ACC Football: Atlantic Warzone
(just trying to have a little fun here folks)
Last year the ACC was heavily criticized as being a weak conference, some felt that teams like Boise State were better than any team in either the ACC or Big East…I strongly disagree. While the ACC has had better years, every year has been a war from start to finish…
And before I continue, I don’t wanna hear no self-righteous yap about being sensitive to war terms…I am greatly proud of all our troops, but almost every term used in the sport of football comes from the aggressive terms used in the military…so don’t take it so personal…it’s just a game!
Anyway…..
With the ACC being as competitive as it was last year, we see that all 12 teams dive into the season with hopes of making it to that ACC Championship game, and also that next step to a BCS bowl. But who stands the best chances of getting there? Let’s look at the Atlantic Division of the ACC and see the rank and file of these ACC members:
In alphabetical order, you have Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. But three games into the college football season, the order is a little different.
According to the standings, Clemson actually sits on top because as of this moment, they are the ONLY team in the Atlantic Division with a division win, that being over Boston College, although it is matched with a loss from Georgia Tech. You technically have a three way tie for second because NC State, Wake Forest and Maryland are all 0-0. At the bottom you have a tie because both Boston College and Florida State have a conference loss. So one could put the actual rank and file as such:
General: Clemson Tigers
Captain: North Carolina State Wolfpack
Lieutenant: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Sergeant: Maryland Terrapins
Corporal: Boston College Eagles
Buck Private: Florida State Seminoles
But appearances can be deceiving, can’t they?
Each team will all face one another to truly determine who is the leader, and who will be mopping the floors at the end of the day. Let’s take a closer look at each team and see where they might TRULY end up:
Clemson: A win over Boston College makes them the (temporary) undisputed leader with a division win, which means more than a conference win. Putting Boston College in their place gives the Tigers a leg up on everybody else, but as we noted, this is only temporary. This 7-6 team last year wasn’t much on leading, as they were a highly ranked team at the beginning of last year, only to lose rank in record fashion. They beat 2 of the 5 division foes last year, and it seems that they might be a little better this year. Could Florida State be the only thing standing in their way for Atlantic Division domination?
NC State: The reason why they are listed above Wake Forest and Maryland is because alphabetically they come before Wake Forest, and Maryland is currently 1-2. With cheap wins against less than stellar foes, the jury is still out on this team that went 6-7 last year. Wake Forest was the only divisional foe they beat least year, and it was a home game, winning only by 4. With away games at Wake Forest, Boston College and Florida State, we can’t see the Wolfpack commanding too many troops here.
Wake Forest: This 8-5 team has only lost one game so far this year, but there are still many questions about the lack of scoring that they had last year. Yes they got the ball in the end zone, but averaging about 21 a game makes it too close for comfort. Beating Florida State AND Clemson was great, losing in a shutout to Maryland, then losing to NC State and Boston College makes them average. They need this win over Boston College to validate some authority, else it will be a long season.
Maryland: How many stripes are really on the arm of this team. Lose to Middle Tennessee, beat California. Get shut out by Virginia, then shuts out Wake Forest. If we don’t know what this team is about, it is best to keep them right in the middle of the pack, but at 1-2 they are already behind the ball, and it does not look like they will show us anything to change our mind. Average at best, possibly lower.
Boston College: The loss to Clemson was an odd one, with the weather playing such a significant factor, but a loss is still a loss. Few wonder how legit the team really is, after all, there is no quality wins at the moment. A lot of work to be done for a team that was 9-5 last year. Only Clemson bested them last year out of the division, but BC had 7 games that were within a possession of winning…or losing. It might appear that the glory days of the Eagles might be slipping… and the rank possibly justified.
Florida State: Odd how the tail is actually the head, how a Buck Private is actually the leader of a division. Florida State lost to Miami, but crushed a top 25 foe in BYU on the road to solidify (for now) a top 25 ranking. With 3 division games on the road, this might be a sign. A respectable 9-4 last year, it is still underachieving for the former Commander-In-Chief of the ACC. Those days of absolute rule are long gone, but remember that two of their losses last year came from this very division…and we are still scratching our heads about that Jacksonville State game…
So having looked at the facts, we might change up the rank and file of the ACC to read this way, as it may well look at the end of the year:
General: Florida State Seminoles
Captain: Clemson Tigers
Lieutenant: North Carolina State Wolfpack
Sergeant: Boston College Eagles
Corporal: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Buck Private: Maryland
We shall learn much more after this weekend, with Boston College hosting Wake Forest… time will tell all….
