Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Week 13: Rivalry Week

Its always nice to have a bye-week and my personal bye week from the hard, grueling blog grind came at great timing last week. No but seriously, last week seemed like I had something important to do every single day. Anyways, I'm back now and couldn't be more excited for rivalry week. Now lets get to business, shall we?

ITS RIVALRY WEEK! 


Its that time of the year again. The entire state of South Carolina is divided. You're either a Tiger or a Gamecock. No in between. Families are separated, friendships are put on hold...its the biggest weekend of the year in this state. Its the super bowl for South Carolina. Its not "just a game" and if you believe it is, you've clearly never been to one of these games. If you had told me in pre-season that we'd be 10-1 heading into this game with our lone lose coming to FSU on the road in a overall respectable loss, I would have laughed in your face. Sad thing is if I defense was just a little bit better, we'd be undefeated right now. Anyways, we have put together a great season and now have ourselves quite the match up this year in Death Valley. Clemson is riding a 13 game home winning streak. The last time they lost at home it was to...,you guessed it, South Carolina. However, much has changed this then and this years game will be much closer than the previous three. Clemson has look unstoppable on offense while looking absolutely horrible on defense at times. Tajh Boyd has nearly re-written Clemson's record books and DeAndre Hopkins is showing the nation what most people in the Clemson-Seneca area have known for years...he is one heck of a football player and athlete in general. For the Gamecocks, its been a roller coaster year. After looking like probably the best team in the nation against UGA, South Carolina lost the next two on the road to LSU and Florida and barely escaped Tennessee in Columbia the following week. They  wrapped up their home schedule with a less than impressive 24-7 win over Wofford while Clemson survived a shooutout with North Carolina State 62-48. And for the second straight year, Marcus Lattimore will be on the sidelines when these two teams meet up after his devastating knee injury. South Carolina has one of if not THE best defensive fronts in the country, but will they be able to disrupt Clemson's offense? I will be honest, if this game had been played four or five weeks ago, I would have picked South Carolina to win hands down. But the tables have since shifted and add in the mix Clemson is having its first night game in two years, against its rival who has had their number, with a BCS at-large bid on the table AND the simple fact Clemson has proved its not the same old Clemson team, makes things get a lot more interesting. Lets take a look at how this thing should play out! 


Players to Watch: 


For Clemson: 
QB Tajh Boyd--3,3336 passing yards; 41 TDs
WR DeAndre Hopkins--1171 Yards; 13 TDs
RB Andre Ellington--959 rushing yards; 8 TDs
Defensive Secondary--can they bounce back from last week's poor performance?


For South Carolina: 
QB Conner Shaw--1732 passing yards; 12 TDS
WR Ace Sanders--320 yards; 6 TDS
Defensive line--Can they terrorize a smarter, better, and quicker Tajh Boyd like they did last year?


When South Carolina Has The Ball: 

South Carolina has looked really good at times this year (see Missouri, UGA games) But at times, they looked equally as bad (See Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Wofford) The injury bug has been an issue and though he expected to play, not sure if Conner Shaw will be 100% when the takes the field and that could be a huge factor, obviously. Clemson's defense had improved tremendously after the first half of the season but took a major step back against North Carolina State Saturday. If Clemson can't get any pressure on Shaw it could be a long night on defense for the Tigers. Clemson's defensive front seems to get a little better each week and they should have no problem getting fired up and motivated for a strong performance against their rivals. However, bottom line here is South Carolina has a  talented offense and they are capable of causing Clemson a lot of headaches Saturday night. 

Advantage: South Carolina 


When Clemson Has The Ball: 

Clemson has scored almost at will this year and have scored over 35 points for 9 straight games. Boyd is 2nd in the nation in passing efficiency and Hopkins is arguably the best wide out in the nation and has the numbers to back it up. Clemson's offensive line has been overall pretty darn good this year, especially considering that was a major question mark entering the season. If Clemson can get the running game established early and force Carolina to respect the run, it will open up the passing game and Clemson has plenty of guys that go up and get the ball IF Boyd has enough time to throw down field. This is the best defense Clemson has seen all year and though I don't expect Clemson to drop 62 points like it did last week, they will score Saturday night and continue to do it in flashy ways. Clemson's consistency this year on offense gives them the upper hand here. The key for South Carolina is to stuff the running game and force Boyd to throw under pressure. If the running game gets going, especially if Boyd is able to get small chunks of yards here and there, it should be a fun night for the guys in orange. 

