Its Bowl Season!

Now that Christmas has come and gone and New Years Eve just days away it can only mean one thing...time to get those new years resolutions written down and, more importantly, we are now in the midst of nearly two straight weeks of college football action. I have yet to actually watch much of the games to this point but that will soon change especially when I head to Atlanta to see Clemson take on LSU New Years Eve. I had planned on not going and saving the little money I have left after Christmas shopping and stay at home, but Coca-Cola/Coke Zero gave me the hook-up with four free tickets so clearly I'm now going and pretty excited about seeing this BCS caliber match-up live. In my final post of 2012, I'm gonna take a brief look at the battle of Tigers and  the REAL Death Valley as well as pick winners for South Carolina's showdown in Tampa, a few other games of interest and all the BCS Bowls. Here we go!

Prediction Time: 

Clemson vs LSU: Chick-Fil-A Bowl

December 31, 2012

If you ask anyone, they'll tell you Clemson doesn't stand a chance in the Georgia Dome on New Years Eve. I mean, seriously, they are playing a team from the SEC...and Clemson didn't even win a horrible ACC conference. There is just no chance in the world Clemson can match LSU's talent and skill and are destined to endure another embarrassing blowout in a bowl game for the second straight year. (Yeah that sounds kinda  ridiculous doesn't it?) Any team can lose on any given day, THAT IS WHY WE PLAY THIS GAME IN THE FIRST PLACE! Who had Notre Dame running the table this summer? Who thought Texas A&M would give Alabama the business and stand tall in its first season in the SEC, and by a show of hands, who thought Urban Meyer would bring a 12-0 record this season to Columbus? I'm willing to guess not many people honestly saw any of those scenarios happening. But they did. And Clemson has a grand opportunity to turn some heads as well. LSU is far from "unbeatable". Sure they loss to Alabama by only four points but they also barely escaped Auburn on the road by two points...yes the same Auburn that went 3-9 this year and showed head coach Gene Chizik the door. Clemson has losses to two overall respectable teams in Florida State and South Carolina. However, both of those were the Tigers biggest games and they failed to get the job done when the pressure was on. Easier said than done, here are my four keys to a Clemson victory against LSU: 

1. Get Physical. Win the battle in the trenches and keep Montgomery off of Boyds back. Clemson did not contain South Carolina's Clowney and he made them pay for it. Same deal applies here. 

2. Make 3rd Downs Manageable- LSU has a great defense, and Clemson will have to put themselves into manageable situations on 3rd down. 3rd and 8, 9 10, etc spells trouble for Clemson and will allow LSU to bring more pressure and force Boyd into hurried throws and mistakes. 

3. Time of Possession- Against SC, the Tigers only had the ball for a near 8 minutes in the second half. They will have to avoid constant three and outs when on offense and get their defense off the field as soon as possible. Les Miles isn't afraid to go for it on 4th down and will likely test the heart of this defense a time or two on fourth down. It'll be up to them to respond. 

4. Execute- This one is obvious but I'm serious. Everyone has to do their part and execute. Play until you hear the whistle. Clemson has all the talent in the world on offense and has to make use of it if they want to win. Get Watkins some touches early (beyond the line of scrimmage for heavens sake!!!), make the running game a priority and take notes from SC and get your Tight End involved in the offense. Big Ford Diesel...that means you, brother! 

Bottom Line: It isn't often that I come into a game honestly worried but LSU scares me.... a lot. They are a great team with a even better coaching. I know we can win this game, but I don't know if we will actually play like it and get the job done. Clemson rose to he occasion against Auburn to kick off the season on this very field but overall, the Tigers have not played well in Atlanta as of late. Will the demons of this city make their return or will Dabo and company shock the world? We shall see, but as for me....I have to go with my gut. 