Showing posts with label Clemson Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clemson Football. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Clemson vs Georgia Tech: Aftermath
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech: Aftermath
What an interesting game.
I watched that game with a few schools of thought before the kickoff, one, that Clemson with a new head coach, and having a disappointing season last year, could be looking at a loss. I also thought Georgia Tech, as a nationally ranked team, at home, should win, but was not convinced because their quarterback is not REALLY a quarterback. I mean, looking at his stats, you really had to wonder about that.
And so the game begins and it just looks like this triple option thing that Georgia Tech has is really going to work…I mean, it did well for the last year. But I have my doubts about it working for a great team, against great opponents. It just seemed that the Yellow Jackets were kinda out of date by using it, even though their coach came from Navy, where it is still being used.
I watched that game and saw Georgia Tech jump to a 21-0 in the first quarter, then 24-7 by halftime…but I wondered something about Georgia Tech, something they best not repeat.
With the score 21-7, and the Yellow Jackets driving, they had a third down and maybe 3 or 4 yards for a first down, inside the 10 yard line. I remember asking my brother if GA Tech ought to try to punch it for the first down or touchdown. He said they should try to at least get a field goal out of it. The play they ran seemed to imply that Georgia Tech was only trying to get in the center of the field, to guarantee at least a field goal.
I can understand that, but what it also seems to imply was that they were not going for the “killer blow” when they were inside the 10 yard line. I know it’s hindsight, but if you played aggressive for at least the first down, you might have 4 more downs to score a touchdown, and possibly break Clemson’s heart. Instead, they went for 3 and got it.
But in doing so, I really wonder if they gave Clemson hope. It certainly seemed so, as Clemson came in the second half to tie the game at 27-27, and it took a great effort by Georgia Tech to win.
I will say that I am impressed by Clemson, but I wonder if Georgia Tech will be able to win 8 games. When you take the field to play an opponent, you can’t fool yourself to think that 21 points will guarantee you a victory. The Yellow Jackets almost learned the hard way that jumping off to a 21-0 start does NOT guarantee a victory.
And what’s up with the passing? I mean, it was an adventure just short of “Lord of the Rings” whenever Nessbitt dropped back to pass. At one point Nessbitt had more interceptions than completions. What this tells me is if Georgia Tech’s triple options for any reason fails or slumps, they can’t win because they don’t have a quarterback to pass the ball. His stats last year were 2 touchdowns, FIVE interceptions the whole year!
Georgia Tech survived that game, and to be fair, sometimes you need that scary game to shake you into playing better. To be sure, Georgia Tech’s style of play is different from anybody else in the ACC, so there is some idea that they can rise through the ranks. And with the ACC falling apart with ranked members VA Tech and Florida State falling, and basement teams like Duke and Virginia losing to foes they ought never lose to, maybe Georgia Tech is in position to make some real noise.
And I’ll say the same for Clemson, they played a LOT better than I thought they would, hats off to those guys for not giving up when things got hard. Playing like that, and eliminating just a few mistakes can have them making serious contention for the ACC crown.
Overall, a VERY good game, I enjoyed every bit of it. Great job Yellow Jackets and Tigers.
What an interesting game.
I watched that game with a few schools of thought before the kickoff, one, that Clemson with a new head coach, and having a disappointing season last year, could be looking at a loss. I also thought Georgia Tech, as a nationally ranked team, at home, should win, but was not convinced because their quarterback is not REALLY a quarterback. I mean, looking at his stats, you really had to wonder about that.
And so the game begins and it just looks like this triple option thing that Georgia Tech has is really going to work…I mean, it did well for the last year. But I have my doubts about it working for a great team, against great opponents. It just seemed that the Yellow Jackets were kinda out of date by using it, even though their coach came from Navy, where it is still being used.
