One Foot in the Door
Maybe Tommy Bowden does have a point about parity after all.
A month ago, the Fighting Tigers were by all counts written off, headed straight for another mid-season swoon that has marked our program for the past several years. The losses to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech took the air out of our season and as if on cue, talk turned from righting the ship to naming Tommy's imminent successor.
Yet righting the ship is exactly what we've done. Funny how things work out. Most of our Tiger brethren couldn't look past the consecutive, dispicable defeats and see a way of climbing out of the gutter. A way named Central Michigan, Maryland, and Duke. Most of us didn't want to face the reality that the season was only halfway done. It was far more satisfying to kick our coach when he was down, to deride our Tigers and their mistakes despite their refusal to quit. Say what you want about our methodical meltdown in the Valley versus the Hokies, but our boys fought till the last whistle.
What good could it possibly do to run over a few pretenders? Quite a bit, it seems. As Clemson has quietly taken care of business on its end, the landscape of college football turned on its ear. LSU exposed the seemingly invincible Florida Gators and gave Georgia, plus all its remaining opposition, the blueprint on how to beat them. Two #2 ranked teams fell from the realms of glory. South Carolina's smoke and mirror streak ran out at the sweetly satisfying hands of *snicker* Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt. You read me right.
Most important, Papa Bowden came through for us.
I watched in amazement with Anna Kate as Florida State traveled up to Boston College and knocked the formerly-unbeaten Eagles from their perch. They remain on top of the ACC, but they are wounded. Vulnerable. Matt Ryan's shine has at last been tarnished.
The Seminoles' victory cleared the path for the Tigers. Our destiny once again rests in our hands. Defeat Wake Forest and Boston College in Death Valley, and it's clear sailing to the ACC Championship Game. In other words no more depending on other guys to do the work for us. Keep taking care of business, and we're off to Jacksonville.
First up is Wake Forest. A squad whose recent history with us needs no explanation. We've split the last four meetings with them, beginning with a 45-17 thrashing up in Winston-Salem in 2003. Needed double-overtime in 2004 to beat them in the Valley. Choked a big one away in 2005. Gaines Adams hauled our bacon out of the furnace last year in a highlight play for the books after we'd been dominated the entire game.
Wake still scares me with how doggone well they play solid fundamental football. The offense won't jump out at you, but it's the variety of ways they can score that tell the tale. Riley Skinner is a playmaker who makes smart decisions. Kevin Marion will hurt you if you give him enough space.
Oh, and they're the defending champs.
Yep, despite how we came back to beat them, all we Tigers could do was watch as the Demon Deacons played for the title that slipped through our fingers faster than C.J. Spiller jukes defenders. To say we're a little miffed by that would be like saying Cullen Harper is okay at throwing TD passes.
Excitement in Tiger town is at a fever pitch. I can feel the renewed energy and life in the air. For the first time in years, it's November and we've got one foot in the door. Our task is clear. Win out, and we play for the championship. Lose, and we go back to playing the "what-if" game again in a meaningless "Fill-in-the-Blank" Bowl.
I'm confident and nervous all at once. I have faith that we've got the playmakers, the will, and the resolve to overcome all obstacles, all mistakes, and all adversity to emerge victorious and bring the ACC crown back to Clemson. At the same time, one can't ever fully shake that nagging shred of doubt just below the surface. We have seen Clemson get one foot in the door and slam it shut before. Will they fall short again? Or will this finally be the year that we get it done when it counts the most?
It's gut-check time and I believe the steady leadership of James Davis, the unerring arm of Cullen Harper, the indispensible toughness of Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham, the electrifying big plays of Spiller, and the maturation of our boys on the line of scrimmage will see us through safely.
The Demon Deacons pay a dear price for daring to show their face in the Valley of Death at high noon, and the Tigers roll on to a fourth straight victory, and a showdown with Boston College. Winner take all.
FINAL SCORE: Clemson 35, Wake Forest 24
GO TIGERS! FINISH THE JOB!