The Pick: LSU 34 Clemson 20

Other Games of Interest: 

South Carolina vs Michigan: Outback Bowl

Janurary 1, 2013 1pm

Pick: South Carolina 

Georgia vs Nebraska: Captial One Bowl

January 1, 2013 1pm

Pick: Georgia 

Wisconsin vs Stanford: Rose Bowl

Januray 1, 2013 5pm

Pick: Standford

Northern Illinois vs Florida State: Orange Bowl

January 1, 2012 8:30pm

Pick: Florida State

Florida vs Louisville: Sugar Bowl

January, 2 8:30pm

Pick: Florida

Oregon vs Kansas State: Fiesta Bowl

January 3, 8:30pm

Pick: Oregon

Texas A&M vs Oklahoma: Cotton Bowl

January 4 8pm 

Pick: Texas A&M 

Notre Dame vs Alabama: BCS National Title Game

January 7 8:30pm 

Pick: Alabama 

Big Opportunity for Clemson

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.

Bad News for Gamecock Fans

Is Marcus Lattimore's career as a Gamecock over?

Junior Running Back to forgo senior season, declare for 2013 NFL Draft 

Rumors broke early Monday morning that South Carolina Running Back Marcus Lattimore had made the decision to declare for the NFL draft, thus ending his career at the University of South Carolina. Ending a career in which just three years time, and truthfully only two full seasons combined due to injuries, that has turned him into not only a legend in South Carolina Gamecock history, but college football as a whole. Many people had Lattimore listed as a strong candidate for the Heisman heading into this season, but after suffering another devastating season-ending leg injury on October 27th against Tennessee, Lattimore was forced to watch the second half of the season from the sidelines for the second year in a row. Marcus had already overcome the odds and returned this year stronger and better than ever rushing for 662 yards and 11 touchdowns. It appeared he hadn't missed a beat and had made a full and complete recovery. However, a gruesome, gut-wrenching injury against the Vols left some, myself included, wondering if #21 would ever take the field again...whether it be for South Carolina or in the NFL. Hands down the worst injury I have ever seen. It left Williams-Brice Stadium nearly silent for over 10 minutes that dreadful afternoon in October.

So far, Lattimore is on schedule with his rehab and isn't using crutches. However, after suffering two injuries capable of ending his career two years in a row, it was time for Marcus to sit down and think over his next move. He promised Gamecock fans that they had not seen the last of him. I think he will be back too, but according to sources close to the situation, the next time we see Lattimore he'll be sporting a new jersey and possibly a new number as well. If the rumors are true, Marcus will leave South Carolina a year early as the all-time leading TD King in Columbia and will finish with 2,766 yards and 38 touchdowns overall. (Makes you wonder just how much he could have done had he stayed healthy all three years!) After his injury against Tennessee, Lattimore received an outpouring of support from athletes and coaches all over the nation including RGII, 2012 Heisman winner, Johnny Manziel, and NBA star Lebron James, all of which reached out to Marcus via twitter following his injury. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley even dubbed October 29th, 2012, also Marcus' 21st birthday, statewide "Marcus Lattimore Day" and a Student Government organized pep rally was held in his honor on campus.At the rally, teammates, head coach Steve Spurrier and AD Ray Tanner all addressed the crowd and honored Lattimore.


 As a Clemson fan, I must say there hasn't been another Gamecock player in my lifetime I've had more respect for. Such a good guy with a hard work ethic and a love for football. He gave his all to this University and program and earned the respect of fans and players across the nation. I'll be the first to say once he is ready to take the field again, I'll be one of his biggest supporters at the next level. He is a class-act guy and I wish him nothing but the best and a healthy career from here on out. If and when he makes his second big return to football, he will join the the ranks of Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, and Eddie George; all of whom overcame major leg/knee injuries to play again. Like these guys, Lattimore will have to not only have to work hard to make his return, but prove to owners and coaches that he is fully recovered and worth the risk with his past history of injuries. #21 no doubt has NFL talent and ability but it will be interesting to see who is willing to invest in him and how early he will go in the draft. Lattimore has the toughness and skill you can't coach. No other player in the country has his combination of size and ability to get the tough "between-the-tackles" yards as well as be able to explode through holes and accelerate and make cuts and moves like Marcus. His big size and speed make him a nightmare to bring down and 9 times out of 10, he's gonna get a yard or two more after in the initial contact. That ability and talent play in his favor big time as he prepares to embark on his journey to the NFL. Best of Luck, #21!

