The Clemson Tigers
Dabo's in and Tommy's out. The Tigers are starting to warm me up this year with their new mentality and as we all know Kevin Steele worked with Nick Saban; one of 3 current coaches than I worship every Saturday. Ergo Kevin Steele is perfectly acceptable as is Danny Perryman a tough SOB line coach. That said changing that baby soft culture is no small task we'll see how it goes; here's your Clemson Tiger run down.
Biggest Offseason Loss
Most folks scream James Davis or Michael Hamlin here; I don't. Screw those guys and check out Aaron Kelly. The Tigers only proven receiver commodity over the last few seasons and their all time receiving yardage leader. He was a big, physical receiver capable of going across the middle and making big catches in traffic.
Now I know you're thinking "What about Jacoby Ford?"
Well if you like 5'9" 180 lb midget wideouts be my guest. In the ACC with guys like Morgan Burnett roaming the back end the track star is going to get his brains beat in if he's Kyle Parker's primary target. Kelly will be missed worse than Adam Morrison misses playing at Gonzaga.
Best Returning Player
Two words. Number Seven. Two more words, Ricky Sapp. Two other words Torn ACL. The beast returns from his mid-season injury ready to reclaim and prove his standing as the ACC's premier pass rusher. He's a prototype player fully capable of making all the moves, his only drawback?
Effort.
With a partial season lost to injury and seeing his draft stock fall harder than an old lady in an ice storm I'm predicting that Sapp is ready to show the world he's the truth. He's the Tigers best player and as long as he's healthy look for him to post double digit sacks.
Breakout Player To Watch
Normally here you get some flash, I'm going to drop a name so far off your radar he's in outer space. The Tigers tackle Chris Hairston. His 11 total starts in 2 seasons mask the fact that he got heavy minutes in 22 games for the Tigers. The kid's a bonafide monster at 6'6" and 320 lbs watching out for Kyle Parker's blindside. Hairston has all the tangibles and with a good season he can not only be the anchor that the Tigers need at LT but he can boost his personal draft status. And really isn't that what its all about?
Three Crucial Games
Clemson @ GT, Clemson vs TCU, Clemson vs FSU
The Tigers have got some serious games including the Palmetto State Showdown and dates with Atlantic Division Rivals NC State, Wake and BC. However these three games are their most critical. In FSU you've got a potential Atlantic first place battle late in the season while the Tech game should be a battle of wills in Atlanta (hopefully better than last time the Tigers went to the ATL shawty).
TCU is about pride for the ACC as a whole and for the Tigers BCS bowl hopes. Depending on how things shake out a one or two loss Clemson team could sneak into the BCS with a win over one of the Mountain West's powerhouse teams. The Horned Frogs are a preseason Top 20 team entering 2009 and this would be a bear of a win in September.
Dream vs Nightmare Season
For the Tigers and Dabo, living the dream would mean going 10-2, losing to two out of the Miami, NC State, TCU, FSU, GT and Wake group. An ACC title for the first time in nearly two decades and instant legendary status for Dabo Swinney.
Flip that switch and let's checkout the Nightmare for the Tigers, going 6-6. Another underachieving season sees the assclowns of debauchery lose to their in-state rivals; a real Cockfest (one of my favorite sentences I've ever constructed). The sad part is would any of us be surprised if that's the effort we got out of perennially disappointing Clemson?
After all no one looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane the way the Tigers do.
Photo from http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/cory_mccartney/05/04/shoes.to.fill/t1_sapp.jpg
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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