I watched that game and saw Georgia Tech jump to a 21-0 in the first quarter, then 24-7 by halftime…but I wondered something about Georgia Tech, something they best not repeat.
With the score 21-7, and the Yellow Jackets driving, they had a third down and maybe 3 or 4 yards for a first down, inside the 10 yard line. I remember asking my brother if GA Tech ought to try to punch it for the first down or touchdown. He said they should try to at least get a field goal out of it. The play they ran seemed to imply that Georgia Tech was only trying to get in the center of the field, to guarantee at least a field goal.
I can understand that, but what it also seems to imply was that they were not going for the “killer blow” when they were inside the 10 yard line. I know it’s hindsight, but if you played aggressive for at least the first down, you might have 4 more downs to score a touchdown, and possibly break Clemson’s heart. Instead, they went for 3 and got it.
But in doing so, I really wonder if they gave Clemson hope. It certainly seemed so, as Clemson came in the second half to tie the game at 27-27, and it took a great effort by Georgia Tech to win.
I will say that I am impressed by Clemson, but I wonder if Georgia Tech will be able to win 8 games. When you take the field to play an opponent, you can’t fool yourself to think that 21 points will guarantee you a victory. The Yellow Jackets almost learned the hard way that jumping off to a 21-0 start does NOT guarantee a victory.
And what’s up with the passing? I mean, it was an adventure just short of “Lord of the Rings” whenever Nessbitt dropped back to pass. At one point Nessbitt had more interceptions than completions. What this tells me is if Georgia Tech’s triple options for any reason fails or slumps, they can’t win because they don’t have a quarterback to pass the ball. His stats last year were 2 touchdowns, FIVE interceptions the whole year!
Georgia Tech survived that game, and to be fair, sometimes you need that scary game to shake you into playing better. To be sure, Georgia Tech’s style of play is different from anybody else in the ACC, so there is some idea that they can rise through the ranks. And with the ACC falling apart with ranked members VA Tech and Florida State falling, and basement teams like Duke and Virginia losing to foes they ought never lose to, maybe Georgia Tech is in position to make some real noise.
And I’ll say the same for Clemson, they played a LOT better than I thought they would, hats off to those guys for not giving up when things got hard. Playing like that, and eliminating just a few mistakes can have them making serious contention for the ACC crown.
Overall, a VERY good game, I enjoyed every bit of it. Great job Yellow Jackets and Tigers.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Clemson vs Georgia Tech
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech
Tonight we have three different games on television, and I am not sure which one I will be watching. I want to watch all three, but may end up bouncing back and forth through the night. There the NFL game of the Titans/Steelers, which promises to be good, but there are two college games that are on tonight.
Florida A&M plays Winston-Salem State on ESPNU, so I want to look at that game but Clemson plays Georgia Tech, which is a big key game to watch, especially for the ACC.
Let’s look at this matchup and see who may have the edge.
One could almost give the game to Georgia Tech, since they are home tonight and are currently ranked #15. Everything seems to be in their favor, right? Hmm, one might have said similar things about the Miami/Florida State game too. We know how that turned out.
So let’s look at these teams and see where they are coming from, and where they may be headed.
Clemson comes off a very disappointing season, one that had them in the top 10 and a shot for a National Championship. A loss to Alabama in the first game 34-10 quickly dispelled any hopes for such a championship, but many felt that Clemson was the favorite to win the ACC crown. Beating Citadel and South Carolina State didn’t prove anything, but winning their first ACC game of the year over NC State kept hope alive.
The Tigers took their 3-1 record and quick as you please, lost the next three conference games. Losing to Maryland at home, to Wake Forest away and to Georgia Tech at home was crushing, and Clemson went from a possible contender to just trying to stay afloat in the conference.
Clemson would however snatch an impressive win over Boston College, but would lose big to Florida State. At 4-5, there wasn’t much hope for celebration, and the embarrassment of it all had rumors of the coach’s job on the line. I remember that because it seemed that the team tried it’s best to rally behind him, trying to at least qualify for a bowl and salvage the season. Wins over Duke, Virginia and South Carolina did bring their record to 7-5, but they lost to Nebraska in the post season bowl. It wasn’t enough to save the coach’s job.
