Life After Tajh

Its almost that time. We have only 60 minutes left to watch Tajh Boyd play in a Clemson uniform. Its been quite the roller coaster ride full of ups and downs but at the end of the day #10 will go down as one of the All-Time Clemson greats and rightfully so. He's gone above and beyond what I personally expected out of him and has taken Clemson to the next level and made the Tigers a serious threat in the ACC and beyond. He has come a long, long way from his first days at Clemson. I was there and saw Boyd try, but come up short in rallying his team to a victory over South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. I was there and saw the empty seats and lack of spirit and enthusiasm from both the Clemson football team and the fans. I read the stories and message boards of Tiger nation and their reactions to our first losing season in 11 years. It was a depressing and difficult time to be a Clemson fan. I remember it like it was yesterday. But things would quickly turn around. Boyd went back to the drawing board and went to work. And the next year he led the Tigers to an impressive 8-0 start (cue the "Shock the World Tour") and some believed that this might finally be the Tiger's year and they would be the Cinderella team of 2011. I was back in Bank of America Stadium later that season to watch him lead the Tigers to an ACC Championship in convincing fashion on the very same field the Tigers played for a meaningless bowl game trophy the season before. I saw Clemson fans coming out of the woodwork after that game only to see them jump right off the bandwagon and once again throw Boyd under the bus (just as they did following the Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and South Carolina games that season) following the 70-33 loss in the Orange Bowl to West Virginia. His performance in big games became a serious concern.

Then I watched him go back to work yet again in the off-season dropping a few pounds and adding some muscle and speed that clearly made him a more dangerous threat heading into the 2012 campaign. Now, not only did you have to worry about his arm strength but him lowering the shoulder and running more often giving the opposing defense one more thing to worry about. We watched as he made countless "home-run" type plays placing the ball perfectly for guys like Deandre Hopkins, Brandon Ford, and Sammy Watkins to go up and make plays. Clemson's offense became one of the most explosive in the country and as a Tiger fan, it was a thrill to watch our offense work under offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Of course 2012 had its low points as well. A disappointing finish against both Florida State and South Carolina had many believing Boyd simply couldn't win the "big ones". Boyd answered many of those questions and proved all the experts and nay-sayers wrong with his performance against LSU in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl and led the Tigers to unbelievable come-from-behind victory over #8 LSU. His progression and maturity as a football player shined Bright Like a Diamond that night. (Yes, I just went there. Sue me.) Even Boyd himself left the Georgia dome that night believing he had played his last game in a Tiger uniform and was ready for the NFL after an overall solid season.

Luckily for Clemson, not only did Boyd return for his senior year, but so did offensive coordinator Chad Morris who appeared to be the leading candidate for the head coaching position at Texas Tech. However, the Red Raiders chose former Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury and Clemson nation led out a collective sigh of relief. The Tigers brought all the momentum in the world into their 2013 season opening showdown with long time rival, Georgia, in a top ten battle that would have instant BCS implications. Boyd again rose to the occasion and led his team to victory to become to the first non-SEC team to defeat two ranked SEC opponents in consecutive games. Boyd has re-written the Clemson record books and has earned his right to not only the Clemson hall of fame but will surely be honored by the ACC the future as well.

Now we have only 60 minutes left of seeing #10 play for Clemson. Its been a wild ride full of program defining wins and heartbreaking losses. Boyd has helped changed the perception of Clemson football and "Clemsoning". The Tigers are 31-8 with Tajh has their starter. Impressive to say the least, however, those losses include 3 to South Carolina as a starter. (Kyle Parker started the 2010 game and played until the 2nd half) Yup, arguably the best QB in Clemson history never took down the Gamecocks and that will leave a lingering blemish on his otherwise sparkling career as a Tiger. One thing is for sure, regardless of what happens against Ohio State, Boyd deserves a warm standing ovation when he walks off the field for the final time on January 3rd. He has helped turn around this program and we would not be where we are today with the services and dedication from #10. So on behalf of Tiger nation, Tajh Boyd, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

That being said, its time to start preparing for life after Tajh. The good news is the Tigers already have two talented and competitive replacements in Cole Stoudt and Chad Kelly. In their limited playing time this season in "clean-up" duty, we have seen flashes of potential from both quarterbacks and I can't wait to see how this plays out through spring ball and fall camp leading up to another season opener against Georgia, this time "Between the Hedges" in Athens, GA. In my opinion, Stoudt would have to be the early favorite heading into the off-season. Although Chad Kelly should (and will) be right on his heels.

