As most of us expected, Clemson was selected by the Orange Bowl to represent the ACC taking the place of Florida State who will square off against Auburn for the BCS National Championship in Pasadena, California January 6, 2014. The Tigers will take on #6 Ohio State down in Miami on January 3rd and will seek to redeem themselves from their last trip to South Beach. I don't think I have to remind you (but I will anyway) of the 70-33 woodshed beating put on my Tigers by West Virginia two years ago in Miami. After that loss, Coach Dabo Swinney promised Clemson nation that it wouldn't take another 31 years for the Tigers to return to the Orange Bowl and just two years later he has followed through on his promise. Although Clemson fans would have obviously liked to win the ACC outright, I don't think you will find many Tiger fans complaining about where Tajh Boyd and company will be spending the holiday season.
Clemson has a great opportunity standing before them next month. If the Tigers hope to redeem themselves from their last appearance in Miami and also ease the sting of last month's loss to rival South Carolina, this is a game they have to win. A win over #6 Ohio State would not only be a great ending to this season but would go a long way in proving the Tigers are truly a BCS worthy team and are ready to take that next step. However, it won't come easy. Urban Meyer is in his second year as the head coach of the Buckeyes and has an impressive 24-1 record in Columbus. The Buckeyes have two 1,000 yard rushers in QB Braxton Miller and RB Carlos Hyde and have big, physical players all over the field, many of which will likely be playing on Sundays later in their career. When you sit down and view the teams side-by-side, there are actually quite a few similarities. Both teams have high powered offenses that can light up the scoreboard and beat you in a variety of different ways. However, both the Buckeyes and Tigers have some significant areas of concern on defense, specifically in the secondary. That being said, I think we could very well be headed towards a high scoring affair in Miami and it should be an exciting game.
Tajh Boyd has basically re-written the Clemson record books but has struggled in big-time games and will leave Clemson having never beaten South Carolina. His legacy and draft stock will be heavily affected by the outcome of the Orange Bowl and you have to think that Boyd would want nothing more than to end his career with a BCS bowl victory over the Buckeyes and will leave it all out on the field. It's going to be a great opportunity for Clemson to make a statement on the national stage. Will they rise to the occasion? Or will it be the same old story yet again? Only time will tell but you really can't stress just how big this game is for the Tigers. Not only would it be big to end the season with a signature win and help with recruiting but it would be a great springboard for the 2014 season. Although the Tigers lose some key guys on offense including Tajh Boyd, Roderick McDowell and (most likely) Sammy Watkins, Clemson will be more-so reloading, rather than rebuilding next year. The defense should be even better next year and potentially be among the best in the country. Many people don't realize that Clemson led the nation in a quite a few defensive categories during the duration of the season. Once the smoke clears at the QB position, the Tigers should also be in pretty good shape offensively. To get to the point, a win in Miami along with all the returners coming back and a solid recruiting class
could have the Tigers preseason ranked in the top 5 heading into the fall of 2014. But lets just take things one at a time. And for now that means focusing on Ohio State and playing what will have to be their best game of the season to take down Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.
Clemson has a great opportunity standing before them next month. If the Tigers hope to redeem themselves from their last appearance in Miami and also ease the sting of last month's loss to rival South Carolina, this is a game they have to win. A win over #6 Ohio State would not only be a great ending to this season but would go a long way in proving the Tigers are truly a BCS worthy team and are ready to take that next step. However, it won't come easy. Urban Meyer is in his second year as the head coach of the Buckeyes and has an impressive 24-1 record in Columbus. The Buckeyes have two 1,000 yard rushers in QB Braxton Miller and RB Carlos Hyde and have big, physical players all over the field, many of which will likely be playing on Sundays later in their career. When you sit down and view the teams side-by-side, there are actually quite a few similarities. Both teams have high powered offenses that can light up the scoreboard and beat you in a variety of different ways. However, both the Buckeyes and Tigers have some significant areas of concern on defense, specifically in the secondary. That being said, I think we could very well be headed towards a high scoring affair in Miami and it should be an exciting game.
Tajh Boyd has basically re-written the Clemson record books but has struggled in big-time games and will leave Clemson having never beaten South Carolina. His legacy and draft stock will be heavily affected by the outcome of the Orange Bowl and you have to think that Boyd would want nothing more than to end his career with a BCS bowl victory over the Buckeyes and will leave it all out on the field. It's going to be a great opportunity for Clemson to make a statement on the national stage. Will they rise to the occasion? Or will it be the same old story yet again? Only time will tell but you really can't stress just how big this game is for the Tigers. Not only would it be big to end the season with a signature win and help with recruiting but it would be a great springboard for the 2014 season. Although the Tigers lose some key guys on offense including Tajh Boyd, Roderick McDowell and (most likely) Sammy Watkins, Clemson will be more-so reloading, rather than rebuilding next year. The defense should be even better next year and potentially be among the best in the country. Many people don't realize that Clemson led the nation in a quite a few defensive categories during the duration of the season. Once the smoke clears at the QB position, the Tigers should also be in pretty good shape offensively. To get to the point, a win in Miami along with all the returners coming back and a solid recruiting class could have the Tigers preseason ranked in the top 5 heading into the fall of 2014. But lets just take things one at a time. And for now that means focusing on Ohio State and playing what will have to be their best game of the season to take down Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes. 
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