach Swinney and staff have managed to turn this season from near disaster to something to be proud of if CU sticks a fork in Al Groh and the white meat of the ACC.

While a division championship will not in itself vault Clemson into the upper echelon of college football teams, it certainly would give this program something that it has lacked since ‘91, some sort of championship. This is a big game for Swinney also, as he does not want to be lumped into the same (choke) category as his predecessor. Needless to say, CU needs to finish strong and take it to the Wahoos this week.

What championship improvements have we seen out of the Tigers this year? After several weeks of complaining about the offense to begin the season (rhythm, play selection, WR play, offensive line, etc…), it appears as though Billy Napier and Dabo have this thing dialed in. Clemson has scored 38 points in each of the previous five contests. As you can see through our progression through the season, the criticism has been almost reduced to dumb situational formations (i.e., 3rd and short last week, and the Tigers come out in a 5-wide set). The offensive line has improved over the course of the year, although we still would like to see more push at the LOS. KP, as we predicted, has turned into a pretty good quarterback as he has gained experience over the course of this season. Dude has a cannon, and now I think he is learning how to utilize his feet and make better decisions to better manage the game and individual situations. Also, Clemson realized that Palmer may be the best all-around receiver on the team—out of the tight end position. The strategy to utilize the TE’s, Spiller, and Ford has paid great dividends. I have been pleasantly surprised by the play of Dye and Ashe, giving KP (finally) more than one receiver option. Ellington has shown flashes of brilliance this season (when he holds onto the football) and J. Harper appears to finally be running with some purpose. The musical chairs decision to move Cloy and Smith has increased depth at arguably the weakest position on the team (OT by getting Smith on the field and Lambert on the sidelines). Obviously, CJ Spiller has been tremendous even with a few injuries. Clemson has ridden the C.J. Spiller train all season. Spiller has solidly positioned himself on many Heisman lists and has been absolutely incredible all season. While I am not ready to anoint Dabo Swinney as the next Bear Bryant, we certainly have to agree that Clemson is a better football team now than it was last season or at the beginning of this season.

Now, on to Virginia. UVa is, well, a bad football team (how many times do I get to write that this season?). What is up with Virginia? One would think that Al Groh (sweatshirt extraordinaire) could get it going in Charlottesville…apparently not. Barring Thomas Jefferson rising from the grave and declaring Al Groh governor of Virginia,this will be the last time Groh visits Death Valley as the Cav’s coach. This should be a cakewalk for the Tigers, entering as a ridiculous favorite and a relatively hot team. I expect this team to be jacked up and ready to go. I don’t say this often (especially when Clemson gets to play an important game), but look for the Tigers to beat the crap out of Virginia this weekend. Swinney has these guys up and excited every week. The Clemson offense is rolling right along, and even with the shaky linebacker play, CU gets a big win at home (and a big payday for Swinney and the coaches).

What we will be watching for is simple. Good position up front. I would like to see the OL finally get to the second level (but only after a completed assignment at the first level). It will be interesting to see this offensive line compete against UVa’s 3-4 look. Virginia should give Clemson several different combinations up front, so we will be interested in the OL’s calls and ability to work as a unit against this front.

I am really looking at the linebacker play this week. We have taken horrible angles and incurred bad penalties here all season. We have discussed this before, but Maye needs to calm down. He is a beast, and would terrify offenses in correct gaps and with correct pursuit angles. Hopefully the Tigers can avoid the petty penalties that occurred a week ago.

Kicking game: You tell me. How the hell we miss 4 extra points in 2 games is amazing. This is the one area we praised early on. Contrary to what I have heard lately, the ability to kick a 40 yard or less field goal is critical (just ask Coach Ford). Not only can we not kick (short) field goals, but both kickers are now missing extra points. I can’t decide which I hate worse, missed extra points or missed tackles, but I do know that this is unacceptable and will kill Clemson if Swinney and crew can’t make it happen.

Bottom line here is this is a game that Clemson has to win. Virginia, for lack of a better word, sucks. Al Groh has fallen from NFL guru to getting jacked at UVa. Clemson can put the final nail in the ACC Atlantic Division race coffin with a win, and can avoid going all Tom Bowden and blowing it when opportunity arises.