Advantage: Clemson 



Special Teams: 

Before last week I would have given Clemson the slight edge here but after last weeks showing against NC State I'm very concerned not only with our kick coverage but the line drive kicks Catanzaro was dealing Saturday night. Too close for comfort. Ace Sanders has proved he can take it to the house on more than one occasion this year so kicking to him will be dangerous. Special Teams and flipping the field is going to be HUGE in this game. This could very well be the deciding factor of the game. Clemson also has Spencer Benton who nailed a ACC record 62 yard field goal this season and could be called upon if needed late in the game. This could go either way, but I'm giving it to the Gamecocks. 

Advantage: South Carolina 


INTANGIBLES: 

From Boyd, to Hopkins, Watkins, Ellington, Ford and Bryant...Clemson has NFL talent at all the key positions and have skill players that can take it the distance every single time they touch the ball. These guys remember all to well how last season ended as well as how South Carolina has stuck it to them the past three years. The team has handled its success much better this year, has played to a standard every game and hasn't had the typical Clemson let down. The offense is in the top five nationally in scoring and Boyd's leadership, maturity and improvement from last season is unbelievable. Though the defense has looked very suspect and flat out terrible at times, the Tigers have won nearly every game by at least 14 points this year. South Carolina has been suspect at times this year against inferior opponents (see Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky) now I know a win is a win, but they can't afford to dig themselves into a hole Saturday night. Coach Spurrier is hall of fame coach and will have a good game plan ready and clearly has the coaching edge here with comes to the head coach. Luckily for Clemson, the coaches don't play the game.

Slight Advantage: Clemson 


The Bottom Line:

This game is going to come down to the trenches. Whoever can win the battle up front will
have more success. Also the team that can limit the mistakes. With Clemson having its first night game in two years and with all that's at stake, this atmosphere is going to be insane. Fans will have all day long to um..."get ready" for the game...and they will be very lively to say the least. If I'm Dabo and I win the toss, I'm taking the ball and possibly taking a shot down field the first or second of the game and trying to set the tone. An early score on the opening drive could go a long way in making sure Death Valley starts and stays loud all night long. South Carolina has owned Clemson as of late. However, the Tigers have simply not played well against them, (though SC has played a role in that). That being said this is different Clemson team. It has answered the call nearly every time this year. They are 8-2 against the spread this season with the only two times coming last week against State and early in the year against Ball St. Boyd had a nightmarish game last year but he's like a different player and not like a "concrete deer" this year as Morris called him. There is a lot on the the line and Clemson is catching the Gamecocks at a pretty favorable time. Shaw is struggling with  a foot injury, we all know Lattimore won't play and Clowney is fighting a nagging foot injury and bruised knee. They (Clemson) have to take advantage of the opportunity, and I think they will. The Spread is 4 points on the game and I think that's is right on the money. 

Prediction:  Clemson 31 South Carolina 27 



Take Your Pick: Rivalry Week


Florida v. Florida State

I'm torn in this game. Florida State hasn't gotten much love this year but they can put most of the blame on themselves when they lost on to NC State on the road. This is their shot to earn some respect and I think they put together their best game of the season since the Clemson showdown and they knock off the Gators in a very close game. 


Alabama v.  Auburn

Yeah....lets get serious here. I know anything can happen, but there is no way. Alabama wins, wins big and might just shutout the Tigers. Will this Chizik's last game on the Auburn sideline? Its been a long and tough year out on the plains and to say the Auburn faithful is frustrated would be a huge understatement.

Georgia v Georgia Tech

As much as I would like to see Tech pull the upset against UGA, once again I just don't see it happening. GT has struggled this year and I think the Bulldogs' defense will force some big turnovers that will ultimately doom the yellow jackets. UGA wins and gets ready for a HUGE showdown in the SEC Championship with Alabama. 



Ohio State v Michigan

Urban Meyer couldn't have asked for much more than what his players have done this year. They are undefeated and well on their way for the conference title game. Oh wait, no..they aren't eligible for that or the BCS title game this year. What a shame...all that hard work and they'll have basically nothing to show for it. But if you're looking for sympathy, keep looking cause you won't get any from me. DON'T CHEAT!!!! Anyways, Buckeyes win. 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Week 11 Predictions

Take Your Pick: Week 11


#10 Florida State faces its last major hurdle on the road to the ACC Championship. And though Virginia Tech has had a down year, going into their house on a Thursday night is no easy feat. VT doesn't have much to lose and they will give FSU their best shot. Problem is I'm not sure it'll be enough. The Hokies offense is horrific and I literally don't think they can score enough to beat Florida State. I think they will keep it interesting early and might even take an early lead...but it won't last. 'Noles pull away in the second half.