So this year, a new coach, but their starter QB is gone and a few other offensive weapons. This might be one of those “rebuilding years” and Clemson’s schedule is pretty tough by ACC standards. And without Duke on the schedule…it might be hard to see 7 wins.
Georgia Tech fared much better, yet still leaving much to be desired. The entire conference took a shot in the face by the nation, even though the ACC put a ton of teams in post season play. Georgia Tech’s 9-4 record leaves some question marks. To be sure, 9 wins for any FBS school is admirable, but some wonder if the Yellow Jackets are as tough as they seem.
GA Tech started out easy, beating Jacksonville State, before taking their first ACC win over Boston College. But any hopes of dominating the year were ended quickly by Virginia Tech. They would recover by beating SEC foe Mississippi State 38-7 before marching over Duke, Gardner-Webb, and Clemson. But a loss to crumbling Virginia team had people wondering if Georgia Tech was really that good, or just easing through a soft schedule and conference.
A win over Florida State, and a loss to UNC left a lot of eyebrows raised, people not really knowing what kind of team they were looking at, but a win vs. Miami and an impressive win against Georgia seemed to make the point that this was one of the best teams in the ACC. The season would however, end in a loss to LSU in the post season bowl.
What was questionable for Georgia Tech was that they seemed to struggle on the road. Yes they beat BC but by 3. They lost to Virginia Tech by the same margin. They beat Clemson only by 4 points and lost to UNC by 21. They did beat Georgia but only by 3 points. Is there some problem with the Y Js on the road? With a schedule that includes Miami, Mississippi State, Florida State, Virginia and Vanderbilt, ALL on the road, somebody better get these guys prepared for life outside of Atlanta.
So who is favored? To me, one of the first things I look for is stability in the quarterback position. We have already seen how quickly the fates of a season change with a quarterback. Georgia Tech has the same quarterback from last year (Nessbitt), while Clemson has a new one. Georgia Tech is home. Georgia Tech is nationally ranked. Georgia Tech beat Clemson last year in their own house. Everything seems to point to the Yellow Jackets. If there is a question, it would be that Nessbitt is now the leading scorer in rushing…and for a quarterback that could spell trouble. If Clemson neutralizes that, then the game is in the air….
In the air…a strange thing to say for Georgia Tech, since they don’t like throwing, and Nessbitt has ONLY 2 touchdowns and 5 interceptions…ugh!
If Clemson figures that out, they have every chance to win, but with a brand new coach, I am not sure if he can set it in motion. The way I described this, I would originally think Georgia Tech wins by 14 points…but looking deeper, this could be much closer. I’ll put it this way, if Clemson can’t stop Nessbitt, I expect the Yellow Jackets to win by 10. If they CAN contain him…Clemson just might steal an early victory…we shall see…
Tonight we have three different games on television, and I am not sure which one I will be watching. I want to watch all three, but may end up bouncing back and forth through the night. There the NFL game of the Titans/Steelers, which promises to be good, but there are two college games that are on tonight.
Florida A&M plays Winston-Salem State on ESPNU, so I want to look at that game but Clemson plays Georgia Tech, which is a big key game to watch, especially for the ACC.
Let’s look at this matchup and see who may have the edge.
One could almost give the game to Georgia Tech, since they are home tonight and are currently ranked #15. Everything seems to be in their favor, right? Hmm, one might have said similar things about the Miami/Florida State game too. We know how that turned out.
So let’s look at these teams and see where they are coming from, and where they may be headed.
Clemson comes off a very disappointing season, one that had them in the top 10 and a shot for a National Championship. A loss to Alabama in the first game 34-10 quickly dispelled any hopes for such a championship, but many felt that Clemson was the favorite to win the ACC crown. Beating Citadel and South Carolina State didn’t prove anything, but winning their first ACC game of the year over NC State kept hope alive.
The Tigers took their 3-1 record and quick as you please, lost the next three conference games. Losing to Maryland at home, to Wake Forest away and to Georgia Tech at home was crushing, and Clemson went from a possible contender to just trying to stay afloat in the conference.
