Turn The Page
It’s like a bad dream while listing to Bob Seger’s song “Turn The Page”. Here Clemson is again, getting rolled up in national media attention about how we are going to be a top ten team in 2008. I for one would rather start out the season ranked somewhere around 60th then come in and kick some chicken all season long. I have to admit, Harper, Spiller, Davis and Kelly is an amazing one, two, three, four combo offensive punch, but what is the typical routine we are all used to. Yep, we’re going to be the best in the ACC, only to lose a game by one point which could have meant a possible BCS Bowl birth. Hopefully disaster will not come knocking in a few months, then again, I think I’ve said that before too.
So does Clemson stand to be the better if they lose to Bama and get their nose rubbed in the dirt for a building block or does a Bama win give them the momentum to get the season going? Personally, I hope for a win but an out of conference loss to a top tier team could do the team some good motivationally in the season.
Offensive skill players aside, the main weakness everyone is talking about is the O-line, especially LT. Can/will Spence change his offensive philosophy if the line leaks a flood or if another “weakness” is found?
Motivationally, the coaches have to ensure the players don’t get complacent or cocky at any point in the season. I think we also need an adaptive gameplan. We seem to have the playmakers - now we need the playthinkers to step up.
We will beat Alabama in a close game, go on to get national prestige, then Alabama will die off and everyone will realize they weren’t that great to begin with…a la us beating Texas A&M a few years back. As far as us getting to the ACC title game, I highly doubt it. We’ll probably beat Wake head to head but they’ll end up going over some BS tie breaker because we’ll drop a few games we really shouldn’t…I’m thinking BC, FSU, and Maryland this year. But hey…we’ll beat South Carolina and TB will probably get a contract extension!
Bama will be a Top 25 team this year but not more than top 15. SEC will ensure that doesn’t happen. We need a win against them to start the year. Otherwise, we become that A&M team from a couple years ago.
People can say whatever they want about the coaches motivating the players, but they have to have the pride to take the field and impose their will on any given game day. They shouldn’t need the coaches to give them the ra-ra and they shouldn’t expect their talent and skill to automatically win them ball games. We lose a game (or two) every year because they don’t step up ready to play. The pieces are in place to make ‘08 special they just have to have the desire to play every week.