A Coach on the Rise: Clemson Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris

Is Chad Morris ready to build his own team? 

I have to admit, before we hired Chad Morris following the 2010 season, I had never heard of him. He had a respectable resume that included 16 years of high school experience and a one year gig at Tulsa in which we turned their offense into a high scoring machine. However, I was skeptical of what he could do to Clemson and didn't think it was a good hire for us. But Morris shut me up pretty quickly. In just two years, Chad Morris has turned Clemson into one of the most dangerous offenses in the country. Of course, it helps when you have guys like Tajh Boyd, Deandre Hopkins, Andre Ellington and Sammy Watkins to work with. Morris runs a high paced offense. quick tempo offense and keeps that wears down defenses. With his direction, Clemson was able to shatter the record books all season long and averaged over 40 points per game in 2012. The Tigers scored at will for much of the season, and made it look easy. The scary part of it all is that Chad Morris still isn't satisfied and according to him, he still hasn't "fully" installed his offense. I can only imagine what the Tigers will look like next season if Boyd, Hopkins etc stay for their senior year. With the offensive line nearly returning all its main players, Clemson has a chance to be THE best offense in the nation and have the numbers to back it up. Chad Morris is not your typical Offensive Coordinator. He coaches from the sidelines instead of the press box and has no problem grabbing his players aside after a mistake and getting them straight. He stays hydrated with Red Bull and he's puts his all into every game. He is already well respected around the country and his name continues to pop up as the off season approaches and head coaching positions need to be filled.



With all the firings that have taken place over the past month, many have thrown Chad Morris' name into the hat as a candidate. (Most notably, North Carolina State and Auburn) Though I'm not surprised, I have a few good reasons as to why I feel he is staying put in Tigertown for at least another two or three seasons. I'll start with the arguably the biggest one. CASH MONEY. Clemson upped Morris' contract last season to a 6 year deal worth about 1.3 million per year making him the second highest paid assistant coach in the nation. Many teams will have to dig really deep into their wallets to afford Morris right now and many of them simply can't afford his services right now. Next, Chad Morris already made the statement that he wanted to stay here a few years and not keep his family from moving to place to place. He loves Clemson and is committed. And to be frank, why would you leave Clemson with all the weapons he has in his arsenal right now? He has picture perfect situation with players that know and fit his system...why would you walk away when there is still so much to be accomplished? I just don't see it happening. Not right now. What many people don't realize and why Chad Morris' name wasn't very common in college football or this region before 2010...he was a high school coach. As a high school head coach in Texas (pictured above), he was 169-36, winning 80% of his games and three state titles including a back-to-back reign. This year makes his second season at Clemson. Before that, he spent one year at Tulsa turning them from a 5-7 season in 2009  to 10-3 in 2010, and before that....he coached high school football for 16 years. Now to be fair, he was very successful at the Head Coach level in high school in Texas but we all know its a big step from high school to college. Its a different ball game for coaches just like it is for players. He has proven he can coach at the college level from the assistant/coordinator level, but not sure he is quite ready to take on the head job and I'll tell you why.



Though Chad Morris passes the eye test and definitely will make a great Head Coach in the future, I don't think he's ready yet. He is a great coach with a great system and work ethic but don't forget..just four years ago he was roaming the halls of a high school making sure his players weren't doing the hankie-pankie with girls under the stairwells. I'm not just saying he isn't ready because I want him to stay at Clemson, I'd say the same if he was a candidate for the head coach job at Clemson right now. He still has some growing and learning to do before I think he'd be ready to build an entire staff and team by himself. Further proof that he isn't ready comes when you look at the South Carolina game the past two years. When he lined up against a top of the line defense, we folded like a raggedy lawn chair on the beach. He was consistent against inferior ACC opponents but being able to step up and punch tougher, more physical defenses in the mouth, similar to how they did in the first half against South Carolina, needs to happen more often. He will have another chance when the Tigers take on LSU December 31st in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be very interesting to see how the offense fairs against LSU then next season in the opener against UGA which is shaping up to be one of the biggest season openers in Clemson history.

