Congrats to the Tigers for not only defeating South Carolina 31-14 this weekend, but interim coach Dabo Swinney will be hired as the new head coach.

How does the Old Ball Coach feel about Dabo and the Tigers? Let him tell you for himself:

YouTube – Ball Coach admits Dabo is better

I’m not anti-Bowden, but I’m not satisfied with Clemson football right now.  I think it’s time for a change.  But who?

What about Lane Kiffen?  He’s unemployed and I think he got a raw deal from Al Davis.  I think he’s a better coach than what Raider Nation believes.

I could see him fit at Clemson.

Whew!, originally uploaded by orangejack.

Tigers win 23-21 with a last second field goal. Whew! Carolina hasn’t beaten Clemson back-to-back in my lifetime. Now we wait for bowl assignment.

Now that Clemson won’t be playing for the ACC Championship after losing to Boston College last weekend, I started thinking about why I as a Clemson fan am frustrated about not winning the ACC. So I looked up the historical ACC College Football Champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference and it became clear: we’re used to winning it!

Below is a list of how many championships Clemson won per decade. In parenthesis beside it is who was either the best of the decade or second. If there is a * by a number, it indicates that they had a tie for the championship at least once in that decade. I counted a tie as .5 championships.

1950’s: Clemson had 3 (Duke had 2*)
1960’s: Clemson had 2.5* (NC State had 3*)
1970’s: Clemson had 1 (Maryland & UNC had 3)
1980’s: Clemson had 5 (Maryland had 3)
1990’s: Clemson had 1 (FSU had 7*)
2000’s: Clemson has 0 (FSU has 4)

Can you see the trend? I’m not as concerned about the number per decade, but how did we compare to the next best team that decade? We were competitive or won in each decade from the 50’s to the 80’s (okay, maybe not the 70’s). But the 90’s and 00’s we have been horrible in winning championships.

I think that’s one reason why, to me, it almost feels like losing to BC last weekend was so much more important than even beating USC this weekend. To me it’s almost as if the Carolina game doesn’t matter much.

By the way, something interesting: since the ACC Championship game started in 2005, the 4 teams that have played in it are FSU, VT, WF, and GT. This year BC will join them and either VT again or UVA. That means 1/4 were new expansion teams, and if VT beats UVA, it will be 3/6 teams from the expanded league (I’m talking of the recent expansion of VT, Miami, and BC).

Remember last week I said that Clemson was still in ACC Championship Race? Well, it’s getting more realistic for the winner of the Clemson-BC game this week will play the winner of the UVA-VT game next week in the ACC Championship.

Step 1: Clemson beat Wake Forrest (CHECK)
Step 2: VT beat FSU (CHECK)
Step 3: Clemson beat BC (Saturday)
Step 4: VT beat Miami, Fla (Saturday)
Step 5: VT beat UVA (next Saturday)
(Step 6: Clemson beat VT in ACC Championship (Dec 1))

Yeah, it’s early. BUT…

There is a decent chance that the winner of the Clemson-Boston College game Nov 17 will play the winner of the UVA-VT game on Nov 24 in the ACC Championship Game Dec 1.

Clemson remaining schedule, ACC rankings, etc

This is how I’m “watching” the Clemson game today:

• Audio: WCCP FM
• Text updates: Twitter clemsonfootball

Here’s a screenshot of my desktop

Last week I did the Twitter updates for the Clemson-FSU game. I’ll do a few more later in the season. Today it’s my buddy Jeff Quinton doing the live twits.

, originally uploaded by gotigersjf.

With the #4 overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select GAINES ADAMS.

Congrats also to the other Tigers drafted.

Sept. 3 – Florida State (8pm on ESPN)
Sept. 8 – Louisiana-Monroe
Sept. 15 – Furman
Sept. 22 – at NC State
Sept. 29 – at Georgia Tech
Oct. 6 – Virginia Tech
Oct. 13 – Open Date
Oct. 20 – Central Michigan
Oct. 27 – at Maryland
Nov. 3 – at Duke
Nov. 10 – Wake Forest
Nov. 17 – Boston College
Nov. 24 – at South Carolina
Dec. 1 – ACC Championship in Jacksonville

I think we can go at least 4-2, maybe 5-1 to the Open Date. From there I think we can go at least 4-2 again, maybe 5-1. I think our toughest road game will be at GT (maybe USC). Toughest home will be VT, BC, FSU, WF (in that order but I think we can win at least 3 of those). What do you think at this early point?

why i am glad sports do not mean much to me, originally uploaded by lizisatcollege.

It’s not often I get to go to a Clemson-Carolina game. This year I got to go and though I had a good time, the loss to Carolina stinks.

I know we can’t win them all, but we’re just so used to it. We’ve won 8 of the last 9 games against them. In fact, in the 35 years I’ve been alive, we’ve only lost to them 10 times.

Truthfully, Carolina dominated us. They had almost 500 yards of offense and we were lucky on many plays. We still should have beat those jokers, but not this time.

Bummer.

Congrats, Carolina. You deserved this one. But I’ll still point to the fact that out of 104 meetings, you’ve now beaten us 36 times.

Boy, we really turned the corner after whoopin’ up on GA Tech. Too bad it was the wrong corner. We haven’t looked anything like the 7-1 team in our last 0-2 games. We lost to Maryland 12-13 in the last seconds.

Clemson Tigers (7-3/4-3)

09-02 v Fla Atlantic : 54-6 (W)
09-09 @ Boston College : 33-34 (L-2OT)
09-16 @ Florida St : 27-20 (W)
09-23 v North Carolina : 52-7 (W)
09-30 v Louisiana Tech : 51-0 (W)
10-07 @ Wake Forest : 27-17(W)
10-12 v Temple : 63-9 (W)
10-21 v Georgia Tech : 31-7 (W)
10-26 @ Virginia Tech : 7-24 (L)
11-04 v Maryland : 12-13 (L)

Next up: 11-11 v N. Carolina St.