A month ago, the Fighting Tigers were by all counts written off, headed straight for another mid-season swoon that has marked our program for the past several years. The losses to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech took the air out of our season and as if on cue, talk turned from righting the ship to naming Tommy's imminent successor.
Yet righting the ship is exactly what we've done. Funny how things work out. Most of our Tiger brethren couldn't look past the consecutive, dispicable defeats and see a way of climbing out of the gutter. A way named Central Michigan, Maryland, and Duke. Most of us didn't want to face the reality that the season was only halfway done. It was far more satisfying to kick our coach when he was down, to deride our Tigers and their mistakes despite their refusal to quit. Say what you want about our methodical meltdown in the Valley versus the Hokies, but our boys fought till the last whistle.
What good could it possibly do to run over a few pretenders? Quite a bit, it seems. As Clemson has quietly taken care of business on its end, the landscape of college football turned on its ear. LSU exposed the seemingly invincible Florida Gators and gave Georgia, plus all its remaining opposition, the blueprint on how to beat them. Two #2 ranked teams fell from the realms of glory. South Carolina's smoke and mirror streak ran out at the sweetly satisfying hands of *snicker* Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt. You read me right.
Most important, Papa Bowden came through for us.
I watched in amazement with Anna Kate as Florida State traveled up to Boston College and knocked the formerly-unbeaten Eagles from their perch. They remain on top of the ACC, but they are wounded. Vulnerable. Matt Ryan's shine has at last been tarnished.
The Seminoles' victory cleared the path for the Tigers. Our destiny once again rests in our hands. Defeat Wake Forest and Boston College in Death Valley, and it's clear sailing to the ACC Championship Game. In other words no more depending on other guys to do the work for us. Keep taking care of business, and we're off to Jacksonville.
First up is Wake Forest. A squad whose recent history with us needs no explanation. We've split the last four meetings with them, beginning with a 45-17 thrashing up in Winston-Salem in 2003. Needed double-overtime in 2004 to beat them in the Valley. Choked a big one away in 2005. Gaines Adams hauled our bacon out of the furnace last year in a highlight play for the books after we'd been dominated the entire game.
Wake still scares me with how doggone well they play solid fundamental football. The offense won't jump out at you, but it's the variety of ways they can score that tell the tale. Riley Skinner is a playmaker who makes smart decisions. Kevin Marion will hurt you if you give him enough space.
Oh, and they're the defending champs.
Yep, despite how we came back to beat them, all we Tigers could do was watch as the Demon Deacons played for the title that slipped through our fingers faster than C.J. Spiller jukes defenders. To say we're a little miffed by that would be like saying Cullen Harper is okay at throwing TD passes.
Excitement in Tiger town is at a fever pitch. I can feel the renewed energy and life in the air. For the first time in years, it's November and we've got one foot in the door. Our task is clear. Win out, and we play for the championship. Lose, and we go back to playing the "what-if" game again in a meaningless "Fill-in-the-Blank" Bowl.
I'm confident and nervous all at once. I have faith that we've got the playmakers, the will, and the resolve to overcome all obstacles, all mistakes, and all adversity to emerge victorious and bring the ACC crown back to Clemson. At the same time, one can't ever fully shake that nagging shred of doubt just below the surface. We have seen Clemson get one foot in the door and slam it shut before. Will they fall short again? Or will this finally be the year that we get it done when it counts the most?
It's gut-check time and I believe the steady leadership of James Davis, the unerring arm of Cullen Harper, the indispensible toughness of Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham, the electrifying big plays of Spiller, and the maturation of our boys on the line of scrimmage will see us through safely.
The Demon Deacons pay a dear price for daring to show their face in the Valley of Death at high noon, and the Tigers roll on to a fourth straight victory, and a showdown with Boston College. Winner take all.
FINAL SCORE: Clemson 35, Wake Forest 24
GO TIGERS! FINISH THE JOB!
posted by david @ 1:51 PM
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