And speaking of Georgia, we have another guy named Deshuan Watson a 6-3, 190 QB out of Gainesville, GA that will also be in the mix and is expected to be the next great Clemson quarterback. He will challenge both Stoudt and Kelly from day one. He is ranked the #1 dual threat QB coming out of the 2014 class and will be on campus in January. Watson is nursing an MCL injury suffered in his last High School game and although it won't require surgery, he will under go rehab in the coming months in order to be ready for spring practice. One thing is for sure, the competition for the starting job will be intense. All three want nothing more than to be the starter for the season opener and have the potential to do so. Chad Morris noted during interviews last week that Bowl Practice is an early look into who will have the edge heading into spring practice. He is pushing all three to play at a high level. We will miss Tajh Boyd but it appears that next year Clemson will not be rebuilding, but simply reloading. It is going to be fun to watch it all pan out.

Bowl Predictions

Capital One Bowl

January 1, 2014--Orlando, Florida 1pm EST 

#9 South Carolina (10-2) vs #19 Wisconsin (9-3) 

The Gamecocks enter this match-up riding a five game winning streak and are looking for their third straight 11 win season in Columbia. South Carolina QB Conner Shaw has left his mark on the Gamecock football program and will look to go out on the winning side when he takes the field against Wisconsin. Shaw has been impressive again this season completing 61% of his passes for 21 touchdowns and only 1 interception this year. You'd be hard pressed to find a ratio that solid anywhere in the country. Mike Davis has led the way on the ground for Carolina with 1134 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. The Gamecocks haven't always blown  the competition, but when it came down to the wire, more times than not, they found a way to get the job done. The Gamecocks were 4-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less this season. Wisconsin hasn't drawn too much attention throughout this season but definitely deserve all of South Carolina's respect. The Badgers have a solid rushing attack and average 283 yards per game ranking 8th in the nation. They average nearly 36 points per game and are a stingy group on defense giving up only 14.8 points per game. A Top QB-RB duo in Joel Stave who has tossed for over 2,000 yards this season (20 TDs, 12 INTs) and Melvin Gordon who is closing in on a 1500 yard season with 1466 yards entering the bowl game and 12 touchdowns lead the way. The Badgers handled two top 25 teams with relative ease in #19 Northwestern (35-6) and #25 Minnesota (20-7) and gave Ohio State all they could handle on the road in Columbus before falling to the Buckeyes 31-24. I could see this one going either way but give the ever-so-slight advantage to Shaw and the Gamecocks. They've found a way to win close games and they get it done on New Years Day. 

The Pick: South Carolina 

FedEx Orange Bowl 

January 3, 2014--Miami, Florida 8:30pm EST

#12 Clemson (10-2) vs #7 Ohio State (12-1) 

Both teams enter this game looking to redeem themselves from their previous performance. The Tigers had six (!!!!) turnovers against the Gamecocks and couldn't seem to get out of their own way in their regular season finale loss in Columbia. Ohio State's last outing didn't turn out so well either and the Buckeyes were horrible on third down covering on only 1 of 10 against Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship. Both of these teams have explosive offenses. Ohio State is fourth in the country in scoring offense putting up 46 points per game and the Tigers aren't too far behind with 40.2 per game. Along with high powered offenses, both teams also have suspect defenses. Clemson simply didn't have an answer for Winston and the Seminoles who dropped 51 on the Tigers and Conner Shaw had his way against Brent Venables' defense. That should scare the daylights out of Clemson fans. With all due respect to Conner Shaw, if we couldn't slow him down its going to be even more difficult to stop the rushing attack of not one, but TWO 1,000 yard rushers in QB Braxton Miller and RB Carlos Hyde. However, Ohio State's defense has also had some major issues especially in the pass defense department which keeps this game way more interesting and scary for Buckeye fans. In their last two games, the Buckeyes gave up 755 yards combined through the air. If you've watched the Tigers at all this season you know they have a wealth of big play receivers and you better believe Clemson will take shots down field early and often and challenge this Buckeye defense. I'm also interested to see what the Tigers can do on the ground. If and that is a big if, Clemson establishes a running game early and Boyd is able to tuck it and run and pick up 4, 5, or even 6 yards here and there, that will open up the passing game and I like our chances and match-ups against Ohio State's defensive backs.

