Main Event: Dwyer v. Spiller

As the ACC's only fringe Heisman hopefuls, Jon "D-Train" Dwyer and CJ Spiller are arguably the best two returning players in the ACC. A look at their numbers reveals their primary differences in style. Dwyer is the fullback in Paul Johnson's run, run, and run some more offense while Spiller is the speed back and primary returner for Clemson's fire-another-offensive-coordinator-offense:

Obviously, the stats are affected by schedules, coaching staff changes midseason, injuries, etc.. but diving deeper, I've pulled out Dwyer/Spiller's offensive touches broken down by end result. I didn't factor in returns 'cause Dwyer isn't a return man, which gives Spiller a huge advantage in Heisman voting:
_{Note: Dwyer is the yellow bars while Spiller is the orange bars.}

What the charts tell me is that Dwyer is running up the middle a lot (DUH) and Spiller is taking sweeps, tosses, etc. to the outside. Dwyer will almost always gain yardage and if the safeties get burned he will score. Spiller will eventually get forced out of bounds but his plays are more likely not to yield positive yardage. I think the two backs are an excellent example of the different styles of RB play.

Questions for Discussion:
1. Could Dwyer/Spiller fit in the other's offense?
2. Who will have the more successful year?
3. Who has a shot at ACC POY, national position award, or Heisman?
4. Who could eat more hot dogs?

Clemson baseball preview

Tech travels to Clemson, South Carolina this weekend to face one of my least favorite sports personalities of all time: Jack Leggett. Every Clemson game is about 30 minutes longer than it should be because Jack loves to put on a show for his purple/orange minions. I think it's BS and can't stand watching Clemson games just because of him.

Concerning the game itself, Clemson comes into the game with a little momentum after kicking the crap out of archrival USC Wednesday night to the tune of 12-2. Clemson is second in the Atlantic with a record of 28-14 (12-9). Offensively, Clemson is a middling team with a sub .300 batting average and only 42 homers on the season (compared to Tech's .324 average and 68 homers in 5 less games played). Defensively however, Clemson is boasting the conference's second best ERA with a 3.65 (compared to Tech's 4.57). Clemson's man to watch for this weekend is Ben Paulsen who is tied for second in the ACC with 64 hits.

Tech needs two of three from Clemson to solidify the lead over the Coastal Division. It'll be tough but I think my sheer dislike of Jack Leggett will give Tech at least one walk-off homer top of the ninth game winning run against the Tigers.

Anyone making the trip to Clemson this weekend?

Oglesby Ejection: Lone Vigilante or Second Shooter?

Terrence Oglesby, Clemson's best 3-point shooter, was ejected last night for throwing a bow to the face of Michigan's Stu Douglass. The video evidence appears to be on Douglass' side but upon further review was the ejection too harsh and ultimately what cost Clemson a shot at OU? Here's a second clip from the side. It looks like a mixture of separating from Douglass' grasp, collision with Booker, aggressive reaction by Oglesby, and basketball acting on Douglass' part, to me.

Either way Clemson should've won that game. 40:28 rebounding advantage including 20 offensive boards should've equaled a W. Purnell's gotta get the post-season monkey off Clemson's back. It's one thing to get a bunch of wins in the regular season but postseason is what brings in the dough and gives you leverage in the off-season (ala Paul Hewitt's '04 team).

The Definition of Snakebit

If one were to look up the definition of the term "snakebit" one would find the following in the dictionary:

Snakebit [sneyk-bit] adj -
1. Bitten by a snake
2. (In basketball) Losing ten games by two possessions or less
3. (In basketball) Playing in back-to-back overtime games and losing both
4. (In basketball) Losing the last game of the regular season with 1.7 seconds left on a midrange fade away jumper

We've still got Clemson to go this Thursday instead of BC. Preventing a 3-game sweep and progressing to the next round of the ACC tournament does not look impossible with Clemson's performances as of late. Any thoughts on upcoming ACCT or season's ending?

Beat Clemson

Let's get serious.

Tech weekend mini-recap

Friday - Tech narrowly escapes another midmajor upset. Jacksonville surged late but still fell to Tech. Our 3-point shooting has got to pickup. We keep trading 2's for 3's every game. Next game is Penn State in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge on Wednesday.

Saturday - Tech outlasts Georgie in a Clean, Old-fashioned Shootout. The second highest point total in the series with 87 points scored (1999 was the most with 99 total points). Both teams accumulated 916 total yards of offense. I think the coolest stat of the game is TOP: ugag had the ball for 16:04 in the first half but only had it for 10:32 in the second.

To Hell with Georgie! Too bad UVA couldn't have helped us out but there's only so much Vic Hall can do (121 rushing yards with 2 TD's, 3 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble).