Clemson would however snatch an impressive win over Boston College, but would lose big to Florida State. At 4-5, there wasn’t much hope for celebration, and the embarrassment of it all had rumors of the coach’s job on the line. I remember that because it seemed that the team tried it’s best to rally behind him, trying to at least qualify for a bowl and salvage the season. Wins over Duke, Virginia and South Carolina did bring their record to 7-5, but they lost to Nebraska in the post season bowl. It wasn’t enough to save the coach’s job.
So this year, a new coach, but their starter QB is gone and a few other offensive weapons. This might be one of those “rebuilding years” and Clemson’s schedule is pretty tough by ACC standards. And without Duke on the schedule…it might be hard to see 7 wins.
Georgia Tech fared much better, yet still leaving much to be desired. The entire conference took a shot in the face by the nation, even though the ACC put a ton of teams in post season play. Georgia Tech’s 9-4 record leaves some question marks. To be sure, 9 wins for any FBS school is admirable, but some wonder if the Yellow Jackets are as tough as they seem.
GA Tech started out easy, beating Jacksonville State, before taking their first ACC win over Boston College. But any hopes of dominating the year were ended quickly by Virginia Tech. They would recover by beating SEC foe Mississippi State 38-7 before marching over Duke, Gardner-Webb, and Clemson. But a loss to crumbling Virginia team had people wondering if Georgia Tech was really that good, or just easing through a soft schedule and conference.
A win over Florida State, and a loss to UNC left a lot of eyebrows raised, people not really knowing what kind of team they were looking at, but a win vs. Miami and an impressive win against Georgia seemed to make the point that this was one of the best teams in the ACC. The season would however, end in a loss to LSU in the post season bowl.
What was questionable for Georgia Tech was that they seemed to struggle on the road. Yes they beat BC but by 3. They lost to Virginia Tech by the same margin. They beat Clemson only by 4 points and lost to UNC by 21. They did beat Georgia but only by 3 points. Is there some problem with the Y Js on the road? With a schedule that includes Miami, Mississippi State, Florida State, Virginia and Vanderbilt, ALL on the road, somebody better get these guys prepared for life outside of Atlanta.
So who is favored? To me, one of the first things I look for is stability in the quarterback position. We have already seen how quickly the fates of a season change with a quarterback. Georgia Tech has the same quarterback from last year (Nessbitt), while Clemson has a new one. Georgia Tech is home. Georgia Tech is nationally ranked. Georgia Tech beat Clemson last year in their own house. Everything seems to point to the Yellow Jackets. If there is a question, it would be that Nessbitt is now the leading scorer in rushing…and for a quarterback that could spell trouble. If Clemson neutralizes that, then the game is in the air….
In the air…a strange thing to say for Georgia Tech, since they don’t like throwing, and Nessbitt has ONLY 2 touchdowns and 5 interceptions…ugh!
If Clemson figures that out, they have every chance to win, but with a brand new coach, I am not sure if he can set it in motion. The way I described this, I would originally think Georgia Tech wins by 14 points…but looking deeper, this could be much closer. I’ll put it this way, if Clemson can’t stop Nessbitt, I expect the Yellow Jackets to win by 10. If they CAN contain him…Clemson just might steal an early victory…we shall see…
Monday, October 13, 2008
Clemson Football: Fallen
Clemson Football: Fallen
I didn’t expect to see this story line, but well, there it is. It was recently reported that Clemson Head Football Coach Tommy Bowden decided to step down as the head coach of the Clemson Tigers, in light of the titanic fall this team has had this year.
Clemson, currently 3-3 has fallen hard from grace. At the beginning of the year the Clemson Tigers were ranked about #8 in the nation, and were the favorites to compete for the ACC Championship and a BCS bowl. But that dream ended immediately with an embarrassing loss to Alabama 34-10. The Tigers might take some comfort in the fact that currently this same team is #2 in the nation.
A win over Citadel wasn’t that impressive, but a win over NC State at the time seemed like the promise could still come true for the predicted ACC Champs. Another win over South Carolina State gave Clemson a winning record, but nothing to be proud of.
Then two ACC losses in a row, losing to Maryland 20-17 and losing to Wake Forest 12-7 seemed to be too much to endure.