TCU faces off against #2 Kansas St Saturday after knocking off WVU last weekend. We still don't know if Klein will play or not and his absence could cost the Wildcats their shot for a trip to the National Championship. However, the past few weeks the Wildcats have performed exceedingly well and Klein or no Klein, Kansas St gets the job done and remains undefeated.

WVU takes on Oklahoma State in a battle of 5-3 squads. The Mountaineers are desperate for a win and if you count their bye week, they haven't woke up on Sunday as winners in four weeks. Will it be five after this week? I can't tell you. I was sure they would find a way to get the job done last week and they failed. I'm going to stick with my gut though and say things go in their favor Saturday.




#13 Clemson attempts to stay on track and make it 12 straight wins in Death Valley as it welcomes a Maryland team that can't seem to stay healthy. The Terps will be starting their 5th string QB aka a Linebacker when they take the field Saturday. They will also be without their leading tackler and wideout and rusher! Maryland has been a demon for Clemson over the past few years, especially in Death Valley. Add in the mix that Clemson doesn't have much film, really none at all to work off of due to the new QB, it makes things somewhat interesting. However, this is not the same ole Clemson team and they have proved it since their lone loss to FSU on the road. Its a different team. More talented, better coached, more mature. Bottom line is, Maryland has too many questions and Clemson is well focused and will take care of business. Tigers win big on their homecoming.

Miami faces a coastal division foe, UVA Satuday. The Cavs are just 3-6 this year and only have one conference win, a 33-6 pounding of NCST. Miami still has a shot at making a bowl game but really needs to win this week in order to help make that happen. I think the Canes get it done in large part thanks to their offense and the mismatches against the Cavs defense.

Boston College welcomes #4 Notre Dame to town in a prime time meeting between the two schools. Lets be honest, this one is a obvious. Boston College is 2-7 this year and hasn't done much of anything. While some will argue (myself included) ND should not be undefeated, they are still a solid team and have proved their worth this year. The spread on the game is 18.5.....I'd say BC will be lucky to keep it within three touchdowns. Irish cruise past the Eagles in this one.




#5 UGA can clinch the East division with a win over the struggling Auburn Tigers who are coming off just their second win of the season last week over New Mexico State. Now all signs would say Georgia wins and wins easily against the Tigers but this could easily be a trap game. The Tigers have nothing to lose, and though they have played horrible, lets not forget it wasn't too long ago Auburn nearly stunned LSU. I'm by no mean calling for an upset here, but I'm just saying...be careful, UGA.

#6 Florida squares off against La-Lafayette this weekend from the Sunbelt conference. Florida had trouble with Missouri last week but squeaked out the win. That was probably a wake up call for the Gators and they put the Ragin' Cajuns away early Saturday. No upset alert for the Gators this week.

#7 LSU welcomes another ranked opponent under the lights of Death Valley as #21 Mississippi State comes calling Saturday night. Both teams are 7-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play. How will the Tigers react after their heartbreaking loss to Alabama last week? It was a very physical and hard fought game that slipped away from Les Miles and company at the end. I know its hard to play in Death Valley but I'm going to go out on the limb and put the Tigers on upset alert. Its tough to come back from a loss such as LSU suffered and the Bulldogs are good enough to spring the upset.





#8 South Carolina aims to keep its BCS bowl hopes alive as Arkansas (4-5) comes to town for Homecoming in Columbia. The Gamecocks are still banged up though QB Conner Shaw is expected to be ready to play come game time. Senior Kenny Miles will get the start for Marcus Lattimore, who will be honored during the game but will not be in attendance. Arkansas has caused problems for South Carolina in recent past and despite a tough start, they haven't given up and would like nothing more than to ruin South Carolina's shot at a BCS bowl. But unfortunately, it won't happen. Gamecocks get it done.

#3 Oregon squares off against California..........yeah I'm not even going to entertain this one. Ducks win, and win big like they've done all year long.

#1 Alabama looks to avoid the upset against #15 Texas A&M in a 3:30 kick in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama rallied late in Death Valley last weekend to keep their #1 ranking in tact. McCarron showed great leadership and poise and led his team to a HUGE win on the road. Not sure I'm buying the whole "Alabama could beat some teams in the NFL" talk but I do believe they are the best team in college football and they will once again show the nation why against the Aggies.




