Perhaps Why USuCk is Beating Us

They don't have better recruits, they don't have a better scheme and their coaches aren't better than ours but they have been a lot tougher than us for the past three years...hmm...I just can't hep but wonder why?? Now obviously this is a lot of nice editing but I can't help but look at the competition that is going on here and see more intensity.  They are doing functional strength drills that push players to really get into it.  When you see our team lazily pushing sleds do you get the same intensity? The lifting is also night and day--everyone practicing good form.  Are we keeping track of 40 and shuttle times--charting in tangible benchmarks how players can improve? I also like how they use longer lines of players for their drills so less players are standing around taking breaks. We need to get some additional help, fresh new ideas, or make a change...

Dook goes down

Some things in life must be cherished. The looks on the Plumlee brother's faces were priceless. Even with a mediocre basketball season I can take solace in Duke being added to the elite list of only six schools to be ousted as a two seed in the NCAA tourney. I still remember Richmond beating Syracuse and a team called Coppin State beating South Carolina...

Add that to your illustrious career resume Coach K.  How about that phantom bump 3pt. foul call for Austin Rivers. Lehigh I will now forever remember how to pronounce your name.  If you win another game I will find out where your school is located.  Thanks for the memories.

Road Schedule Analysis

Overall I think we got so royally hosed last year that this schedule is eminently more reasonable.  One thing to remember from last season is that we were a horrible road team (other than playing VTech).  The home crowd really made a difference I think against Auburn, FSU and Wake where if we aren't at home I don't think we come back. We were not great when playing Maryland, USC, NC State, and WV away from home.

So I am most interested in how we play on the road this year. How do we play in a dome against Auburn (is that effectively an away game?)? FSU seems tough but we did play well the last time at Doak losing on the most ridiculous FG I have ever personally seen, but the D-line was stout then too. BC shouldn't be a problem but new coordinators (and losing in Chestnut before when we shouldn't have) always leaves me more cautiously optimistic than confident.  We are at Wake with a 4 day turnaround on a Thurs. which should feel like a home game (and I hope we really make a push to fill that stadium with orange this year especially) but Wake has always been pesky.  Not sure what to make of their team this year either. 

*On an important side note, the admin has now agreed to Thursday night games?? I hope an intrepid reporter finds out if this is Dabo's doing or not. If that is true he is really becoming able to lobby the admin which I think is an overall good thing.  I've never been a huge fan of Thurs night games but the excuse of it putting too much strain on students always sounded a little contrived.  I do like the idea of the admin being pushed further to support athletics however.

So Wake will be tough but they have the same schedule as us with a 4 day turnaround, which is very fair.  This is one I will expect to win but will be on pins and needles.  I still remember needing the heroics of the late, great Gaines Adams to pull out a win on a blocked kick return, so I am not comfortable up there.  Then we get Duke on the road which should be a win and is a great team to have to play on the road. However it took an insane comeback to beat an equally pathetic, if not more pathetic Maryland team last year.  Then we end the season with three at home.

Our OOC schedule is nice this year with GT and VT at home and Duke on the road. Next year our OOC schedule should get even easier with VT coming off and adding Syracuse for an SEC team (but I am still hoping we get 8 conference games and lose GT as a natural rival just bc I hate the team needing to prep for the triple option every year and PJ is so smug when he wins).  If we could do last years schedule then we can certainly do this years.  I like that NC State is later in the year, so as to remind us of how we got complacent towards the end of last year. If we get through Auburn and FSU and can take care of home games and lesser opponents on the road then the season could be pretty special...

If only we had an O-line...and hopefully a D-line, we just might be able to run the table...

(and so it begins...)
 