I personally don’t know if the NCAA will count the wins over Citadel and South Carolina State as legit Division I wins. If they don’t then technically Clemson has only 1 quality win, needing 5 more just to qualify for a bowl. That means they’d have to win 5 of the last 6 games just to qualify for a bowl, and that does not look possible considering how they have played so far this year.
In a year where the ACC has looked VERY soft, it makes it even harder to see how Clemson can be playing so poorly when some had them in the ACC Championships, and possibly in the Sugar Bowl. So now if you are a Clemson fan, you have to look at what can be salvaged, now with a head coach gone.
First things first…can you qualify for a bowl?
As mentioned, I don’t know if the NCAA counts the Citadel and South Carolina State games as quality wins. Let’s go on the idea that it does not count. If so, Clemson then has to win 5 of their last 6 games just to qualify. Their next game is at home against Georgia Tech. IF there is any hope to saving this team, it starts here.
If you look at how Georgia Tech barely survived Gardner-Webb, then maybe there is a chance that Clemson, at home could take that. Lots of times a team plays much more inspired after something dramatic happens to a team…say losing a head coach. It is conceivable that Clemson could win this emotionally charged game, although I might say that Georgia Tech may win this game.
The next two games are AT Boston College and Florida State. I am not too sure about FSU because it seems that the Bowden there is having trouble keeping his team together too. Clemson might be having a bad year so far, but I do think they have the talent to split these two games.
The Tigers then have a home game against Duke…that ought to be a win… I mean, it IS Duke, right?
And then an away game vs. Virginia. Now, if Clemson did beat Georgia Tech and split the two away games, they have a good chance of making it to a bowl with a win here. At this point (still considering the Citadel and South Carolina State games are not valid) Clemson needs to be 6-4 before this game, and needs to beat Virginia. If so, the entire season lies in a state rival…South Carolina.
I gotta tell you, this may not be good for Clemson. If they get to this point, they have to be on a strong roll and need to play inspired ball to beat South Carolina. It may be a mirror game, because South Carolina could be playing for a bowl as well. Clemson could be fighting for their post season life at this point, unless it was already lost earlier in the season.
No doubt this is a very difficult season for Clemson and their fans, and their head coach stepping down did not help, but sometimes a team can play “inspired ball” in light of a very dramatic change. But right now, Clemson University will have to learn to get up after falling down…and the future for these players is going to be very tough. We’ll see how this turns out as the season goes on….
I didn’t expect to see this story line, but well, there it is. It was recently reported that Clemson Head Football Coach Tommy Bowden decided to step down as the head coach of the Clemson Tigers, in light of the titanic fall this team has had this year.
Clemson, currently 3-3 has fallen hard from grace. At the beginning of the year the Clemson Tigers were ranked about #8 in the nation, and were the favorites to compete for the ACC Championship and a BCS bowl. But that dream ended immediately with an embarrassing loss to Alabama 34-10. The Tigers might take some comfort in the fact that currently this same team is #2 in the nation.
A win over Citadel wasn’t that impressive, but a win over NC State at the time seemed like the promise could still come true for the predicted ACC Champs. Another win over South Carolina State gave Clemson a winning record, but nothing to be proud of.
Then two ACC losses in a row, losing to Maryland 20-17 and losing to Wake Forest 12-7 seemed to be too much to endure.
I personally don’t know if the NCAA will count the wins over Citadel and South Carolina State as legit Division I wins. If they don’t then technically Clemson has only 1 quality win, needing 5 more just to qualify for a bowl. That means they’d have to win 5 of the last 6 games just to qualify for a bowl, and that does not look possible considering how they have played so far this year.
In a year where the ACC has looked VERY soft, it makes it even harder to see how Clemson can be playing so poorly when some had them in the ACC Championships, and possibly in the Sugar Bowl. So now if you are a Clemson fan, you have to look at what can be salvaged, now with a head coach gone.
First things first…can you qualify for a bowl?
As mentioned, I don’t know if the NCAA counts the Citadel and South Carolina State games as quality wins. Let’s go on the idea that it does not count. If so, Clemson then has to win 5 of their last 6 games just to qualify. Their next game is at home against Georgia Tech. IF there is any hope to saving this team, it starts here.