What happens when the Clemson QB doesn’t have a good game, you don’t take advantage of turnovers, you can’t establish a run game, and can’t stop your opponent’s run game? You lose 7-24. Dang. We shoulda beat those jokers.

Clemson Tigers (7-2/4-2)

09-02 v Fla Atlantic : 54-6 (W)
09-09 @ Boston College : 33-34 (L-2OT)
09-16 @ Florida St : 27-20 (W)
09-23 v North Carolina : 52-7 (W)
09-30 v Louisiana Tech : 51-0 (W)
10-07 @ Wake Forest : 27-17(W)
10-12 v Temple : 63-9 (W)
10-21 v Georgia Tech : 31-7 (W)
10-26 @ Virginia Tech : 7-24 (L)

Up Next: 11-04 v Maryland

Congrats Hokies, especially you, Patricia.

This was one of the best plays I got to see in the Clemson win over Georgia Tech. What sweet jukes…and then the speed to take it home.

BTW, this video is at real speed. CJ Spiller is fast!

Thanks to Jeremy for the video.

going nowhere, originally uploaded by lizisatcollege.

Clemson came out in all purple uni’s (not my favorite) for the first time since the 30’s or something. But it worked! We’re #12 and beat #13 GA Tech with over 300 rushing yards! I got to catch the 4th quarter only.

Clemson Tigers (7-1/4-1)

09-02 v Fla Atlantic : 54-6 (W)
09-09 @ Boston College : 33-34 (L-2OT)
09-16 @ Florida St : 27-20 (W)
09-23 v North Carolina : 52-7 (W)
09-30 v Louisiana Tech : 51-0 (W)
10-07 @ Wake Forest : 27-17(W)
10-12 v Temple : 63-9 (W)
10-21 v Georgia Tech : 31-7 (W)

Next up: 10-26 @ Virginia Tech

Next week’s game is on ESPN Thursday night. A huge game for the Tigers.

I really think our success this season so far is becuase of our offensive line. All 5 starters are seniors. That really makes our run game work. But CJ Spiller and James Davis are the real deals.

I don’t care for the show that much, but having the ESPN College GameDay crew coming to Clemson does feel pretty good.

Word from the boys in Bristol is that ESPN College GameDay will originate from Clemson, SC next weekend (October 21) for the ACC matchup of Georgia Tech – Clemson. The game, which can be seen on ESPN at 7:45 Eastern, will feature the #12 Tigers hosting the #13 Yellow Jackets in what could be a preview of the ACC Championship game later this year.

It should be a good game…and I’m probably going to miss it since I have a previous engagement. Ugh. We’ll probably lose in OT again by a blocked PAT. Oh wait, we already did that.

Nah. I think we’ll win this one.

Good grief. I knew we wouldn’t have any trouble tonight against Temple (the worst team in Div 1-A football), but whoa!

Go Tigers!

Clemson Tigers (6-1/3-1)

09-02 v Fla Atlantic : 54-6 (W)
09-09 @ Boston College : 33-34 (L-2OT)
09-16 @ Florida St : 27-20 (W)
09-23 v North Carolina : 52-7 (W)
09-30 v Louisiana Tech : 51-0 (W)
10-07 @ Wake Forest : 27-17(W)
10-12 v Temple : 63-9 (W)

Next up: 10-21 v Georgia Tech

Wake Forrest (5-1) always seems to have Clemson’s number. And they had it again for three quarters. We turned the ball over 4 stinkin’ times. It was no wonder we were about to go down 3-20.

But in the fourth quarter things turned around fast. WF botched a FG attempt and Clemson returned it for a TD. A few minutes later we scored again. A few minutes later we scored even again! Wake Forrest gave up the ball four times too.

Finally we pulled it out against Wake. Sheesh! What is it about those Demon Deacons?

Clemson Tigers (5-1/3-1)

09-02 v Fla Atlantic : 54-6 (W)
09-09 @ Boston College : 33-34 (L-2OT)
09-16 @ Florida St : 27-20 (W)
09-23 v North Carolina : 52-7 (W)
09-30 v Louisiana Tech : 51-0 (W)
10-07 @ Wake Forest : 27-17(W)

Next up: 10-12 v Temple

Good to see that Google Maps/Earth updated the state of South Carolina this week. Finally we can see Death Valley much better.

Go Tigers!

Wow. I had the feeling we wouldn’t have much trouble against Louisiana Tech, but I didn’t think we’d win 51-0.

Nice.

06 Clemson Tigers (4-1/2-1)

09-02 v Fla Atlantic : 54-6 (W)
09-09 @ Boston College : 33-34 (L-2OT)
09-16 @ Florida St : 27-20 (W)
09-23 v North Carolina : 52-7 (W)
09-30 v Louisiana Tech : 51-0 (W)

Next up: 10-07 @ Wake Forest

Wake has had our number the last few years…and they are playing great right now.

Clemson over UNC 52-7, originally uploaded by orangejack.

Clemson 2006 (3-1 Overall / 2-1 ACC)

09-02 v Fla Atlantic : 54-6 (W)
09-09 @ Boston College : 33-34 (L-2OT)
09-16 @ Florida St : 27-20 (W)
09-23 v North Carolina : 52-7 (W)

Next up: Louisiana Tech

Nothing personal to the Tarheels, but I’m glad we dominated like that. It’s been a while since Clemson has won like this. We used to just win games. Now we’re starting to dominate games. That’s a good sign. Quality of wins are going up at Clemson…and these are the things that get you closer to championships.