South Carolina Caught in Sexual Harrasment Case

Why is this not bigger news?? This should bring down the entire Athletic Department at USC. There is no place for this kind of sexual harassment and then covering it up. USC fans should demand an investigation. Add this to the current NCAA allegations and this better be lack of institutional control. The NCAA should come down hard on these folks. The lawsuit alleges that it goes up all the way to the athletic director and school president!!

http://www.thestate.com/2011/12/10/2075993/former-student-athlete-sues-usc.html

Dabo Versus Spurrier

   

Dabo made my week. Lets back that talk up with an ACC Championship and a good ol' fashioned coot bashing. It is a one hundred year old tradition after all.

For all the coots out there whining that Spurrier never even said this. Give me a break--first you know it sounds like the same man who threw a hissy fit at Ron Morris. Second when it is released through official USC media channels, like posted on your official Twitter account, and then picked up by national media like ESPN and CBSsports--if you do nothing to retract the statement then it might as well have been said by Spurrier. At the very least someone needs to apologize for the first false statement put out by your University. But that require some class--something Spurrier has never had and something USC never will.

Dabo said this on Thursday. If Spurrier was worried about the falsehood of the statement he had four and a half days to retract it. He didn't care to try, therefore Dabo is justified in responding. Did you take note, however, how Dabo qualified what he said with words like if this is true and I have a lot of respect for Coach Spurrier. Take note of that because it is your first lesson on class and civility. It is what being a southern gentleman is all about.

I don't even care if this is red meat to appease the Clemson faithful. We deserve some appeasing and when it comes at the expense of our hated rivals, it is always welcome. On the video it appears too off the cuff but if it is some motivational technique, then I like it even more. 

This is domination and THE University in the state of South Carolina always has been and always will be Clemson.

Out With the Old--In With the Nucleus

Over at Shakin the Southland Dr. B has a great post on getting to the root causes of Clemson's collapse. He says it much better than me but I already had this post so here it is. I basically was griping about Bateson and thinking that he has had enough time here at Clemson. Maybe he can get an admin job too...haha. (the title of the post is an old Simpsons quote by the way)

Is Bateson in any danger of losing his job? I ask because I really hope we get a change here. I want a complete re-tooling of our conditioning with support staff focused on diets, weight, eating healthy, etc. I think our strength program is outdated and teams like Bama, LSU, and now USC are way ahead of us.

USC changed its S&C coach three years ago which corresponds with our losing streak to them. Coincidence? Maybe but part of playing soft is the offseason conditioning. Too many players never gain the muscle they need or they turn into being too muscular (or something)and become slow like Goodman this year. Its problematic.

I'm also sick and tired of seeing players put on FAT during the season. Way too many examples and stories of guys admitting to it over the years. You can't rely on personal responsibility when you want to be a champion, you need to demand personal responsibility through accountability! Part of it is a dedication from the athlete but mostly it is not having a structure in place that regulates these things. That is reason enough for me to show Bateson the door.

In my last post I was venting and said Dabo meet the hot seat, blah. That kind of talk is counterproductive and I know it. But I maintain that beating USC is one of the main criteria for being the head coach at Clemson. He must not lose for a fourth straight year. That being said Dabo needs to continue to make the changes necessary to be a championship team. Last year he earned all of our respect by hiring Morris and Caldwell. This offseason (or even after the ACC Champs game) we need to make our team stronger and tougher--make the changes needed in the S&C program.

The other day I watched the video of the Power Hour for the redshirt frosh. Why is this something new? It boggles my mind how little investment we make in those redshirting. I am also amazed at how little historically (well the past 10 years) our players have benefited from the redshirt year. That has got to change as well.

Yeah I Jinxed It

I let out a gut wrenching scream when Tajh let go of the ball and it sailed smoothly into the GT players hands, Watkins standing wide open on the goal-line. That was the visceral manifestation of a lost national championship. It was the sound of a lost national championship. I've never made that sound before in my life--I'm sure neighbors contemplated calling the cops. Having had a couple of days to reflect, however, it also marks the first time in my adult life that I have ever had a 'real' conviction that Clemson could be national champions. In the moment its awful but at least you can honestly say that you felt like a national championship was within your grasp. It has been an amazing ride and hopefully we still make it to the Orange Bowl.