If you look at how Georgia Tech barely survived Gardner-Webb, then maybe there is a chance that Clemson, at home could take that. Lots of times a team plays much more inspired after something dramatic happens to a team…say losing a head coach. It is conceivable that Clemson could win this emotionally charged game, although I might say that Georgia Tech may win this game.
The next two games are AT Boston College and Florida State. I am not too sure about FSU because it seems that the Bowden there is having trouble keeping his team together too. Clemson might be having a bad year so far, but I do think they have the talent to split these two games.
The Tigers then have a home game against Duke…that ought to be a win… I mean, it IS Duke, right?
And then an away game vs. Virginia. Now, if Clemson did beat Georgia Tech and split the two away games, they have a good chance of making it to a bowl with a win here. At this point (still considering the Citadel and South Carolina State games are not valid) Clemson needs to be 6-4 before this game, and needs to beat Virginia. If so, the entire season lies in a state rival…South Carolina.
I gotta tell you, this may not be good for Clemson. If they get to this point, they have to be on a strong roll and need to play inspired ball to beat South Carolina. It may be a mirror game, because South Carolina could be playing for a bowl as well. Clemson could be fighting for their post season life at this point, unless it was already lost earlier in the season.
No doubt this is a very difficult season for Clemson and their fans, and their head coach stepping down did not help, but sometimes a team can play “inspired ball” in light of a very dramatic change. But right now, Clemson University will have to learn to get up after falling down…and the future for these players is going to be very tough. We’ll see how this turns out as the season goes on….
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Speedblog: Clemson vs Wake Forest
Speedblog: Clemson vs. Wake Forest
I walked away from the television with the last 90 seconds left of this ball game as Wake Forest will win this game, 12-7.
Clemson was ranked as high as #8 in the nation…what’s up with that? And neither team had any offense. One might say that the defenses were very good, and I would agree, but Wake Forest should have had many more points than that. If you just looked at highlights and not look at the score, you’d swear the score was something like 21-7 or 24-7, Wake Forest.
If Wake Forest represented the second best team in the ACC (or best) then the whole conference is in a serious depression. You can say that it’s competitive, and in truth it is, but right now NOBODY in the ACC is going to scare anybody for the BCS crown. You can go ahead and mark off this conference for a serious contender. Of the six major conferences, I think the ACC and Big East are the weakest.
Having said that, I really did enjoy the play calling for Wake Forest. It’s like they wanted to dazzle the fans and confuse the Clemson defense. And for many parts they did, until they got to the red zone, and completely forgot how to play.
And one thing I kinda get tired of hearing is the guys calling the game saying silly stuff like, “he’s gotta make that catch” or “he’s gotta make that play”. You notice how they ALWAYS say that about the receiver, as if the quarterback is never at fault? I agree that there are some catches that are dropped and is the receiver’s fault, but if a quarterback throws a pass too high, too low, or behind the receiver, or leads him into a dangerous hit, that is the quarterback’s fault.
One of the plays had a receiver that was led into the middle of a couple of defenders, and as he was hit he dropped the ball, to which the guys on ESPN said, “that’s a pass he’s got to make”. That’s hindsight and silly to say, of COURSE he should have made it, but how about passing a plate of BLAME to the quarterback as well.
But it was actually a good game, I enjoyed it, while bouncing back to the Winston Salem State University game on ESPNU. You know me, I love my football…
So now where do we stand with Clemson and Wake Forest?
Wake Forest sits on top of the Atlantic Division and is all but guaranteed post season play. At 4-1, their next two games are at Maryland and at Miami. If this team does not start finding the end zone soon, they are going to lose at LEAST one of these games…possibly even both.
But in the even that they split (which is likely), they should be able to snatch a win from Duke at home, and maybe even Virginia (one of the worst offensive teams in the nation). They’ll probably be 7-2 when they visit Raleigh and NC State, a game that could go either way since it is a state rival. They end their season against Boston College and finally against surprising Vanderbilt. I’m telling you now, that Boston College game may determine who will be playing in the ACC Championship…
But what of Clemson? At 3-3, things are NOT looking good. Already 2 losses in their own division, they simply cannot lose anymore. I really can’t see them beating Georgia Tech, but since it is a home game, and they are very desperate, there is always hope. Games at Boston College and Florida State could prove challenging, but FSU has not shown too much this year. By the time Clemson sees Duke, they could be 4-5 and needing to beat Duke, Virginia AND South Carolina just to make it to a bowl…I would not bet the house on that.