Tuesday, November 6, 2012

What We Learned: Week 10

Week 10 Review 


Roll Tide, Roll! 


I expected another boring defensive struggle between these two teams on Saturday and until the Clemson game went final I did not even bother flipping the channel to watch the game. But luckily for me, things got really interesting just as I switched over halfway through the 3rd quarter. It appeared, for a moment, that LSU was going to pull the upset. But as I tweeted in the 4th quarter, I just had a feeling that someway Alabama was going to find a way to come back and win....and they did. That is what champions do. Even in the midst of playing against a hostile crowd and talented team and having all the momentum building up against them, they were able to deliver the knockout blow via a T.J. Yeldon 28-yard catch and run that put Bama ahead 21-17 with just 0:51 seconds left in the game. QB AJ McCarron grew up a lot Saturday and showed poise and leadership and led his team to huge win going 14-27 for 165 yards and also rushing for another TD from 9 yards out. Alabama is sitting pretty right now atop of the SEC and welcomes TAMU to town next weekend. At this point I would be extremely surprised if they don't win out and win the SEC Championship.


Don't forget about UGA

Since looking like a JV team at a 1A high school against South Carolina, UGA has looked  much better and are now only one win away from clinching the SEC East. If they can beat Auburn on Saturday, they will punch their ticket to the SEC championship where they will, baring some crazy turn of events, face Alabama. On Saturday, the Bulldogs allowed Ole Miss to hang around for a while and actually trailed them, but in the end, it was clear who was the better team with the rebels falling in Athens 37-10. Murray led the way for UGA on 21-28 for 384 yards passing and 4 TDs. Gurley had another strong outing rushing for 117 yards on 16 carries. UGA had trailed Ole Miss 10-0 before scoring the next 37 points in the game and sending the rebels packing. There was a article that came out last week predicting a UGA-Clemson showdown in the Sugar Bowl....I can't tell you how pumped I would be for that. A nice preview of the home and away series we (Clemson) have with them starting next season in Death Valley.


When it comes to football, Duke is still Duke 


During Duke's Pregame show, they were noted saying that "Clemson's receivers were not as good as FSU's and that would help them pull the upset." Not sure if word reached Clemson right before kickoff or not, but Boyd tore apart the Blue Devils secondary passing for four, yes FOUR TD passes in the 1st quarter alone. Three of the touchdowns were to Deandre Hopkins and Clemson made it look easy. Boyd has grown up a great deal since last year it and its showing. The Tigers are averaging 40 plus points per game and along with Oregon are the only teams that have scored at least 35 points in their last eight games. The Tigers racked up 718 yards of offense and had no trouble moving the ball against Duke. Clemson is now 8-1 overall and prepare for Homecoming against Maryland who is just trying to make it to the off-season alive. Along with having to play their 5th string QB...who had been playing LB, they also lost their team leading tackler, D. Hartsfield with a torn ACL. Times are rough in College Park right now though I expect we will still get their best shot in Death Valley this weekend. Duke can still make it to the ACC Championship but Clemson has to hope VT can knock off FSU for Clemson to take the first place seat. But as I mentioned, if Clemson can win out, they put themselves in position to snag an at-large BCS bid with a 11-1 record. It should be fun three weeks to close out the regular season.

High Scoring Showdown


Oregon and USC had a high scoring boxing match but the Ducks persevered and survived in large part thanks to Kenjon Barner who scored 5 TDs on 321 yards. He simply could not be stopped, those are absurd numbers...video game numbers. But they are real. Barkley's play helped keep USC in the game (485 yards, 4 TDs 2 INTs) but it wasn't meant to be. Oregon would survive 62-51 and take one big step closer to the BCS title game. Barner helped prove he is Heisman worthy and with Klein nursing and injury, this could be his chance to "steal" the trophy at the end of the season. The most telling stat of the game was total offense, USC earned 615 yards while Oregon added 730 to combine for 1,345 yards. That is a lot of yards, folks. Hard to believe both teams were able to rack up some many yards and light up the scoreboard the way they did. Its a tough blow for USC who now has three losses at 6-3 after having so much hype for a big year coming into the season.


Other News From the Weekend....



