It boasts a fan base as passionate as any in the country. It’s got some of college football’s best traditions — Howard’s Rock, “Tiger Rag,” and that bitter old rivalry with South Carolina. It’s got a beautiful, historic, and downright imposing stadium that has rightfully earned the name “Death Valley.” It’s located in one of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the nation and plays in a conference that, theoretically, should give the program every opportunity to succeed.
So with all of this working in its favor, one can’t help but wonder: Why can’t Clemson do better?
Well, here’s the answer: Clemson is the Michigan State of the south. That is to say, it is a program that, despite having all the trappings of success, cannot follow through with actual success. The sad truth for Clemson fans is that their Tigers always seem to find a way to lose a game they shouldn’t (see: Maryland 2006; Georgia Tech 2007). These failures have cost the program big-time. Recently, more than ever.
In fact, even a highly educated college football fan might be surprised to learn the Tigers have not won an ACC title in 16 years. Understandably, then, Tigers fans are getting restless.
Well, here’s the good news, Clemson followers: Your long drought may soon be over.
With 17 starters back from a team that finished 9-4 in 2007, Clemson looks like a squad capable of doing more than just winning the ACC in 2008. In fact, with a break here or there, this team could actually end up playing for the national title.
Yep, it’s true.
But then again, this is Clemson. So we’ll have to see.
Biggest Challenge:
Linebacker. Though all starters return along the defensive front and in the backfield, the Tigers’ top three linebackers from 2007 are all gone, either because of graduation or personal troubles. This means coach Tommy Bowden will field newbies at the three most important defensive positions in college football.A telling moment should come in the season opener against Alabama. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is no dummy. He’ll find Clemson’s weak spot and attack it. If the Tigers green ‘backers can survive that test, they’ll find few greater challenges in the weak ACC. But if Saban exposes a Tiger weakness — either against the run, or the pass — you can expect other ACC coaches to follow suit. Which could make for a long, frustrating season in Tigertown.
Biggest Strength:
The offense. There is no team in the ACC that can match Clemson’s offensive firepower.The Tigers boast the services of two of the best tailbacks in the entire conference — senior James Davis and junior C.J. Spiller — and, even more remarkably, have managed to create a system in which both of these guys seem to be fairly happy. Davis, who boasts a career average of more than 5.0 yards per carry, picked up 1,064 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in 2007. The explosive Spiller, meanwhile, saw his production drop off slightly from 2006, but still gained 768 yards and scored three touchdowns. More impressively, he averaged 5.3 yards per carry.
Then there’s quarterback Cullen Harper, one of the nation’s least-known rising stars, who in 2007 completed 282 of 433 passes for 2,991 yards and 27 touchdowns.
This offense is going to score, and score a whole lot. The only question is whether the defense — and those linebackers — will hold up their end of the bargain.