Chad Morris has interviewed for North Carolina State and Auburn coaching jobs but I don't see him leaving for either of those schools. And if I had to bet, I believe Auburn will stay in house and hire Gus Malzhan. They can hardly afford to pay a big name to come in and coach right now which just about automatically knocks out Morris out of the picture. Don't see him taking a huge pay cut right now to head to Auburn. Rumors are flying that Oklahoma State's Gundy might leave for Arkansas and that Morris would be of interest in Cowboy country. Though I anticipate that job offer would be more appealing, again, he has too much on the table at Clemson from weapons to money and facilities to walk away at this moment.One day, but not today, he will leave Clemson and become a stellar head coach on the college level. However, I don't see that happening at least until the end of the 2014 season. So relax, Tiger nation. Our red bull chuggin', gum chewin', genius offensive coordinator isn't going anywhere. Not yet. And to be brutally honest, if Dabo doesn't get a win over South Carolina or bring in another ACC Championship or two in the next 2-3 years and Morris is still around, he might find himself at the top of the list to replace Swinney. I've said it before and I"ll say it again, you usually don't stay at Clemson long if you keep losing to that team down south. But for now, I don't anticipate seeing Morris or Swinney leaving before the end of the 2014. I'll even take it one step further. I think there is a significantly better chance that Tommy Bowden is a head coach next season before Chad Morris is. As Roy Philpott would say, Bring On The Hate!!

Playing Catch Up

With classes coming to an this past week and finals starting up in a few days, I've been pretty busy which is why I'm just now getting around to last week's and yesterday's games. A lot has happened since I last checked in with you guys so lets take a look back at rivalry week, Championship weekend, Clemson's trip down to Columbia to battle the Gamecocks on the hardwood, and finally, a brief outlook at what's in store for college football fans this bowl season. Shall we? 

It was a huge opportunity for the ACC to make a statement in rivalry week with Georgia Tech facing Georgia, Florida State hosting Florida and Clemson welcoming rival South Carolina under the lights in Death Valley. Everyone knows the SEC is the superior conference, there is no arguing that, but it was a great opportunity for the ACC to get a big win or two over SEC competition. However, it was not meant to be. Florida State couldn't get it done against Florida and fell to the Gators, 37-26. Georgia Tech, winner of the coastal division, got rocked by Georgia 42-10 and Clemson could not get its defense off the field in the 2nd half and lost its fourth straight to Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, 27-17. 




Clemson stared off the game pretty well and actually led the Gamecocks at halftime but the offense stalled and the defense could not get off the field in the second half allowing South Carolina to hold the ball for over 20 minutes in the final 30 minutes of play. The Tigers did not contain Clowney and left him  with one-on-one chances that led to 4.5 sacks, they were on the negative side of the turnover margin (2-1) and simply could not get off the field on defense and move the football in the second half. It was a disappointing blow to end the regular season and a missed opportunity with both Conner Shaw and Marcus Lattimore sidelined with injuries. This makes four in a row for the Gamecocks and honestly, the way Clemson played, we didn't deserve to win last weekend. Once again though we were exposed. We MUST get more physical up front and get back to fundamentals. Our defense needs to get more physical and get a swagger to them. Learn the fundamentals and execute...its beyond me why our DB's get beat so often mainly because they simply don't turn around and LOOK for the football. There is no reason why we should have given up some of the Touchdown plays we have this season. That has to change. And you know what else has to change? Coaching. I love Dabo and think he has us POINTED in the right direction but are we moving? We get exposed in big games cause tougher, more physical teams straight up our-man us. That has to change if we want to take the next step. We overcame the "pulling a Clemson" this year but only because our offense scored nearly 40 points every time they stepped on the field. Also, Dabo has got to find a way to beat South Carolina. This is now four in a row and unless you count his interim win in 2008, he hasn't won a game against South Carolina since becoming Head Coach. Usually when that happens, you don't stay in Clemson long. He has done great things, ( Two division titles, 1 co-division title and 1 ACC Championship) but he needs to get a bowl win to end this season on a high note and get the Gamecocks next November or he might see fans posting "For Sale" signs in his yard this time next year. The ACC is weak and winning another title might not be enough to save him if he continues to lose to Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks. Thats the bottom line. 