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Team Devotional: I had a double-top-secret-agent at Clemson’s team devotional Friday night before the N.C. State game.  They made my double-top-secret-agent’s family feel warmly welcomed.  Later, C.J., Jacoby, and the team loaded them up with signed memorabilia.  It was my double-top-secret-agent’s highlight to 2009, his weekends spent with me notwithstanding, of course.

Incidentally, he caught up with Dabo away from the devotional; I suppose Dabo doesn’t want to give the perception that a player would be rewarded or penalized by attendance, so he doesn’t attend himself.  My double-top-secret-agent got about 20 minutes of one-on-one time with Dabo, during which they spoke exclusively about…life, family, and commercial real estate.  Alas, my double-top-secret-agent is an idiot who spends zero time talking football when talking to the Clemson head football coach.

Did Spiller do Enough?: Against N.C. State, C.J. Spiller had 158 all-purpose yards with one touchdown receiving, one rushing, and one passing.  Those are pedestrian numbers for Superman, but the novelty of scoring three different ways keeps him in highlight reels.  I noticed that several commentators this weekend said that Spiller “should be in the conversation” for the Heisman rather than “is in the conversation”.

Spiller needs to work a little more magic to receive the invitation to the Heisman ceremony.  It helps that our next games will receive a good amount of media attention.  It also helps that Jimmy Clausen’s team lost to Pittsburgh.

Cavaliers – The Other White Meat: Virginia endured the first three decades of the Clemson/Virginia series without a single win, thus earning the handle “white meat” from Frank Howard.

It was almost as if Clemson played William & Mary every year. (Actually I have always argued that Clemson should schedule William & Mary, because I suspect it may count as two wins, for technical reasons.  This raises the question, who would give Clemson a tougher game – William or Mary?)

How far does Virginia’s program need to fall before they can be white meat again?

All That Talent: According to ESPN, here is the number of ACC players who were on NFL rosters this year by school (I also include USC):

I will hide this table along with my 7^th grade yearbook picture – things I never want to see again.  Embarrassing!

Clemson has the same number of NFL players as San Diego State.  Clemson is 10^th in the ACC and very nearly 11^th.  How could we ever expect to compete with this kind of talent?  I am glad that we have upgraded our talent the last couple of years – God bless the WestZone.

What accounts for the lack of Clemson players in the pros?  Is it poor recruiting, lack of player development, or both?  I vote for both.  I hope that we have righted the ship, and that Dabo will continue to improve this situation.

What school has done the least with the most talent?  Consider that most of these players have left college in the last ten years.  I think that Virginia and North Carolina are the biggest underachievers based on these numbers.

As much as I may choke on these words, Clemson has been the biggest overachiever next to Wake Forest.  Rah, rah, Tommy Bowden.  Of course, Tommy, recruiting was part of your job as well, and we had way too many mirthless National Signing Days during your tenure.

I Don’t Like Thomas Jefferson: No school celebrates a founder like Virginia celebrates Thomas Jefferson.  Unfortunately I read David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize winning book John Adams.  I find Thomas Jefferson to be a brilliant leader with misanthropic leanings who racked up huge amounts of personal debt because of his hubris.

Granted, he had a way with words, and his effeminate academic sensibility played well in diplomacy.  But it also bears mentioning that his relationship with Sally Hemings approaches the moral equivalent of rape.

I will remember to build a cool house and found a school if I’m ever in need of redemption.  It’s little wonder that Jefferson’s amazing mind begat the archetypal bowtied dandy at UVA two centuries later.

Every day, I will happily and thankfully channel my inner redneck here in South Carolina as a fan of Thomas Green Clemson (who nearly lost the Clemson estate in a poker game) and John C. Calhoun…and possibly Pitchfork Ben Tillman if you ignore his race baiting – he lacked a cool house.

Oranges — a Delicious Snack: I plan on stuffing my pockets full of oranges to smuggle into the Virginia game.  They make for a delicious, healthful, refreshing snack, and you can always lob them onto the playing surface for players, coaches, and officials to enjoy.  In fact, I encourage all fans to share our bounty during the game in light of the Thanksgiving season.

Disclaimer: the connection between throwing oranges onto the field and the Orange Bowl is sheer coincidence.

Please send fawning email to sectionHrowJ@gmail.com and visit www.clemsontigernation.com.