On the less cheery side that has to be one of the most frustrating games I have ever watched. How hard is it to stop a QB running behind a dive back. Is it mobile QB's and pitches now? The fumbles killed momentum. The fourth and 1 conversion by GT was deflating after starting with 3 and outs. On offense we had drops on hot routes, receivers getting jammed at the line, and players coming up short on third downs. Our LB play was atrocious and the secondary didn't help them out at all. Hill just flat out dropped a TD and got that other huge reception. PJ basically said that they were running away from Brandon Thompson--why not instruct him to simply blow up the center every play. Stick Lateek right behind him and let him run around crazy headhunting for the QB. It would have been better than watching Christian out of position and blocked consistently (he is not having the year I thought he would after that nice Int. against FSU) or Hawkins six yards away from the line of scrimmage and just waiting, asking, pleading for an O-Lineman to block him and take him out of the play.

I think we are scared or unable to deal with cut blocking. We don't know how to shed a block to save our lives and its not pretty. I know everyone is calling for Steele's head but our problem wasn't really schematic. What is on the heads of the defensive coaches are safeties taking ugly angles to the ball, and the poor fundamentals of our LB's (which is Steele's coaching position), oh and the ever-present poor tackling. The LB play needs to improve in the next year or I will start to question our defensive coaching but Steele and company still have my vote. I love Coach Brooks and Coach Cheese but am worried about our depth moving forward. All of these guys have been in the system awhile though so hopefully the ship can be righted for next season. (haha...did you hear that--righted from an 8-1 record!! You would have called me crazy if I said that before the season)

One thing to note though is that we are not a good road team so far. VT was awesome but you saw some nerves and Maryland was ridiculous. I think this is something to pay attention to when we roll into Columbia. Dabo looked really tense at the beginning of the game too, didn't seem like his usual confident self (to be expected when you go down to GT). We were really choking though--the return of Cat man knuckle kick, the Hopkins drop/Allen drops, the high Boyd throws, and making a marginal QB look like superman all felt like last season.  But still when Rashard Hall intercepted the pass and got it to the five yard line I felt like we could do it. Then the yell/banshee scream...

At least I don't have to be jealous of USC and Alshon Jeffrey. Watkins catches passes in-stride like no other receiver I have ever seen...He still is working on becoming other-worldly in jump balls (right now he is just superhuman) but he is an absolute treat to watch. I would watch him if I wasn't a Clemson fan. One day I will write an 'Ode to the National Championship Lost' but for now I will stop rambling.

Clemson's Light Shines

Man...

How many of us when the score was 17-35 didn't believe...

I am physically tired, physically drained. In retrospect it was a thrilling game that I strangely enjoyed but only in retrospect. What a rollercoaster. So I have to ask the question, what have we learned??

The Defense still can't handle a running QB or the zone read. This reminded me of 2009 against Maryland where we couldn't stop the slowest QB I have ever seen run the zone read. I am sure Edsall saw the film and that's why they went with Wilson. It is partly scheme but more a result of poor Linebacker play (MLB specifically) and poor containment. We have to get this figured out for GT and South Carolina and Conner Shaw. We play better against more pro-style QB's I think. Maryland just steam rolled the D with tempo which is what let us back into the game. Ultimately we gassed them in the fourth though.

We learned that Watkins is human with the punt muff and then we learned we were tricked and that he was just disguising his superhero status. Watkins won us the game today. We finally got the return game going. I would like to see Bellamy back there on kickoffs. I don't think Brown has the speed.

Boyd showed great poise again. He seems to have one hair pulling stupid moment a game. The pass to Werner, last week it was another throw of the ball when he was sacked, and this week it was a pick 6 right to the DB Chism, I believe. Boyd threw two passes that should have been intercepted in the beginning along with throwing high and looking horrible. He settled and put together a great game. Made some pretty throws at the end.

We are really missing Benton. Lots of short kicks and our coverage teams need some serious work. Lateek is one of the only bright spots--this is both kick and punt coverage. Way too many returns to the 30-40 yard line. Got to get that fixed.

