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Now the real work begins
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Saturday at 4:05 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, play time officially ended for the Clemson Tigers.
Donned in purple and leaving South Carolina State black and blue, the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference favorites are about to find out if they can regain the hype — and live up to it.
The blowout by Alabama in the Georgia Dome was followed by a pedestrian walkover of Football Championship Subdivision foe The Citadel — which was the first piece of bread that sandwiched North Carolina State with S.C. State, another little brother in the division formerly known as 1-AA.
But yesterday’s 54-0 victory was the last free pass for Tommy Bowden and his charges. Now the men from Death Valley are about to embark on a five-game stretch that will make or break the season.
A couple of weeks ago the Maryland contest looked like a gimme, but the Terrapins are surging, much like the rest of the ACC.
The Terps turned some heads a week ago with an upset of California, and yesterday Ralph Freidgen’s club turned up the offense with a 51-24 victory over Eastern Michigan.
The homestanding Tigers will be and should be favored on Sept. 27, of course, but no longer does the game loom as an easy Saturday stroll.
After that Clemson leaves the Palmetto State for the first time since Aug. 30 when it travels to Winston-Salem for a Thursday showdown with Wake Forest.
Everyone thought this would be a big one before the season started, and they thought right.
Georgia Tech — the team that handed the Tigers their first loss in 2007 — visits Memorial Stadium Oct. 18. Paul Johnson has turned the Yellow Jackets into legitimate ACC contenders, and their option attack promises to give Vic Koenning’s defense fits.
The first two Saturdays of November mark the first (and only) two Saturdays Clemson is on the road for back-to-back games, and Bowden’s bunch will follow up a trip to Boston College with a visit to Tallahassee.
So now the real work begins.
The Tigers have clawed their way back into the Top 25, and between now and Nov. 8 they have a chance to prove chatter about an ACC Championship and a big BCS bowl was not idle chatter after all. They can’t get back the game against the Crimson Tide, but they can get back in the national conversation — in a positive way.
The opportunity is there, thanks to five games against five opponents that can either help Clemson punch its ticket to Jacksonville or serve as a punch in the stomach to players and fans alike.
Just look at the Maryland game as the beginning of the Tigers’ second chance at greatness.
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Just finished watching WF beat FSU.
WF defense has a novel idea........they hit the ball carrier from the FRONT,,,,and they use their ARMS !!! This has the effect of STOPPING the ball carrier (instead of furthering his downfield progress (YAC)like our "bumper-car" shoulder-block tackling). something we might work on.
FSU, on the other hand, has come up with a real idea... They keep their Bowden and hire a REAL coach.....course, he has a rebuilding task, following, as he does, yet another Bowden as Offensive Coordinator.
Our O-line, a TEN YEAR work-in-progress is progressing nicely, thank you very much. With 5 Star running backs finally getting some yards, recruiting will be possible again.
Our DREAM SEASON marches on !!!! BUBBLE SCREEN FOREVER!
in response to 33dtb
It appears that you and I are on the same wavelength. My posts concerning what some of Bowdens former players told me, were erased by the editor...maybe the truth will come out...and then I can say that I told you so, but that doesn't really solve the problem.
Bowden has been limiting his offense in certain games...those games are high profile games in which the winning of, would put the bar a little higher for the next year...expectations. Bowden doesn't want a higher bar...he learned from his brother terry what high expectations mean. Wonder why the play calling is sporadic and crazy?...
I know what the players know...somebody is throwing games on purpose.
AS a true tiger fan, not a bad loser, mind you, I can not keep quite...I turned in my season tickets in 2001...no need to watch in person, when the outcome was predetermined...the NCAA could issue the death penalty...so all you hosers who think you are doing the tigers a favor by being silent...should speak up...News editor should write...fans should comment...
Thanks 33td, you may be the only true tiger fan from the Ford days left...who has some moxsy.
If losing two or three games is a dream season then the tigers should be riding high.
In response to moonbeam01us:
Are you saying Tommy Bowden is throwing games? If you know something say it. Don't rattle off unless you know something.
I think the reason the play calling is sporadic and crazy is that he nor his coaches understand what kind of offense needs to be ran against different teams.
I think TB and his coaches needs to be fired, starting today.
There are lots of Clemson fans still around before the days of Danny. And I'm one of them.
in response to moonbeam01us
I quit after Hatfield announced that coaching CU football was "just a 9 to 5 job" and we started the "shoulder-block, bumper-car" tackling.
I couldn't figure TB's motive in your theory, but I can follow that he would be leery of any expectations. That would go a long way to explain the Reggie Merriwether saga.
Remember TB had dropped Reggie midseason for the latest "flavor of the month",and then put him in for the winning (last-minute)drive against USC....then pulled him at the goal for a pass play??? that failed- - -settled for a FG.
Unlike his Daddy, TB is too scared to hire competent assistants. His M.O. seems to be to recruit the Media, then skill positions, gripe about the facilities, and realize after TEN YEARS that even someone as smart as Himself is going to have an O-Line to play Alabama or WF
This is our DREAM SEASON,,,,haven't heard much on that lately have we??
BUBBLE SCREEN FOREVER!!!
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