Monday - Dabo Swinney is named head coach of Clemson. Not really a GT subject, other than I'm glad they didn't hire a good coach. Luckily for GT, we'll be dealing with another mediocre Clemson coach for at least 2-3 more years.

Clemson Thoughts

It's one of those days at work right now so look for updates later this afternoon. But for now, we all know the game was exciting as hell. What are your thoughts and opinions on the game? the future? the players,etc?

Post in the comments!

Clemson Preview

Well it's Clemson Week, let's watch something that makes us all smile



Ahh yeah that's better, much better.

Date: October 18, 2008
Time: 12 Noon (bleh)
TV: ESPN
Will The Legacy crew be there?: Hellz yeah! Dane and I roll in Friday afternoon!


So we all know about the turmoil that's gone on in Clemson: Tommy Bowden is fired, interim coach fires the OC, and Cullen Harper says things he shouldn't be saying in public. What chaos! What a disaster for tiger fans! At the beginning of the year, I said that we were going to lose to Clemson and probably lose to Clemson big. Now, I am not as worried. More confident of a win honestly. On to the what-if's!

Clemson wins if: The 3-point stance makes that much of a difference, Dabo Swinney pulls wild cards out of his ass, and the team bands together to try to salvage the 2nd half of the season. Clemson may still hold the athletic advantage over the Jackets but do they hold the team advantage? The answer is uncertain. What about Willy Korn? The running combo of him and James Davis (AKA Thunder) will have to be enough. In regards to passing, if there is a passing game, Block-C is praying for Aaron Kelly to come through.

Georgia Tech wins if: They take advantage of the Clemson turmoil. No way Monday was a productive practice day. That gives them only 4 days to practice and prepare for Georgia Tech. Josh Nesbitt is back. Jonathon Dwyer is chompin' at the bit to prove that he is for real and that Gardner-Webb was a fluke. Tech wins if the D-Line stops James Davis (no C.J. Spiller!) from the running game. Willy Korn flakes ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuut. I have very little doubt that we come out unprepared for this game. Lord knows how much Paul Johnson beat our team into the ground this weak, mentally and physically.

Sidenotes: George O'Leary was in Dabo Swinney's shoes back in 1994. O'Leary took over the Jackets in mid-season 1994 after B*** L**** was fired. His first game he coached was against Clemson. The Jackets lost 20-10.

My ridiculous amount of optimism continues and the Jackets take advantage of the mess and our defense carries the team...again. After Korn and Davis are stopped, no one knows what to do. Georgia Tech 24 Clemson 10.

Clemson Sing-A-Long!

Scene: A quiet setting just outside of Clemson, South Carolina. Children have gathered and are excited for the arrival of their favorite mascot Buzz to sing a long a play games. Unfortunately there was a mix-up and Ghetto Buzz has shown up instead iwith his loyal followers, the Goldfellas. The paint on his face is wearing away and his sunglasses are cracked. His wings are wilted and molting. On the outside he is an ugly creature who is greatly unappreciated. But on the inside, he has a passionate hatred for the enemies of the Flats but has difficulty showing these feelings and it drives him to drink. the result makes him a crusty and cranky old man who turns people away. What will entail?















GhettoBuzz: Alright you little brats, you pulled me away from my grand day of drinking and such so this concert had bettern be good! Vodka is calling my name and I don't like to be late when my lady beckons.










Children: Buzz! Where is Buzz!? We want to sing magestically with Buzz!

(Ghetto Buzz takes a long sip of his drink, ever so calm but one can see that he is getting annoyed because he hates Clemson, especially drunk and he also knows that he is not as loved as much as the authentic jolly Yellow Jacket.)














Ghetto Buzz: You can't have Buzz! I am the one who showed up! So we sing or we dance, or yougo home! (More and more hair and feathers fall off Ghetto as he quickly becomes less caring for the children) We will sing and we will sing loud and proud for we are YELLOW JACKETS!

Goldfellas join Ghetto Buzz and in unison the group begins:

"Clemson is a REDNECK SCHOOL!"

Children: Doo Dah! Doo Dah!












Goldfellas and Ghetto Buzz: Clemson is a REDNECK SCHOOL!!!










Children: OH DAH DOO DAH DAY!












Ghetto Buzz: EVERYBODY SINGS....hmmm vodka! (wanders off to go find more vodka)












Everybody: Gonna Moo all Niiigh! Gonna Moo all Daaay! Clemson is a REDNECK SCHOOL! Oh Dah Doo Dah Day!

Clemson is a Redneck School!

Doo Dah! Doo Dah!