We had been 2-3 against Maryland in the last 5 games. I am thrilled to walk away with the win. Lets hope this builds confidence and keeps any thoughts of overconfidence at bay. Lets hope we can keep our legs for North Carolina but we need to do better tackling.

More thoughts later...I'm off to bed. Sleeping the sleep of victor's! Go Tigers!

Chad Morris Must Stay

So what is the difference in this team compared to last years team some have asked. The difference in the team this year is simple and it is all Chad Morris. Dabo is not an offensive coordinator or a good enough offensive mind to design and call the plays like Morris. Dabo is a great team leader, recruiter, and motivator for the fan base. He also gives a mean interview...

The problem is that Dabo wears thin if you are not winning. When you are not winning your faults are on display and become severely enlarged. That is the microscope the head coach lives under. No one can replace Morris, if he leaves then it is like Brad Scott calling plays for RichRod. Eventually it just isn't up to par.  Who on the staff would you feel comfortable with duplicating Morris's performance up until this point. Pony up whatever money you can Clemson powers that be. Chad has a daughter starting at Daniel High School and he has said he will stay at least until she graduates. Lets make that kind gesture of a father to a daughter a reality.

If we still had Napier this year, what would be our record? Sure we have Watkins but we would have the same inconsistent play at WR where even Dwayne Allen is dropping passes and no one knows how to block. Boyd out of shape, with bad footwork, and no ownership of the team. A team without an identity. I give all the credit in the world to Dabo for making the call to switch to Chad Morris. (Napier is still a good coach, great recruiter, who just had no business being an offensive coordinator) Without him we become a very average team and no amount of speeches or chest bumps can replace attention to detail, true accountability, and an infectious work ethic that was previously lacking with this team.
We were on par in terms of toughness with Virginia Tech--an amazing feat for this team.

Somebody make a shirt with a slogan about how Chad Morris must stay. In Chad We Trust (probably too strong and questions dabo's leadership) or More Morris Please.  Yeah, I am struggling to come up with something. Help, please?

Recruiting Updates

So all the pro-Dabo people point to this great recruiting class coming in and say--you negative nancies, just support the team. Normally I am of this opinion. Last year we had some major coaching flaws (that continued right on into this season I might add) but when the season is over there is an argument for putting on the happy smile and focusing on recruiting.

This year I want to wait until after the 'recruiting' season is over before we shake anything up. But a good recruiting class doesn't make up for losing to South Carolina twice. Good recruiting doesn't solve poor coaching because we have been consistently out-recruiting the majority of the ACC. Shakin has done a fabulous job with the numbers. I have heard that all the Ball Sack needed was Lattimore and Jeffrey. Thats true but he also upgraded his assistant coaches, helped Garcia to mature, and had as consistent an offensive gameplan as I have seen out of Spurrier. USC has always had talent but could never get players that wanted to be coached or coaches that had a clue. The two must go hand in hand.

So in summary, a good coach can excel with good talent but an average coach will only be good. A poor coach will be average. We have poor/average offensive coaches. Dwayne Allen has first round talent. Ellington and even Harper have 2-3 round talent. KP has a canon arm, natural talents. Nuke and McNeal have talent. So do many of our offensive lineman. Talent needs to be coached and high school isn't college. Some kids can come in like Julio Jones or Alshon Jeffrey and make an impact. But you need a good coaching staff to make a championship team. We are so very close on defense but are still miles away on offense. (Its got to sting that your 'hotshot' OC isn't even a finalist for the Furman HC job)

*Napier rant (skip if you are sick of this): I feel bad for Billy. His stock has plummeted. If he had been QB's coach and the recruiting coordinator and not the offensive coordinator he would be in such a better position career-wise when you think about it. He even said at the time he would have gladly accepted it, a bump up from TE coach and a little pay. Then we pull in a big name OC, (Malzhan was available!!) who grooms Billy to replace him. This didn't happen because Dabo thinks he is an offensive mind. I smell an ego problem with this one. Maybe he wanted to have more control, or maybe he didn't want to be known solely as a figurehead. Anyway it was a decision that threw Billy to the wolves. Here is boy wonder in action.