I think this game is going to be a shootout. While I'm not convinced Ohio State has played  (and beat) a quality opponent, the same could be argued for the Tigers. I think this game comes down to who can up with that big turnover that gives their team an extra possession that could be the difference in this high scoring frenzy. Clemson will be playing with a chip on their shoulder and looking to redeem themselves from not only the 70-33 loss to West Virginia in Miami two years ago but their two embarrassing losses this year to Florida State and South Carolina...the only two teams that defeated Clemson last season as well. Bottom line is I think there is more uncertainty on the Tiger sideline. What team will show up in Miami? The one that took down UGA? How bout the team that was down 17-0 against FSU before some fans even got to their seats? Only time will tell. That being said, I have to go with the Buckeyes in a close one. 

The Pick: Ohio State

BCS National Championship

January 6, 2014--Pasadena, California (8:30pm) EST

#1 Florida State (13-0) vs #2 Auburn (12-1) 

I don't believe there is a single person in the WORLD who had these two teams meeting up in Pasadena but if you've watched this wacky season of college football, this match-up should no surprise you. Florida State has cruised through this season with ease and have been dominant every time they stepped on the field. The Seminoles are 2nd the nation in points scored with 53 per game and on defense they are 1st in the nation allowing only 10.7 points per game. Freshmen sensation and Heisman winner Jamies Winston has been phenomenal but has had quite the supporting cast as well. The Seminoles have NFL-ready talent at nearly every single position on the field and have a head coach that is quickly on the rise and is on pace to be among the greatest to ever coach at Florida State. Auburn has been the comeback team of the year. The Auburn Tigers were just 3-9 last year and now they are 12-1 and are 60 minutes away from capturing another National Championship. Gus Malzhan has been simply amazing and his Tigers have found the most improbable ways to win this season. In back-to-back games to conclude the regular season, Auburn scored in the final moments of the game to win. Some would call it luck, and they would be right. However, some times its better to be lucky than to be good. Auburn however has proved its not only lucky, but a great football team and they have earned their trip to Pasadena, make no mistake about it. Florida State on the other hand could be more questionable. Yes they have been absolutely dominant, but their level of competition is not even in the same ball park as Auburn. (SEC! SEC! SEC!....happy now?) That being said, Auburn is a very predictable team. They literally run the same handful of plays time and time again at you. I guess you could say that they bore you and put you to sleep with it then catch you napping and hit you with the big play. With plenty of time to prepare and break down film, I think this FSU defense will be well prepared for Tre Mason and company and will make them fight for every yard. I'm by no means an ACC homer but if there was ever time for me to pull for the ACC against the SEC, its now. I think Winston and the Seminoles get the job done in Pasadena by a touchdown. 

The Pick: Florida State

Other Picks:  

Chic-Fil-A Bowl:  #24 Duke (10-3) over #21 Texas A&M (8-4)

Gator Bowl: #22 Georgia (8-4) over Nebraska (8-4) 

Alamo Bowl: #10 Oregon (10-2) over Texas (8-4) 

Outback Bowl: #16 LSU (9-3) over Iowa (8-4) 

Cotton Bowl: #8 Missouri (11-2) over #13 Oklahoma St (10-2) 

Rose Bowl: #4 Michigan St (12-1) over #5 Stanford (11-2)

Fiesta Bowl: #15 UCF (11-1) over #6 Baylor (11-1) 

Sugar Bowl: #3 Alabama (11-1) over #11 Oklahoma (10-2) 

Redemption

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.