Clemson is a Rednceck School!

Oh Dah Doo Dah Day!

Gonna Moo all night! Gonna Moo all day!

Clemson is a Redneck School,

Oh Dah doo dah day!

Guest Blogger: Clemson Edition

So this week's Guest Blogger is Block-C. We both gave each other questions and our responses are on our respective sites. Be sure to go check out them and our answers out. Click here to go to Block-C.

1. Sounds like Cullen Harper kind of hated Tommy Bowden. Then again, Harper hasn't exactly been awesome. What is your take on comparing Korn and Harper, and how do you think Bowden handled the whole QB situation?

We don't think Harper really hated Tommy Bowden, we think it was more a reactionary statement to having just been thrown under the proverbial bus by Bowden. He's since backed off his statements, for what it's worth. Harper is a pocket passer with limited mobility. His accuracy is tough to gauge. It's high chiefly because of the number of short yardage passes we call. He's had a tougher time this season because he is more of a known quantity and because of poor offensive line play. Korn is a better all-around QB in our opinion, who has demonstrated great mobility in limited playing opportunities. If there is to be a great deal of pressure on the QB due to missed blocking assignments, Korn has the edge over Harper due to his running threat.

2. Dabo Swinney is the interim coach at Clemson. What, if anything special, does he bring to the table? What are his opinions toward Willy Korn vs. Cullen Harper?

Dabo brings several things to the table; some good, some bad. The bad, obviously, is a lack of head coaching experience. Another negative is that he's not had a great deal of time to settle into the interim coaching spot and to craft an overall gameplan for Georgia Tech. There are a great deal of positives here. Notably he was always one of the more popular coaches with players and recruits. His moves in his short time as interim head coach have been overwhelmingly positive: he fired woeful offensive coordinator Rob Spence, he kept Korn as starting QB, and he let line coach Brad Scott have his guys on the o-line go into a three point stance. (the last point is small but was a major point of contention with fans and some players) No idea on his thoughts or attitudes towards either player, but Korn is the starter. We expect Harper to get some PT as well.

3. Everyone at Georgia Tech is pretty high on our defensive line, and they have gotten alot of praise from past opponents. Can Clemson's offensive line handle what is probably the strongest unit the Yellow Jackets have?

This is the matchup that could stop Clemson's offense cold. Alabama's defensive line was extremely physical and shut down Clemson's offense. Certainly the line has learned since then, but this is really the worst (or best, depending on the perspective) place for an opponent to be sharp against us.

4. If you think Georgia Tech has any specific weaknesses that Clemson will try to exploit, what are they? Any specific players that we should worry about? Do you know where they will be sleeping Friday night?

We haven't scouted GT enough to know specific weaknesses. Sorry. I would say James Davis at RB for Clemson would be a player to key on, but the GT d-line may well neutralize him. Senior WR Aaron Kelly is due for a breakout game, but we've said that before about other players and it hasn't come into fruition. On the defensive side of the ball, safety Michael Hamlin has performed well and has 3 picks on the season. Freshman DE DaQuan Bowers should be fairly disruptive.

5. Pretend it is Saturday night, and as time ticks down, Clemson has more points than Georgia Tech. What did Clemson do in order to put itself in that position?

While it would have to be an epic game to wind down Saturday night seeing as how it's a noon kickoff (Editor's Note: Saturday night in Death Valley sounds more exciting), the prospect of a multiple overtime game can surely not be dismissed. If Clemson were to win it would likely be due to limiting the damage of the option attack while using a more inspired brand of playcalling than was provided by Rob Spence to actually not throw three yards behind the first down marker each third down, not run directly into piles of defenders over and over, and to make some halftime adjustments for the first time all season. Or we lose. Either one.

Clemson Memories

It's Clemson week so let's remember some great times.....



Tashard bein' the leader



"The Catch" before The Catch



And my personal favorite...Calvin Johnson bursts onto the scene!




What are your favorite Clemson memories and moments? Post them in the comments section. If you find another (or better) video you want posted, post it and we'll upload it.

Bye-bye Bowden, guess we'll always care

Sir, the feeling is mutual.

After years of taking some of the nation's greatest talent, dropping it in the crapper, taking a wicked deuce, and flushing it all away, Tommy Bowden of the Clemson Tigers is, well, not of the Clemson Tigers anymore.

After a ridiculously ugly game Thursday night at Winston-Salem, everyone was on the lookout to see if the guillotine was being rolled out and greased up. Well, Bowden's proverbial head has now hit the basket, and we look to absolutely destroy the Tigers come the 18th.