But...I have to give the staff credit. Brooks continues to be my favorite coach on the staff. Rumph is working his rump off (sorry had to say it), Harbison is key in Georgia and even Steele has been working it.

We have confirmed visits with the top uncommitted prospects in the country. We even have Clowney coming in!! Steward, Hughes, Anthony, with the possibility of Grant and Lateek Townsend for LB's. Those are at least three top 50 players on any list. Then you have Pagan and now Drew!! This is big. If we pull in three of those names we will have an amazing defensive and offensive class.

With Florida's demise our main competition is Georgia and they are probably weaker than they have been in a long time. We have competition for every player but that is to be expected when you are gunning for such high recruits. So hats off to the staff for staying motivated and hitting the trail with some authority. Clemson loves Moms should be our newest recruiting theme.

If you can't coach, go recruit. It won't build a championship team but it'll keep your head above water and might win you an ACC Championship. (which still wouldnt mean you were a championship team...haha)

South Carolina Post Suckings

Never in our football history have we lost to South Carolina twice in a row. We lost on our home turf on senior night and it wasn't even close. Its time to take a look in the mirror and admit that we are broken. A season of 6-6 against a sucky ACC Atlantic and two easy wins is laughable. Not to mention that if we beat FSU that we would be in the ACC Champs game--you can go 5-3 and win the ACC, it is not that difficult.

USC has outrecruited Clemson the past three seasons because they got Alshon Jeffery, Lattimore and Gilmore. We couldn't cross midfield. My hat is off to Spurrier. He was all but done two years ago after Dabo beat him as the interim HC but has righted the ship and has the talent in place. Garcia has matured as a QB in the way that KP never could. I think he just hadn't invested enough time and energy into it--he was always relying on natural talent. Boyd was ok. Our offense sucks. Did we even throw to Allen all night?? Why the five passes to Ford?I could go on but this is depressing.

Daquan please stick around to right this ship and beat Carolina!!

I Don't Have the Stomach For Patience

So Dabo has called for patience from the fans. This is the same guy who was demanding excellence and was going to change the culture--teach us how to get over the hump and win???

No sir, I will not have any patience. The defense is certainly not the problem. Special Teams is directly related to quality of coaching more than any other facet of the game and has less to do with talent (plus we have more scholarship special teamers than almost any other team in the country). The offense was recruited with Billy Napier as recruiting coordinator and Dabo as the main recruiter. One of the main reasons why Dabo was hired was to maintain the continuity and judging by the recruiting rankings--this was the year!! Please don't try to insult me by saying you don't have the players or the talent.

There is plenty of both, you have just mismanaged it. You aren't rebuilding--you are screwing up what was previously built. If you don't have the talent now that must mean you were a bad position coach beforehand and for some reason I am supposed to reward that with patience. I am supposed to somehow feel pity for you?? And please don't say Bowden or Spence had too iron clad a hand and you couldn't get the recruits you wanted.

We should have easily beaten FSU. I am sick of the Spence stalls in the red zone and being a .500 team. Just think if we hadn't played those two powderpuffs at the beginning of the year...

If Dabo can't get us to the ACC Championship game (notice I said we don't even have to win it, just be there) then he should be gone. If we lose to South Carolina three times in a row then he should be gone. Remember Dabo this is that word 'competition' at the highest level so quit your whining and quacking like a duck. If you can't deliver then get out of the way because Clemson deserves better.

At least we beat Wofford (I am relying on Basketball, thats how bad things have gotten), go Brownell...

Auburn Predictions and Ramblings

So we are finally beginning the season. Gameday. First I love Brent Musburger--he loves Clemson and the Esso Club and coined the now infamous phrase the 25 most exciting seconds in ALL of college football. A bold statement by any announcer but Musburger exudes class. He also does his homework and is very competent.

