Just wanted to get some conversation started about this game. Realistically, does GT stand a chance playing the tigers at home on a Thursday night? I don't want to get too ahead of ourselves but if I'm correct, a GT win combined with us winning out would send us to the acccg regardless of how duke plays (three way tie-breaker). What could be good or bad about this game is that it is on Thursday night so we'll know where we stand going into Saturday, just depends on how you look at that.
Honestly, I think people are not giving GT enough credit because of rankings and Boyd. We all know how good he is and how fast their offense can score. But we also know that Clemson is beatable at home during a night game (vs FSU, albeit, FSU is much better). Plus, "pulling a clemson" doesn't exist for nothing and both teams will have had nearly two weeks to prepare. GT has put on a nice little run the last few games. CPJ claims the team is really starting to come together playing the option and the defense has been much improved with the new coordinater this year. On the flip side, Clemson's defense has not really impressed me against higher-caliber teams. Their montra has been just for the offense to score more than the defense allows. That said, if GT plays their game controlling the clock with long sustained drives, Clemson won't have enough time to score a lot. This may be the only game of the year I route for the bumblebees, and I think they've got a chance at the upset.
What are your thoughts? Agree/disagree etc...?
Comments
You would be correct about the Charlotte scenarios. If GT wins, they finish the season 6-2. There are only two other teams that can match that at this point: Virginia Tech, and the Miami-Duke winner. If Miami and Duke both lose, we go based on 1-0 head to head against GT. If Miami wins out, we go based on 2-0 head to head against Miami and GT. If Duke wins out, the three tied teams will be 1-1 head to head with each other. We would then go based on our 5-1 Coastal record, vs. GT's and Duke's 4-2 Coastal records.
I might just make a comprehensive list of all possible scenarios and post it tonight. As it stands, even Pitt has a veeeeeeeeery slight chance, depending on a large number of scenarios: 3-way tie at 5-3 (Pitt, GT, Miami), with a 3-way tie at 4-4 behind them (VT, Duke, UNC), and favorable (for them) BCS computer rankings.
Don't waste your time making a comprehensive list as it's already done by Jim Young (@ACCSports). Here is the link to it: http://www.accsports.com/articles/cracking-the-coastal-cluster
All in all we really don't need worry about all the tie-breaking scenarios. If we win out then we in all likelihood be in Charlotte. If Duke indeed does win out then holy fing shit, Duke won the coastal.
Thanks for the link. I "worked" on that a little yesterday, too. Every time I bumped up against Duke winning the Coastal I had to stop and start over.
Work picked up some on Wednesday, and then later that night I found a few errors in what I'd done while writing everything up. Yesterday, I flew from Roanoke to Denver and back, ergo no time to spare in front of my computer, so I figured I'd wait til today to finish. I might still put it together if I find time today, but it's no longer such a priority.
I think Georgia Tech turned the corner after the Miami game. Whipped Cuse, and took care of UVA and Pitt. I think they're better than they seem. Let's be real - everyone looks bad after that Hokie Defense plays them.
Knowing the result of the GT Clemson game shouldn't change our team's outlook. We still have to beat MD and LOLUVA no matter what else happens around the league. We're in a "can't lose" situation at the moment and that's the mind set we need to have.
That being said, I'll be rooting for GT because them winning does put our destiny in our hands. I don't think they'll have the horses to get by Clemson in Death Valley though.
We'll probably all be watching the Duke-Miami game much closer than we normally would this weekend.
While my gut feeling agrees that GT won't have quite the firepower to pull out the victory, something about the way they have quietly regained momentum on their 3-game win streak and Clemson's early falling out of NCG contention (that has me sensing apathy among their players) is leaning towards the upset.
I agree with you. Momentum is everything, whether its during a game or going through the season. Like you said, GT's arrow is currently pointing up while Clemson's is pointing down
It's not like Clemson just lost last week and is on a two game losing streak. I think if I were the Tigers the concern would be looking forward (USCe) not looking backward.
WELP
GT has done it before and will be up for this game while Clempson is probably not looking forward to it. Remember, NC State had a great shot at beating them only to have a TD called back.
I imagine not many teams look forward to playing CPJ and his hard-hitting chop block offense.
Don't count GT out as well that they HAVE to win the game in order to hope to go to ACCCG this year. Granted, other things have to happen, such as us losing one of the last two games, but they have to win. Trust me, they'll be fighting for it.
Clemson will be fighting, too. They may not make the ACCCG, but if they win the rest of their games and stay ranked, they'll be pulling for FSU to go to NC so they get the at-large bid BCS. If they don't stay ranked by losing to an unranked GT, then they get screwed out of that bid and the highest they can go is CFA Bowl.
In other words, it should be an interesting game.
I hate GT but I will gladly be pulling for both them and MIAMI this week.
Who would have thought it would come to that. The most entitled and blindly optimistic fanbase and the team with the biggest jerk of a coach getting Hokies to cheer for them. Just this once though, just once.
Does Clemson have a D-line capable of containing CPJ's offense?
