Its almost here. Just 14 days until the return of college football....11 technically if you count Georgia State and Abilene Christian who kick off Wednesday August 27th at 7pm..(I don't). The Thursday night tilt provides a much more entertaining match up with Texas A&M at South Carolina kicking off on the SEC Network at 6pm. Pre-season camp is almost over and its about time for teams to start week 1 preparations. I already gave you my preseason thoughts on both Georgia and South Carolina and now its time to wrap up this series with Clemson. Here we go!
Clemson Tigers
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney (51-23 in 5 years at Clemson)
Last year's record: 11-2 (7-1 in ACC) beat Ohio State in Orange Bowl
Returning Starters: Offense: 5 Defense 7
Key Losses: QB Tajh Boyd, WR Sammy Watkins, RB Roderick McDowell, LB Spencer Shuey, PK Chandler Catanzaro
Players to Watch- QB Cole Stoudt, WR Mike Williams, RB D.J. Howard, DE Vic Beasley, DT Grady Jarrett, LB Stephone Anthony
2014 Schedule:
August 30th @ Georgia
September 6th South Carolina State
*September 20th @ Florida State#
September 27th North Carolina#
October 4th North Carolina State#
*October 11th Louisville#
October 18th Boston College#
October 25th Syracuse#
November 6th @ Wake Forest#
*November 15th @ Georgia Tech#
November 22nd Georgia State
*November 29th South Carolina
*-denotes key game
#-denotes ACC game
Overall Thoughts: .Ok, I'm gonna come out and say it. My Tigers have their work cut out for them on offense this year with the departure of Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins, Roderick McDowell and Martavis Bryant. Not to mention the loss of two of our anchors and big boys up front in LT Brandon Thomas and RG Tyler Shatley. And while some may say this is a rebuilding year, I'd argue that reloading would be more accurate. Yes, one of the best quarterbacks in school history is gone. Yes, one of the biggest play makers in all of college football last season (Watkins) is also gone but their replacements aren't too shabby. Cole Stoudt has waited patiently for his time and it has finally arrived. The 6-4, 210 Senior from Dublin, Ohio has played back up to Boyd the past three years and knows Chad Morris' system and this offense as good as anybody. In fact, Stoudt is probably a better fit for the offense than Boyd was. He has better mobility and is a much better runner while also having a good arm with accuracy. Experience is an area of concern for the new starter though with limited playing time under his belt. That being said, in his time on the field, he has done well. Last season he made an appearance in eight games completing 79.7 % of his passes (best in the nation w/ minimum of 50 pass attempts) going 47-59 for 415 yards and 5 TDs. He's only thrown one interception in his Clemson career in a total of 119 pass attempts. Freshmen sensation and backup Deshaun Watson will see the field some this season as well and promises to be a very special player. Trust me, you'll be hearing his name and get to know him soon. We've already learned the the dual threat quarterback from Gainesville, Ga will see the field at some point in the season opener.
This year's squad will operate with a running back by committee system with D.J. Howard likely leading the way, at least for the season opener. Be prepared to see Zac Brooks, Daniel High School standout C.J. Davidson and Wayne Gallman in the mix as well...all of which are battling and performing at a high level through spring ball and into pre-season camp. There is still plenty of talent in the wide receiver department with Senior Adam Humphries leading the way. Freshmen Artavis Scott and Demarre Kitt will also see the field in addition to Mike Williams, Charone Peak and Gerome Hopper. The Tight Ends have also been getting it in and received high praise from the coaching staff. They are expecting big things out of Senior Sam Cooper, Junior Staton Seckinger and Sopohmore Jordan Leggett. On defense, Brent Venables has brought together one of the best front seven he's had in his entire career. Not only do Tigers have reliable talent and experience up front, they have depth. Guys are pushing each other to be better and if they can stay healthy, the Tigers could very well have a top five or top ten defense this season. With the likes of future NFL first rounder DE Vic Beasley (23 tackles for loss last season) along with DT Grad Jarrett who has emerged as a major leader for this squad this off-season, this defense will resemble one of the "old days" where Clemson's defense was its strength. The line is backed up by linebackers such as Stephone Anthony and Tony Steward along with backup Ben Boulware. The Tigers defensive front is talented and DEEP. I'm talking "four and five start 2nd stringers" deep. In the secondary, redshirt Freshmen Mackensie Alexander has impressed coaches as well as Safety Jayron Kearse who was hit-or-miss last season. The loss of Catanzaro hurts in the special teams unit but the staff will look to PK Ammon Lakip or P/PK Bradley Pinion who was a reliable punter for the Tigers last season.
Bottom Line: The Tigers have two of the best coordinators in the game right now in Chad Morris and Brent Venables and talent wise have the personnel to make this another special season in Tigertown. With the new playoff system into place and with conference foe Florida State in prime position to make it back-to-back titles in Tallahassee, Clemson could find its way back to Miami again this season if it take care of business at home. There will be some growing pains and I don't expect to see the Tigers drop 40 every game this year, but with a much improved defense, they might not have to. I think Cole Stoudt will hold his own and the defense should play well enough to keep the Tigers in every game this season. The key will be holding on to the football, something that struggled to do in its two losses to South Carolina and Florida State. They have a brutal start to the season with difficult road tips to Athens and Florida State...both very hostile environments with top 25 teams. But if the Tigers can find a way to at least go 1-1 in those games, they should be favored in every other game the rest of the season with the only exception being the showdown in November against arch rival, South Carolina in Death Valley. The visit from ACC newcomer Louisville will be interesting but I think they get the job done at home. Another game of interest will be the game at Georgia Tech in mid November. Clemson hasn't won there since 2003...a 39-3 woodshed beating in which the Tigers wore the purple uniforms. Charlie Whitehurst (aka Clipboard Jesus) and company had a pretty fun night in Atlanta that evening. The last time the Tigers were in Bobby Dodd Stadium though, Tech brought the 8-0 and #6 rank Tigers BCS title dreams to a screeching halt with a 31-17 defeat. While 10 or 11 wins will be tough to reach this year, I do think its possible. However, until I see these guys on August 30th there is no way I'd put money on anything more than 8-9 wins. Heard a guy on 105.5 FM The ROAR, Clemson's flagship radio station, predict a 31-17 win in Athens...I'm drinking the kool-aid but lets not get too carried away. Nevertheless, should be a fun season.
Preseason Prediction: 9-3 Overall (Regular Season)
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