I think that IF Clemson qualifies for a bowl, it will be by a narrow margin, and if so, they may end up going to the Eaglebank Bowl in DC vs. Navy (if they qualify). Personally, I think this bowl would like to invite Maryland or Virginia if they qualify.
So the ACC continues to fight for supremacy, I think Virginia Tech is still the best team in the conference, and you could see VA Tech play Boston College in the ACC Championship…but we’ll see what Wake Forest has to say about that.
Anyway, gotta fly….
I walked away from the television with the last 90 seconds left of this ball game as Wake Forest will win this game, 12-7.
Clemson was ranked as high as #8 in the nation…what’s up with that? And neither team had any offense. One might say that the defenses were very good, and I would agree, but Wake Forest should have had many more points than that. If you just looked at highlights and not look at the score, you’d swear the score was something like 21-7 or 24-7, Wake Forest.
If Wake Forest represented the second best team in the ACC (or best) then the whole conference is in a serious depression. You can say that it’s competitive, and in truth it is, but right now NOBODY in the ACC is going to scare anybody for the BCS crown. You can go ahead and mark off this conference for a serious contender. Of the six major conferences, I think the ACC and Big East are the weakest.
Having said that, I really did enjoy the play calling for Wake Forest. It’s like they wanted to dazzle the fans and confuse the Clemson defense. And for many parts they did, until they got to the red zone, and completely forgot how to play.
And one thing I kinda get tired of hearing is the guys calling the game saying silly stuff like, “he’s gotta make that catch” or “he’s gotta make that play”. You notice how they ALWAYS say that about the receiver, as if the quarterback is never at fault? I agree that there are some catches that are dropped and is the receiver’s fault, but if a quarterback throws a pass too high, too low, or behind the receiver, or leads him into a dangerous hit, that is the quarterback’s fault.
One of the plays had a receiver that was led into the middle of a couple of defenders, and as he was hit he dropped the ball, to which the guys on ESPN said, “that’s a pass he’s got to make”. That’s hindsight and silly to say, of COURSE he should have made it, but how about passing a plate of BLAME to the quarterback as well.
But it was actually a good game, I enjoyed it, while bouncing back to the Winston Salem State University game on ESPNU. You know me, I love my football…
So now where do we stand with Clemson and Wake Forest?
Wake Forest sits on top of the Atlantic Division and is all but guaranteed post season play. At 4-1, their next two games are at Maryland and at Miami. If this team does not start finding the end zone soon, they are going to lose at LEAST one of these games…possibly even both.
But in the even that they split (which is likely), they should be able to snatch a win from Duke at home, and maybe even Virginia (one of the worst offensive teams in the nation). They’ll probably be 7-2 when they visit Raleigh and NC State, a game that could go either way since it is a state rival. They end their season against Boston College and finally against surprising Vanderbilt. I’m telling you now, that Boston College game may determine who will be playing in the ACC Championship…
But what of Clemson? At 3-3, things are NOT looking good. Already 2 losses in their own division, they simply cannot lose anymore. I really can’t see them beating Georgia Tech, but since it is a home game, and they are very desperate, there is always hope. Games at Boston College and Florida State could prove challenging, but FSU has not shown too much this year. By the time Clemson sees Duke, they could be 4-5 and needing to beat Duke, Virginia AND South Carolina just to make it to a bowl…I would not bet the house on that.
I think that IF Clemson qualifies for a bowl, it will be by a narrow margin, and if so, they may end up going to the Eaglebank Bowl in DC vs. Navy (if they qualify). Personally, I think this bowl would like to invite Maryland or Virginia if they qualify.
So the ACC continues to fight for supremacy, I think Virginia Tech is still the best team in the conference, and you could see VA Tech play Boston College in the ACC Championship…but we’ll see what Wake Forest has to say about that.
Anyway, gotta fly….
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