It goes without saying that Clemson would love to erase the horrific memories of last season's bowl performance...or lack thereof against WVU last year and salvage, to a degree, this season with a win over LSU in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on New Years Eve. The Tigers made most of their ACC competition look like high school squads but couldn't get the job done with they needed it most against Florida State and arch rival South Carolina. Both the Noles and Gamecocks had a stellar defense especially up front and dominated in the trenches to take control in both of those Tiger losses. As I mentioned in my last post, for Clemson to take the next step, we have to get more physical up front and play tougher. Get a swagger to us and play with heart. Once we start getting tougher up front and causing pressure, it will only help us in the secondary. The less time our defensive backs have to worry about a player breaking loose, the better. If we can't disrupt plays up front from the start, we put ourselves in better position to stop giving up the huge chunks of yards and plays we did all season long. Furthermore, we aren't going to get better until we play better teams. To be the best you have to beat the best, and to beat the best you have to start by playing the best. With South Carolina on the rise, LSU looming on New Years Eve and a showdown with UGA to open the 2013 season, the Tigers have a prime opportunity to gain some respect and make that next step towards being an elite college football team. I think its fair to say that the next two games for Clemson are the biggest in my lifetime when it comes to the big picture. A loss in both of those games will have Tiger fans getting very uneasy but two wins might would send Clemson nation into a frenzy.
A win on New Years eve along with keeping the likes of Hopkins and Boyd would have Clemson ranked in the top 15 heading into next season and a win at home against a talented UGA team would get the fans in orange buzzing and hungry for a run at the BCS title. There would be some well deserved respect earned for Clemson and it would also give the Tigers their first bowl win since 2009 in the Music City Bowl. However, a loss to LSU and UGA would mean three straight defeats to SEC competition and even more so than now, fans would really begin to question coach Swinney and his performance in big time games. To be honest, I really think he has to find a way to go 2-1 against LSU and then UGA/SC next year to avoid catching some major heat from fans and administration, which will be no easy feat. And if the Tigers don't win the ACC next year either, Dabo will find himself on the hot seat. Bottom line. As I've said before, you have to beat South Carolina and Dabo is staring a 5th straight loss in the eyes when the Tigers head to Columbia next November. Running through the ACC is great but it isn't preparing us well for the better teams we line up against and we are exposed in all the key positions. LSU is similar to South Carolina. They might not have the most exciting offense in the country, but their defense backs them up and doesn't give up many points. Clemson has a great opportunity on its hands and I think they can truly benefit from looking back at the SC game film and seeing what went wrong and what went right. Learn from that game. I'm no football genius but you simply can't allow the other team to have the ball for over 20 minutes of the second half. That is unacceptable. Clemson will also have to find a way to keep a talented DE off of Boyds back. Greenwood, SC native Sam Montgomery is another monster player and they will have to keep him out of the backfield....something they couldn't do when they lined up against Clowney. The Tigers will definitely be hungry for a win as seniors Andre Ellington, Dalton Freeman, Spencer Benton, Johnathan Meeks, Jonathan Willard, and Malliciah Goodman will all be playing their last game in a Tiger uniform and want to go out on a positive note and set the tone for what will be a HUGE off-season. Clemson has had a record breaking season but with no ACC title and a fourth straight loss to Carolina, this game simply put is a must win if the Tigers want something to show for this 2012 campaign.
A win on New Years eve along with keeping the likes of Hopkins and Boyd would have Clemson ranked in the top 15 heading into next season and a win at home against a talented UGA team would get the fans in orange buzzing and hungry for a run at the BCS title. There would be some well deserved respect earned for Clemson and it would also give the Tigers their first bowl win since 2009 in the Music City Bowl. However, a loss to LSU and UGA would mean three straight defeats to SEC competition and even more so than now, fans would really begin to question coach Swinney and his performance in big time games. To be honest, I really think he has to find a way to go 2-1 against LSU and then UGA/SC next year to avoid catching some major heat from fans and administration, which will be no easy feat. And if the Tigers don't win the ACC next year either, Dabo will find himself on the hot seat. Bottom line. As I've said before, you have to beat South Carolina and Dabo is staring a 5th straight loss in the eyes when the Tigers head to Columbia next November. Running through the ACC is great but it isn't preparing us well for the better teams we line up against and we are exposed in all the key positions. LSU is similar to South Carolina. They might not have the most exciting offense in the country, but their defense backs them up and doesn't give up many points. Clemson has a great opportunity on its hands and I think they can truly benefit from looking back at the SC game film and seeing what went wrong and what went right. Learn from that game. I'm no football genius but you simply can't allow the other team to have the ball for over 20 minutes of the second half. That is unacceptable. Clemson will also have to find a way to keep a talented DE off of Boyds back. Greenwood, SC native Sam Montgomery is another monster player and they will have to keep him out of the backfield....something they couldn't do when they lined up against Clowney. The Tigers will definitely be hungry for a win as seniors Andre Ellington, Dalton Freeman, Spencer Benton, Johnathan Meeks, Jonathan Willard, and Malliciah Goodman will all be playing their last game in a Tiger uniform and want to go out on a positive note and set the tone for what will be a HUGE off-season. Clemson has had a record breaking season but with no ACC title and a fourth straight loss to Carolina, this game simply put is a must win if the Tigers want something to show for this 2012 campaign.
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