Making a Statement

It's that time of year again.

Time to toss the ol' pigskin in the air. Slap magnets and flags on the RV. Fire up the tailgate shrimp boil. Buy a year's worth of merchandise. Weave through ticket scalpers, flip on ESPN, and map out your team's foolproof plan to win it all.

Yep, college football 2008 is here. And this Saturday, the Fighting Tigers of Clemson University suit up in full game-day attire to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. A rematch thirty-three years in the making. A marquee meeting of ACC and SEC guaranteed to captivate a national TV audience starved of their yearly football fix.

The last time we saw the Tigers, they were shaking their collective heads and searching the field for their lungs after the Tony Franklin-led Auburn kitty cats ran them roughshod in the second half of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Employing a spread offense quite uncharacteristic of their typical ground attack, Clemson could only watch helplessly as Auburn's dynamic duo of QBs Brandon Cox and Kodi Burns passed their team to a 23-20 triumph in overtime. Another season of wondering what might have been.

But all that is in the past. A Top 10 recruiting class later, complete with returning key players, pre-season ACC Championship picks, and a newly-appointed special teams coordinator, Clemson is primed for 2008. And the table seems set for the Tigers to make their long-awaited and much-anticipated move into the elite. For the first time since 1991, we are the near unanimous choice to win our conference. We debut in the Top 10 in nearly every preseason poll. The schedule is firmly on our side. Top-notch personnel. Stable coaching staff. One would be hard-pressed to find a road block in our way this year.

But as any true college football fan knows full well, once the season starts, all preseason hype, polls, and prognostications become null and void. Once teams enter the gridiron, that's where they either prove it or lose it. And so, as always, I remain cautiously optimistic about our chances. Okay, I'm very, very optimistic about our chances. But I haven't forgotten the disappointment of the past. And I hope the players haven't entirely forgotten it.

This Saturday, August 30, the Fighting Tigers return to the very site of their last defeat. And they have a chance to make a statement. Make no mistake, Alabama is far from the powerhouse it used to be. But it's still Alabama. It's still Nick Saban. A victory over his Crimson cohorts would boost our confidence tremendously.

When Clemson Has the Ball…

Alabama's defensive line will be stout and could take some hits up the middle before giving way. Their major issues are at linebacker, where sophomore Rolando McClain is the only returner with experience. Still, he had a great freshman campaign. In the secondary, Rashad Johnson could be dangerous, as he leads the Tide in picks and tackles; he'll be a big threat to make a play whether Clemson runs or passes. Saban said his gameplan will be to shut down the Clemson rushing attack, a tactic many of our opponents have used of late due to Davis and Spiller's proclivity for big plays. It has worked with the right personnel, though, as we found out with Virginia Tech and Boston College. And Bama did rank 28^th in the country in rushing defense last year.

To get past Bama's front seven, Clemson will have to find creative ways to spring Davis and Spiller; once they get beyond the line, there's no stopping them. Much as I hate to say it, a few well-placed bubble screens may be in order. Sorry, but the offensive line is too inexperienced to just run right at Alabama on every down. Jacoby Ford was used as an end-around threat at times before hurting his ankle last year, and we could see it again on Saturday. Clemson's ability to mix things up at the line of scrimmage will be essential to keep Tide defenders honest. If they can get Bama to back off from rushing McClain and the other LBs, the Tiger RBs will find their holes. Otherwise, look for QB Cullen Harper to find Aaron Kelly, C.J. Spiller, and Brian Linthicum on sideline routes, with the occasional long ball downfield to Tyler Grisham.

When Alabama Has the Ball…

A tale of two O-lines; one has experience, the other does not. Alabama's offensive line is the team's biggest strength; it will be the determining factor in slowing down guys like Ricky Sapp on the pass rush. Center Antoine Caldwell and tackle Andre Smith are preseason Outland Trophy candidates. With the Tigers rebuilding at linebacker, QB John Parker Wilson will have more time to find his targets. You know things are tight when your only senior LB in Josh Miller is struggling to beat out a redshirt sophomore (Brandon Maye, who will start) and a freshman (Stanley Hunter).

The only problem? Inconsistency has saddled Wilson in his two years under center. Despite quality wide receivers in Julio Jones, he'll be lining up against a proven CAT safety in Michael Hamlin, backed by the same three starters from last year, including Jim Thorpe candidate Chris Chancellor. Plus, the Tide has failed to offer a dangerous rushing game in the past few years, ranking 60^th in rushing offense last year. Things won't be so easy on Saturday if All-ACC defensive tackle Dorell Scott can hold his ground long enough to get to the next level. Jarvis Jenkins and Jamie Cumbie will split time in relief of the injured Rashaad Jackson, but each of them has enough rotation snaps to match up with the Tide's starting guards.

Special Teams

No question, the edge goes to the Tide. Kicker Leigh Tiffin can nail anything beyond 40 yards. They have a lethal returner in Javier Arenas, who ranked in the Top 15 nationally in kickoff returns a year ago.

Clemson has major issues covering kickoffs. Until they can get it fixed on the field, fans will cringe whenever they kick to another team, be it Alabama or McNeese State. Mark Bucholtz is back as the starting kicker, but inconsistency plagued him last year, costing the Tigers in at least two games. The team has yet to settle on a starting punter as Jimmy Maners, former Parade-All-American Richard Jackson, and incoming freshman Dawson Zimmerman continue to battle it out.

My Prediction

Season opener. Georgia Dome. ESPN College GameDay. BCS-like atmosphere. This game promises to have major implications for both teams. Each is fighting for the honor of their respective conference.

Alabama is a rising star under Coach Saban. Remember, they whipped Tennessee 41-17 last year, showing the kind of offense they are capable of when things are clicking. True, they did drop the remainder of their regular season contests (including a brow-raising loss to Louisiana-Monroe), but closed the season with a bowl win to regain some momentum. Clemson seemed to have its ticket stamped to the ACC title game and a BCS bid before dropping the ball (literally) against Boston College, followed by the bowl loss. But the preseason talk, recruiting, and positive training camp reviews have sparked the emotion back up like a firecracker.

Since it's the first game, factoring in a national TV audience, I figure both teams will show some rustiness and make a few mental mistakes. But in the end, it will be Clemson's advantage on the ground, backed by a return-to-form effort from Cullen Harper through the air that will prove too much for Alabama to overcome. As the game wears on, look for the Tigers to take advantage of superior depth on both sides of the ball, rotating players in and out (including Jamie Harper on short-yardage situations and star recruit Da'Quan Bowers to spell DE Kevin Alexander), and gradually turn the game in their favor. Bama will stay close early, but a strong 2^nd-half performance and just enough big plays will ensure the Tigers turn back the Tide, this year at least, and make a huge statement with a rugged win.

FINAL SCORE: Clemson 28, Alabama 17

That's all for now. Be safe, and enjoy the game. GO TIGERS!