The Clemson offense hasn't been great against decent defenses this year..it GT can control the clock and get some big plays in the run game; then I believe they have a good chance of winning. It should be a good game..hopefully!
Here in Clempson-land, I can tell you that the Tiger fans are quiet and worried.
They know that PJ's offense is difficult to stop once it gets rolling and Venables has limited experience against it.
They know it will be COLD and that doesn't work in their favor.
They know that if they have a lot to lose.
They know that they typically screw up 1 game a year.
The chatter has already intensified for the upcoming Clemson/USCe game.
It should be a good game.
Clemson came to play tonight..looks like they copied Bud's slanting defense? Boyd is on target with the deep ball as well..doesn't look like the same team that was drilled by FSU.
Nice wheel route by the Jackets followed by a score..but as I type this post another bomb on the money from Boyd for 6. Wow
... and then this happened.
That was quite the pick by GT
Wow. Terrible decision by Boyd there.
61 GT rushing yards. What did we hold them to?
It was around 100 wasn't it?
129
So we all want a Clemson win, and 130 rushing? Done.
gt win would help us more actually...
Man, can you imagine our offense if Logan was surrounded by the playmakers that Boyd has around him? I'm salivating just at the thought of it.
I've got to ask the question. Boyd or Thomas?
Beamer
Thomas!
That's such a tough call. I always catch myself asking the same thing if you could go back. I have to think Logan is a bit more of the athlete/playmaker our team needs. I can't see Boyd looking too good with how the rest of our O looked pre-Miami (Post-Miami: ALL HAIL JOSH STANFORD & TREY EDMUNDS)
Tajh Boyd is fat and he eats by himself on park benches while I point and laugh.
That hobo-esque QB you just described also does this from time to time
What, in the name of all that is holy, was that?
Failure, Egbert.... that was failure.
I've seen failure.
That was something extraordinary. Like Harlem Globtrotter stuff.
I just keep watching it with the Benny Hill theme playing.
I still chuckle at this - i mean, you can't even plan to do something like that.
THE TAJH BOYD FUMBLECEPTION!!!
I've tried to look for this video in the past but have been unsuccessful. I'll have to remember this page...
Thank you thank you thank you!
Loaded question since we recruited LT as a tight end.
FG's wont get it done tonight
mark may picked Dooooooooook!!!!
He's still hurt over us beating his Pitt Panthers
i don't really see how that relates to VT....I guess he validated Duke being a legit team because they beat us but that's kind of a stretch...
Maybe he wants Duke to win so VT can't win the Coastal. Pitt beat Duke in that crazy shootout. Agree that it's a bit of a stretch though haha.
Dook's D isn't good enough to beat da U.
It wasn't good enough to beat ours, we had to do that ourselves. We had to not allow ourselves to score to let Doook squeeze it out.
TD JACKETS!
Yes! Now we have a game again!
132 yds rushing. We win!
Well so much for getting back into the game. Boyd is out there playing lawn darts. All he has to do his throw it as far as he can for the speed to run under it. Vick to Davis, Touchdown Tech!
I love seeing CPJ upset
He has a potty mouth lol
Announcers burn me up sometimes. Even if Jesse Palmer is extremely attractive. Sorry my girl was showing.
Jesse Palmer is so fine...
He's so fine he blows my mind (that he thinks every Duke game is winnable)
You have 666 turkey legs..someone hurry up and make it 667 already. Palmer is such a tool..he has a picture of Kirk Herbstreit in his wallet.
Fixed it for you.
Here's to you good sir!
haha, well played sir
Sure, but he probably uses more hair products than either you and Hokiegirl combined... That dude moisturizes, you just know it.
Wow if Boyd going down is as serious as it looks, Clemson is ruined.
Why was he still in the game?
It was only the 3rd quarter with Clemson up by 17. I don't like Dabo, but I wouldn't have pulled my starter yet either.
BATMAN making these HORNETS look GREEN.
Has Paul Johnson's offense been around long enough that everyone has learned to defend against it? Or does he just not have the horses to execute it this year?
Vad Lee does not execute this offense as well as he needs to for it to be successful.
Not to say that it hasn't been figured out to an extent, but once they either get a new QB or Lee works it better, they'll have trouble.
That's what I was thinking too. Dude just looks so tentative on everything he does. One third down run it looked for sure like he had a first, then just stopped running a yard short of the sticks and started dancing, got tackled, and GT punted. Most of his pitches were floaters and, like you said, he just generally did not execute very well at all.
I might be the only one here, but I'm sitting here thinking if Clemson was in our division I don't think they would have hardly any trouble. In the Atlantic its either FSU or them. In our division its either us or GT although that's starting to change, because other teams are getting better.
Don't forget about Miami and Duke. And Pitt still has a [(very) ridiculously] slim shot at it this year too, what with GT's loss last night.
I vote we make this the "other games" thread overall.
WVU got run by Kansas. LOL
Ohio St. put up more points in football than basketball and both sports gave up the same about of points.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/ohio-state-buckeyes-illinois-fighting-illi...
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/ohio-state-buckeyes-marquette-golden-eagle...