I guess I should really start over--if we win, we are beginning the season(and should pass South Caroline). If we lose the season starts with ACC play. Ha.

Another thing--South Carolina has beaten Southern Miss and then a substandard Georgia team and we are crowning them Natl Champs. Its pathetic. Sure, give credit where it is due--you beat Georgia, pat yourself on the back but the ESPN/SEC bias gets nauseating when its talked about incessantly and the Cocks shoot up to #13?? Its insane. Then I start seeing pictures of Marcus Lattimore everywhere and even a blurb about him as a Heisman contender. Really media, are we that starved for content?? Georgia had a horrible run D last year--give me a break. Now they play Furman. Where is all the crying about the powderpuff schedule?? huh?

So lets talk Auburn before I throw up even more in my mouth. Auburn is one of the cooler programs in the SEC--good people, they hate Alabama and Georgia. They have unreal expectations (just like us!) and fired Tuberville and got Chizik who was hired over Gill Turner. Seems like its been working out pretty good so far. They got some limo's for recruiting. Challenged the UT Wildboys for the biggest recruiting stunts and hauled in a good class. Even got a top RB in Dyer.

First Auburn has Cam Newton who is just ginormous. It really is Daquan Bowers at QB. He has a rocket arm but hasn't been tested in terms of accuracy but led his Jr College to the Jr College Champs so its not his first rodeo. I guess I'm saying that this guy isn't just a hyped athlete who hasn't learned to play QB. Runs like a gazelle mixed with a freight train, if that helps.

Since we made Chris Turner of Maryland look like an athlete last year--pretty much any QB can run on us. We have also historically sucked against misdirection. We all like the same gap assignment--what can I say...

So for RB they have Dyer (protypical back) and McCalebb (explosive guy) who aren't proven as everydown backs yet but have the talent. Our LB's are beat up with Maye coming off injury and Tig hurting his elbow so I have no confidence there(I am actually really disappointed with the LB play thus far--thought Corico would take that proverbial 'next step') and our D-Line can sometimes disappear in big games. We need our safeties to step up and CB's not to blow coverage.

So Auburn will score points but we need to create turnovers on defense. We need to have a Miami game where we give up yards and points but we also make some big plays that give us a chance.

On Offense we know what we get out of KP and hopefully what we get out of our RB's. We need no turnovers and we need the Offensive Line to be able to get some push at the point of attack. They have a veteran defensive group with top notch LB's who are All-SEC, no glaring weaknesses. But they have given up a lot of points in the past and DC Ted Roof won't be doing all that much blitzing. We have a chance to put up points but if WR's don't catch balls it will be a long day. I am interested to see what Napier has in store--his progression as a play caller is perhaps the most important thing of all.

I keep hearing how Clemson has the advantage in special teams and I have to scratch my head. Auburn has a preseason Groza candidate and we have a freshman kicker. Sure he can make XP's and made a 47 yarder (all great things, don't get me wrong) but the Cat Man is going on the road to a hostile environment with plenty of pressure. It is just another animal altogether. Their punter averages 40 yards a kick, ours does too minus one 70 yarder. Gilchrist has been solid fielding kicks but hasn't proven that he has the top end speed to take it to the house.

If I take the orange colored glasses that are glued to my head off for a minute I say Auburn by 4. But since that won't happen I am going Clemson 28 Auburn 27.

A Word On Schedules

Every year a portion of the Clemson fan-base starts whining about playing a few cupcakes. For some reason they have it in their heads that playing 2 all-mighty SEC schools is not enough and that we should be playing like 4 top 25 teams(if not top 10 teams) with our Out Of Conference schedule.