Championship Weekend 

ACC- 
Florida State survived a late rally and knocked off Georgia Tech 21-15 in the ACC Championship game to punch their ticket to the Orange Bowl in Miami. 

SEC-
In one of the best games I've ever seen, Alabama outlasted a tough qne determined UGA team, 32-28. 


Big 12 Championship-
Kansas State reaffirmed that they were truly one of the best in the country and flew by Texas 42-24 under the leadership of Heisman hopeful, Collin Klein. 

Big 10-
Wisconsin took Nebraska behind the woodshed....(twice) en route to a 70-31 win as they claimed the Big 10 Championship. 

Pac 12-
UCLA couldn't quite get the job done and fell to Stanford as the Cardinals took possession of the Pac 12 crown. 

Now lets shift gears for a moment......

Clemson hit the road for Columbia Sunday to take on Frank Martin and the Gamecocks on the hardwood. The Tigers had lost the previous two meetings to very bad USC teams and desperately needed a win for not only basketball purposes but for the rivalry as a whole. Unlike the football team, the basketball squad got the job done and knocked off South Carolina in Columbia 64-55 in a game that saw the Gamecock Football honored at halftime. It was Brownell's first win over South Carolina and couldn't have come at a better time. The Tigers forced turnovers and took advantage of their chances at the Free Throw line...something they haven't done much in recent years, and were determined to come out on top Sunday. The Tigers were led by K.J. Daniels with 16 points. Daniels also had 7 rebounds and hit all of his free throws (7/7). Rod Hall gave the Gamecocks trouble all afternoon and contributed 15 points of his own, while Devin Booker pitched in 13 points and 8 rebounds in the win. 

Now lets get back to Football......

Where will your team be for the Holidays? 

Steve Spurrier and the (10-2) Gamecocks are headed back to a familiar place as they are set to take on (8-4) Michigan January 1st in Tampa, FL for the Outback Bowl. (8-4) Mississippi State will take on (9-3)Northwestern in the Gator Bowl down in Jacksonville. (10-2) Texas A&M is headed to the Cotton Bowl to face (10-2) Oklahoma. After falling short in the SEC championship, (11-2) UGA will take the Capital One Bowl against (10-3) Nebraska. (8-4) Vanderbilt will take on (7-5) North Carolina State in the Music City Bowl. (6-6) Michigan State has a date with (7-5) TCU at the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. (6-6) Virginia Tech will represent the ACC in the Russell Athletic Bowl against (9-3) Rugters. (10-3) Tulsa will battle (6-6) Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl. (6-6) Duke returns its first bowl game since I can remember when they take on (9-3) Cincinnati in the Belk Bowl. (7-5)West Virginia will take on (7-5) Syracuse in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. (6-6) Purdue and (7-5) Oklahoma State will compete in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. And last but not least, Clemson (10-2) will square off against LSU (10-2) in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl December 31st @ 7:30pm in Atlanta. 

BCS BOWLS: 


Discover Orange Bowl: 

Florida State (11-2) VS. Northern Illinois (12-1) 


Allstate Sugar Bowl:

Florida (11-1) vs Louisville (10-2)

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl:

Kansas St (12-1) vs Oregon (11-1) 

Rose Bowl: 

Stanford (11-2) vs Wisconsin (8-5) 

Discover BCS National Championship Game

Alabama (12-1) vs Notre Dame (12-0)