We Will Beat FSU Like a Rented Mule: Last blog I predicted that Clemson “will beat FSU like a rented mule.” Oh, my prophetic soul.  Littering isn’t the only way to make the Indian cry — you can also score three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Clemson’s agricultural heritage has left us with a high view of mules, whether rented or not, so it’s little wonder that the Tigers only administered 16 points worth of beating to the Seminoles: final score, Clemson 40 FSU 24.

Mules notwithstanding, it didn’t help that Kyle Parker threw a pick 6 (while almost throwing another one), and that Clemson had first and goal on two possessions without coming away with points.  A covered tight end expunged a touchdown pass to Michael Palmer on one of those possessions – please learn the plays, Xavier Dye.  It reminded me of two Georgia Tech games where Palmer’s mistakes created illegal formations and cost us points.  At least Palmer was the good guy this time; he is one of my favorite Tigers.

The Answer is Three Things All Clemson Men Like: Alex, what are football, barbecue, and Erin Andrews?

Speaking of EA, I saw a burly lad in a nice suit trailing her for the duration of the FSU game.  I can only assume that he is her bodyguard, provided by ESPN.  This is a classy move by the worldwide leader in sports, though one might cynically say they are only concerned with avoiding future litigation by Ms. Andrews.  It would stand to reason a peeping tom in a hotel might not be her only stalker.

When Jarvis Jenkins or Brandon Thompson leave the program, let’s recruit Erin Andrews’ bodyguard.  He is a defensive tackle if I ever saw one.

Prime Time Players in the Clemson/N.C. State Game: In 2001 Woody Dantzler had a magical day in Raleigh, compiling 517 all-purpose yards against the Wolfpack.  If you get Fox Sports South, they replay this game twenty times a day.

In 2005 James Davis averaged 11.9 yards/carry before breaking his arm in the third quarter.  He ended up with 143 yards on 12 carries.

College football loves phenomenal athletes that can score in different ways – C.J. Spiller, Reggie Bush, Peter Warrick, Percy Harvin, Devin Hester, and many others.  We all know that Spiller has had over 300 all-purpose yards against Miami and Florida State.  The Clemson/N.C. State series has produced many great individual performances (including that dark day in 1998 when Torrey Holt scored four touchdowns.)

Spiller needs another 300 yard game on Saturday to build a case for an invitation to the Heisman ceremony, if not a case for the Heisman itself.  I think he will do it, unless Dabo sits him at the end of the game.  He’s a little banged up, and he was surprisingly winded at the end of the Florida State game.

I See Dead People…Everywhere: I have a theory: Tom O’Brien and Al Groh are both dead but just haven’t fallen over yet.

We play N.C. State this week and Virginia the next.  Have we ever had two successive games against more boring coaches?  The Gamecocks have their Orange Crush portion of the schedule where they play Florida, Tennessee, and Clemson.  We should have a similar name for our two games against coaches least likely to have a pulse.  How about the Dismal Duo?  Feel free to make a suggestion.

Antepenultimate: Antepenultimate is my favorite word.  It means next to next to last.  This is the antepenultimate game of Clemson’s regular season.

I find that Clemson tends to do well in antepenultimate things.  For instance, Danny Ford was our antepenultimate coach before the Tommy West era, and the 1982 Orange Bowl was our antepenultimate bowl before the 1986 Gator Bowl.  N.C. State should think of all things antepenultimate and shudder.

Please send flattering email to sectionHrowJ@gmail.com and visit www.clemsontigernation.com.

From the boys at shakinthesouthland.com

Florida State University (4-4 overall, 2-3 ACC) comes to town this weekend for a 7:45 start in the Valley.  This is a critical game for both teams, as Clemson controls its own destiny within the division and FSU is still in the Atlantic race, but cannot afford to drop another conference contest.  This series has become increasingly competitive over the past 5-10 years, and I expect about the same out of this week’s contest.

This program is experiencing some transition pains as the ‘Noles are creeping closer to the end of the Bowden era and beginning of the Fisher era (beginning on or before next January).  On top of all this, long-time defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews has announced this will be his last season with the Seminoles, as he is retiring at the conclusion of this season.  Further excitement lies in Bob Bowden being keen on making the Andrews replacement hire.  As you can see, there is a lot going on with this team.