For some reason Shamecocks like to get in on this conversation as well. So here you go--this year we play Auburn(top 25, no. 22), USuCk, North Texas, and Presbyterian. South Carolina will play Clemson, Southern Miss(7-6 last year), Furman!, and Troy. Clearly we have the tougher OOC. So the Cocks aren't a good barometer for anything so why don't we look at the Natl Champs Alabama--they should have an ideal OOC schedule. Alabama kicks off against San Jose St!! They play no. 19 Penn State, Duke!, and Georgia State (a team that just recently formed a Div 1 football team). Again, we have the tougher OOC.

How about Georgia? They start with Louisiana Lafayette, a Colorado team that was 3-9 last year, Idaho State!, and GT. We have the tougher schedule again. In fact, we could do this with the majority of the ACC and really the country. We have probably the 3rd or 4th toughest OOC in the ACC. Even VT who plays Boise St then plays James Madison, East Carolina, and Central Michigan. The 12th game added by the NCAA essentially scheduled a creampuff for the entire country.

12 games is a long season and you need those easy games for player development. We need Tajh Boyd to get meaningful minutes, the linebackers to get experience(especially with Cooper and Maye going down), the receivers to get a clue, and to build O-Line depth. You could easily argue that if we hadn't had the TCU game then we wouldn't have lost to Maryland. Take away those two losses and you have a shiny record and a top 15-10 finish, and a better bowl game at season's end. With the stupid Sun Bowl replacing the Gator Bowl that win will become even more important. I know everyone wants to pay to watch an amazing game and we want to play the best competition, it makes you better but every year its not always in the best interest of the team. If you want it for yourself then it becomes borderline selfish--and OOC games can impact your entire season (and your career) like Alabama did. So lets keep 2 SEC teams and then we'll have a schedule better than 80% of the teams in College Football. So quit whining...

Well That Sucked

I blame this game on Jack Leggett. He started the wrong pitcher with Leone--you start your best pitcher Harmon and you knew Leone wasn't going to have it after the first game. Leggett looked rattled and showed it--Hinson bunting, are you kidding me?? The hottest hitter in all of college baseball? Why is he batting so low in the line-up anyway?

So Roth took it to us...we struggle against lefties, exposed by the Oklahoma lefty who owned us in the second day of that game. What has helped our team the most is getting ahead early and stying loose. When we get tense we press and suck, not taking pitches--horrible approach etc.

The formula is strong starting pitching--staying away from our awful bullpen(which performed ok tonight all things considered) and piling on runs with Leggett desire for small ball. That gets destroyed if we are tense and get behind early.

Good thing we have another game. 2002 can't be repeated. BENCH EPPS!! He should never be at the plate against a lefty, ever...Lamb should DH, he can pitch and DH--he has done it all year. At least DH someone who doesnt whiff at a LH pitcher--the guy was going to go three innings max and we make him look like Strasburg. Nothing out of the infield...

Pathetic...hope Leggett can right the ship. I wouldn't have minded losing to Oklahoma twice and calling it a good season but losing to South Carolina twice and repeating 2002 is unbearable...

Go Tigers!! Win the big one for once...

Some Final CJ Spiller Lovin'

Here is some Pre-Draft CJ loving. Make us proud!! He better be a top 15 pick!

I am also hoping that Sapp goes higher than the third round...how was he even practicing last year?? Shouldn't have started until the third game of the season...

Conner should go in the 5-6th round and hopefully Austin, Butler and Palmer sneak in as well as Chancellor...Go Tigers!!

Oh and if you want to go to South Carolina, you don't get drafted higher...its just not true...

EDIT: Are you ready to be a Buffalo Bills fan??? Wow, did not expect that one, Seattle, you blew it...

South Carolina is Officially the Poor Man's SC

The real SC, the University of Southern California just beat South Carolina in a lawsuit over the use of SC. USuCk will not be allowed to use the SC letters that they have on their baseball uniforms. So the Trojans beat the Cocks. Feel free to add whatever innuendo you desire...but really I just blame the guy who thought that a Gamecock would make a good mascot. Really? It does represent the pinnacle in illegal cockfighting and gambling--something any SC, whoops, USC, whoops--I guess USuCk graduate can aspire to. The lawyer for SoCal said "that the letters were more deservedly linked to the Trojans' warrior image than to "a goofy little chicken."