Since deep down inside I actually love Clemson, I will keep this coaching change under a very watchful eye. Two of the biggest candidates for the switch are Will Muschamp, who I introduced you to last Friday, and Bobby Johnson of Vanderbilt.

God I hope it's Muschamp.

It's not as bad as it looks. Yeah, I said it.

Right now the ACC is the laughingstock of the college football world, and rightly so. The only team from the ACC that is ranked right now is Wake Forest. Now, I don't mean any insult to the Deacs, but that would basically be like Vanderbilt becoming a top team in the SEC in 5 years from now. No one would give them their full credit, everyone in the SEC would still say "whatever, they are just Vandy," and everyone outside of the SEC would make fun of the conference for having Vandy as their best team.

It's true, as I posted before... the ACC, for now, blows. It is ridiculous. There is no respect for the conference anymore. FSU now also applies to Fresno State. Gone is Miami - Miami(FL) now takes its place. Georgia Tech plays second fiddle to uga. Now Clemson, in the year it is supposed to be in the MNC hunt, has gone and dropped the ball.

Brace yourself. You will be shocked to read that I don't think it is as bad as it sounded on Sunday. In fact, on second glance, it seems like the ship is finally righting itself. Expansion may be finally happening, 3 years after it actually happened. Hear me out on this one.

Georgia Tech, who malaised through the past six seasons with spurts of brilliance and dregs of just plain badness, finally has a coach that, well, acts like a coach should. Paul Johnson is a proven winner, who is expected by basically everyone (apart only a few Bulldog fans and other uneducated nobodies) to be very, very successful. FSU actually kind of had a decent season last year, toppling the ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, losing by a field goal to Wake Forest, and knocking off Boston College from the #2 spot. Honestly, they would have beaten Kentucky in their bowl game if it weren't for the trouble they found a few dozen of their players in, resulting in a depleted squad and a touchdown margin loss for the New Year's Eve game.

Clemson will always be solid (except for 2 games out of the year where they get embarrassed), and even though VPI lost to ECU, they will be back. Miami is on the upswing - GT fans like to think Randy Shannon is a moron because he kept a moron (Pat Nix) around for more than a year. Say what you will - they have the talent to win some big games, and as of right now, in my view, look to be Tech's biggest ACC opponent this year. Apparently Shannon has cleaned house (which, at Miami, would obviously take a looooong damn time) and has the program running like it isn't made up of a bunch of drug slingers and criminals - the first step to becoming competitive year after year. I'm not calling Miami to win this weekend against Florida; however, I will make it known that Miami hasn't lost to Florida during my lifetime, and they damn sure don't want to start now. It won't surprise me one bit if that game surprises everyone else, especially the Gators.

As I said already, BC grabbed the #2 spot last year, and even though a few dozen other teams seemed to do the same thing, it was still impressive. I think the team as a whole will continue to get better, and eventually be better over all without relying on Matt Ryan to make it rain like a true baller.

The jury is still out on UNC, and Duke can suck it until they go 3-5 (this year marks a decade of them not doing so) in the ACC and win a decent OOC game. And, even though I've already kind of talked smack about Wake, they are a good damn team (it's weird, it's almost like I'm turning into a Wake fan...).

So, what exactly is happening? In the Atlantic, Wake is great, BC is good, and FSU has the chance to become good to great again (even if it takes Bobby Bowden finally leaving to do so). Clemson will remain very solid, Maryland can play ball, and NC State will continue to embarrass the state of North Carolina in everything it does. In the Coastal, GT and Miami are both going to be damn good teams, and will easily challenge if not surpass Virginia Tech every year for the Coastal Title, starting this season (these two teamse will also very successfully carry the banner for the ACC in OOC games, mark my words). Not saying VPI won't compete, but I think everyone else is growing up around them very, very quickly. North Carolina will hopefully shape into a solid team, but I am not sold on the predictions that they will start winning conference or even division championships. Virginia - well, screw UVa. Duke will have at least 1 conference victory this season, and that will be against UVa, who is really, really at risk of having a 1 win season. More like the Cavalqueers. (Anyone who is a UVa fan, go ahead, bookmark this entry, mark October 25^th on your calendar, and remember to email me at EffinDane at gmaildotcom. I always manage to eat my own words.)

That's right, BC, Miami, and VT will be strong, strong teams, in addition to GT, Wake, Clemson, and hopefully FSU. All of these teams will get better, very, very soon, and as much as any commentator wants to bring up this season, these teams will be competitive with anyone in the country. (Except for USC, because Jesus is to humanity what Pete Carroll is to Trojans football).

This whole post may be completely wrong, and sorry if it is. However, I do think I have made some pretty valid points. The ACC blows, at least for now. Soon though, the mega-conference will finally arrive.