On to the game.  Florida State is what I would call a completely polar team, with their offense extremely positive and defense extremely negative.  Florida State’s offense has experienced nothing short of a resurrection since Jimbo Fisher has come on board.  The ‘Noles have one of the best quarterbacks in America in Christian Ponder and have done a fine job up front, giving Ponder time to throw the ball all year.  Ponder has some great targets to throw to, as the ‘Noles have been flat out killing it through the air this season.

(Thanks to Tomahawknation.com)

I really like watching the Seminoles passing attack.  It is precise and generally lacks stupid mistakes (when the receivers hold onto the football).  Christian Ponder has thrown three picks on the season, with one on a desperation heave against UM in the season opener and the other two on tipped passes.  Ponder puts the ball where it needs to be each and every play, and in such a fashion that only his receiver will have an opportunity to come down with the football.  The Junior signal caller does not force the ball and does a great job moving through his progression and making adjustments at the line of scrimmage.  CP is normally a pretty mobile guy, but may be hampered by a rib injury that came about last week against NC State.  His comfort and ability to move will play a major factor in Saturday’s game.

While many folks like to dog the ‘Noles rushing game, I tend to take the opposite opinion.  While Florida State’s rushing game brings in an attack that has generated just1100 yards on approx 250 carries in eight games, I do not believe these numbers are a fair assessment of the Noles ground game.  These stats are misleading for several compelling reasons.

First and foremost, FSU’s defense has been so poor this season that the ‘Noles have been forced to throw the ball an excessive amount this season.  FSU’s weekly shootouts don’t give the offense the opportunity to establish a consistent rushing attack.  The other piece of evidence that excuses the ‘Noles rushing game is the large quantity of screen passes attempted each week.  One could easily argue that these plays are near equivalents to rushing plays, and thus take away from team carries.  FSU has competent backs (Thomas and Jones) and has a pretty good offensive line.  As with most all zone blocking schemes, you won’t see people getting blown off the football in rushing situations but will see good technique and position out of the FSU offensive front.  FSU has also frozen opponent’s second level defenders all season with play action, showing me that others respect their ability to be dangerous on the ground also.

Florida State’s defense has been a real disappointment.  The Seminoles rank near the bottom in the nation in most categories.  I have never seen, nor never thought that I would see a Mickey Andrews defense that was this inept week in and week out.  Mickey has always been known as an aggressive, hard nosed guy who was able to aptly utilize talent and scheme to confuse and dominate opposing offenses.  This year, nothing could be further from the truth.  All Florida State has done to this point is give up points and yards (you know you are in trouble when you give up 28 to Boston College and 27 to North Carolina.  There are too many faults here to beat around.  All I will say is that I expect this defense to give up a couple of big gainers this week.  I will be interested to see if Andrews retirement news earlier in the week will create an emotional charge for this group this weekend.

Clemson’s D will have its hands full this weekend.  I fully expect a shootout in the Valley Saturday night if Ponder is healthy (along those same lines, the game-time over/under should be right around 60).  This week will really show us how good  the Tiger defense really is, and will give McDaniel ample opportunities to prove he is the premier safety in the ACC.

We will be watching the front four, as CU will need to pressure Ponder and keep him bottled up.  Clemson will really miss Bowers this week.  While there is adequate depth behind Bowers, he has been a beast all season and has shown why he was so highly ranked coming out of Bamberg.  Sapp, Alexander, Cumbie, Branch, etc…will need to keep the motors running all night.

Jimbo Fisher will provide Kevin Steele with the best chess match he will see all season. FSU is so skilled offensively and has instant scoring capabilities that will hinder the aggression shown by the Clemson defense.  Clemson needs to tackle well in the open field, considering FSU’s wide array of screen passes and elusive receivers.  There will be a lot of pressure placed on the Clemson secondary all night, and I am not expecting a gift interception.

Offensively the Tigers need to assure that the backs and TE’s are involved in the offense.  Hopefully some of the younger WR’s gained some valuable experience and confidence in last week’s garbage game, and will hold onto the damn football.  Otherwise, I would expect Napier/Swinney to do everything in their power to get #28 the football.  This is a prime opportunity for Spiller to show out against a less than stellar defense.  Spiller should have a nice game this week IF CU gives him the 25-30 touches that he has to have to keep Clemson in the track meet we will see Saturday.