 West Virginia fell in double overtime on a 2-point conversion to TCU 39-38. After looking like BCS contenders Geno Smith and company have lost three striaght, and two of the games were blowouts. Kansas State outlasted Oklahoma State 44-30, but have possibly lost QB Collin Klein. ND stayed perfect by knocking off Pitt, 29-26. Florida escaped the upset and beat Missouri 14-7. Texas A&M hammered Miss St, 38-13. Texas knocked off Texas Tech, 31-22. A late TD put Nebraska past Michigan St, 28-24. Miami rocked VT 30-12 on Thursday night. UVA took out some frustration on a struggling NCST team, 33-6. Tennessee avoided the upset against Troy, 55-48. Vanderbilt blanked Kentucky 40-0 and Joker Phillips was told he would not return as head coach next season. Finally, OSU rocked Illinois, 52-22. This week I went 11-2 overall to improve my overall record for the season to 89-31. Looking forward to Week 11!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Take Your Pick: Week 10 Predictions

Week 10 Predictions 



#3 Notre Dame faces 4-4 Pittsburgh team at home. Battle of future ACC teams...oh wait. Never mind. Anyways, no upset alert here. Irish get the job done.

#4 Oregon heads to LA to battle  #17 USC. Huge game for both teams. The Ducks can't afford to trip up this week if they want a spot in the title game. I think they get the job done.

#2 Kansas St welcomes #24 Oklahoma State to town for Big 12 showdown. Collin Klein and the Wildcats win in convincing fashion and get one step closer to punching their ticket to a BCS bowl.





How will #7 Florida react to its first loss of the season? They had 6 turnovers against UGA last week and even when they held on to the ball, they didn't look so hot. I think they bounce back this weekend at home against Missouri.

#15 Mississippi State looks to rebound after last week's lost to #1 Alabama. They meet SEC newcomer #16 Texas A&M. This should be an interesting game and for some reason I really like Texas A&M in this match-up. Don't know why, but I'm just gonna go with it. Aggies pull the upset....if you wanna call it that.  

If #6 Georgia can knock off Ole Miss Saturday and then Auburn next week on the road, they clinch the SEC-East division. However a loss makes things very interesting with Florida, South Carolina and Georgia all back in the mix. Don't expect that to happen, though. Bulldogs pick up where they left off last week against Florida and send the Rebels packing.




Virginia Tech and Miami meet up in a battle of 4-4 teams. This one is simply going to come down to who wants it more and has fewer mistakes. That being said, I'm going with Miami.

Wake Forest vs Boston College.....who really even cares? Anyways, I'm taking the Demon Deacons. For no reason at all.

#18 Texas Tech and #23 Texas both have identical records at (6-2,3-2). Tech's Doege has thrown for over 2500 yards and 30 TDs this year, Texas is giving up over 30 points a game. I'm picking the Red and Black in a close one.




# 12 Oklahoma vs Iowa St. Can you say UPSET CITY?!?! No, I'm totally kidding. Not a chance. Sooners win. and win big.

#21 West Virginia will score enough to take down TCU cause we all know they can't rely on that defense to stop anything. Geno Smith and company take care of business.

#1 Alabama faces SEC foe #5 LSU in a rematch of the National Championship. To be honest I couldn't be any less excited to see this game. Expect another low scoring, defensive battle. Who can come up with the big play that will change the game? Hate to say it, Tiger fans, but I think Alabama is not only going to win, but they are going to win by at least 10. Alabama has looked solid all year long while LSU came a few plays from losing to both South Carolina and Auburn...who we all know is terrible this year. Roll Tide, Roll!


And last but not least.......

#13 Clemson @ Duke 
If you are looking for an upset, keep looking. Yes I know Duke is a much improved team, yes I know they are on top of the Coastal Division, but lets face it....that division is extra horrible this year. Yes, Clemson lost up there in 2004 after a big win against Miami. Yes, it could be trap game and a perfect time for Clemson to "pull a Clemson" but guess what? Its STILL Duke football and it ain't gonna happen. Duke has been giving up 39 points per game and gave up 560 yards of offense to FSU last week while Clemson is averaging 41 points per game. Clemson's secondary has had two overall solid performances the past two games after a rough start to the season. The secondary should have starting CB Breeland back this week and we will likely see Humphries back there again some as well. Clemson simply has too many weapons for Duke to keep up with. The Blue Devils may also have to play without QB Sean Renfree who suffered a head injury against FSU last week. Duke would need a lot of things to go wrong for the Tigers to even stay in this game. Clemson wins big and prepares to close out the regular season with three straight home games as they try to extend the streak to 14 straight wins in Death Valley.