That is just classic. Seriously Clemson should just represent the state of South Carolina and not some jailbird coots. Someone get a local congressman on this asap.

South Carolina=Epic Fail

South Carolina looks absolutely pathetic. Cant pick up any blitzing, Garcia constantly under pressure and sacked. Team cant catch any passes--about 9 dropped passes(defense cant catch any interceptions), a bunch of Ron Cherry penalties and stupid plays.

What a boring game...UConn could barely complete a forward pass and they still blank USuCk. How did we lose to this team? If we could simply contained the zone read we would have gone undefeated this year. Really frustrating to think we lost to this inept team and a team like Maryland...

You have to think that the loss of Coach Wolford?? is going to be a bigger loss than Spurrier would like to admit. Got to think that one more season of this mediocrity 7-6, no nine or ten win seasons, will spell the end of the ol' ball coach. He is certainly over the hill in terms of adjustments and new strategies. His offensive fireworks have already retired themselves.

Shameful: Ranting Part 1

One thing Bowden knew how to do was win against South Carolina. I knew it was going to be a bad week for Clemson athletics when I said to someone that this year, meaning football and basketball, was going to be a banner year for Clemson athletics. Yes I jinxed it. I apologize. Man why cant we actually put together a complete season. This ruins winning the ACC in a way bc if we win then the SEC says we cant beat a middle of the road SEC team. If we lose the ACC Champs we go to the champs sports bowl and we just lost a lot of ground in recruiting.

Greise and Espn--that was nauseating how much SEC love can you cram into a single telecast. Hey maybe Clemson was looking ahead, or the two weeks of prep helped a lot?? We understand that your coverage is now skewed because of your fiduciary relationship but come on...

Why cant we defend the zone read? We always over pursue and make QB's look like Heisman candidates. Spiller's heisman candidacy just took a major blow--I'll be surprised if he makes it to New York now, he needed a big game and Ingram gave him the opening. Colt McCoy takes his turn so now Tebow, Bradford, and Colt are all happy.

What happened?? The Oline looked pathetic...Freeman hurt his ankle and it was all downhill from there. We lost the momentum with a stupid fumble by Harper...shades of Alabama, and then roughed the kicker on a great senior moment from Ricky Sapp. This is a rant so I am going to say it--I expected more from Sapp and Bowers with their time together at Clemson. Bowers knee injury has left him a little overweight and sluggish. Back to the Oline though, Fat Brad--what were you doing? Parker looked like a freshman at times bc when he has no time and feels the pressure on every play he loses his mechanics. He got it back on that last drive but I would have liked to see him tuck and run a few times to keep the d honest. Where was McDaniel--the few times I saw him he had a sack and key tackles...is the problem our LB's just arent athletic enough--getting blocked out of plays, not smart enough to position themselves correctly. Its the same thing each week....Maye, what is going on...

I dont know if I can just put this behind me, I kept waiting for a senior leader to get in some peoples faces and get fired up--it is against South Carolina...Clemson has lost some of the importance of this game--you dont lose to South Carolina...Dabo dont let this happen again...

There were far too few real hits--I mean Garcia is running right to you--give him a game changing lick, take him out of the game. How big is losing Gilmore and Holloman to SC, both Clemson leans at one point last year from Rock Hill, look right now...

Shameful display, we turned the season around and we still have a chance to go to the Orange bowl but it feels a little hollow losing to SC. At least right now--have fun at the independence, papajohns bowl Gamecocks...

Gamecocks Fans Are Priceless

I think we are going to be making this a repeating segment. These Gamecock fans never cease to amaze and entertain me....

And to whoever did the whole orange tiger paws all over William Brice Penitentiary, Bravo!! It wasnt looking all too bleak with the whole thug black and blood deal they are nurturing. Add some color to your life!! Enjoy!!