🏈 An Eye on the Clemson Tigers
- Thread starter TerryP
- Start date
K
Kevin Scarbinsky |
Alabama vs. Clemson: Only fitting, only family for the national title
Former Tide walk-on Dabo Swinney got the Clemson job in part because Nick Saban whacked Tommy Bowden. Can Dabo now put a stop to Saban? Should be some reunion.
Hey, Dabo Swinney. Mama's calling.
No, it's not that call. Not yet. She simply wants to get together in the Arizona desert for a family reunion with a little football game thrown in.
Oh, and she has one teeny, tiny request.
Please, by all means, bring your own guts.
She knows you've got 'em, plenty of 'em, and that makes her awfully proud. She's also pretty sure you'll need 'em.
Swinney's dream national title matchup came together on the final day of 2015 in two emphatic demonstrations of championship football. First, his undefeated No. 1 Clemson team left 37-17 cleat marks on Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Then, No. 2 Alabama was even more dominant in a 38-0 Cotton Bowl beatdown of Michigan State.
It's only fitting that the two best teams in college football will meet Jan. 11 in the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz. It's only family with Swinney trying to win Clemson's first national title since 1981 against his alma mater.
Lucky for Dabo he's a protege of Gene Stallings. Nick Saban's pupils tend to get embarrassed when they meet their mentor. It got so bad for Mark Dantonio, he might've preferred to meet his maker.
This was the first time one of his Michigan State teams got shut out. It was the first shutout in a postseason game since Alabama 21, LSU 0 in the 2012 BCS Championship Game. It was the first Cotton Bowl shutout since 1963.
The Spartans were lit up by crimson fireworks, and it was hard to pick a favorite.
Offensive MVP Jake Coker throwing a laser over a defender to Calvin Ridley from half a field away for a touchdown? Or Ridley climbing over a defender to cradle a Coker dart to his chest while tap-dancing for another score?
Defensive MVP Cyrus Jones doing the hesitation hop while taking a punt return to the house? Or Jones refusing to let Alabama playoff history repeat itself when he picked off a pass in the end zone just before halftime to snuff out Michigan State's last hope?
That pick got lost in the second-half onslaught, but it was the perfect example that this Alabama team - the defense especially - isn't last year's Alabama team. That team let Ohio State score late in the half to cut the lead to one, and it wouldn't go well from there. This team took its 10-0 lead to the half and then took the Spartans to the woodshed.
The defining moment may have been Derrick Henry flattening a 250-pound defensive end with a Mike Tyson right cross of a stiff arm for the final touchdown. Alabama was so good, Henry was more of a decoy, and Connor Cook and company were mostly sitting ducks.
Coker was supposed to be the Crimson Tide's weak link, but he was the best quarterback on the field. Lane Kiffin figured Michigan State had spent a month steeling itself to stop Henry so he put the game in Coker's hands, and he delivered the game of his life.
Coker completed 25 of his 30 throws for 286 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Let that be a lesson to anyone who's already declared that Clemson will have a decided advantage at that position in the dangerous Deshaun Watson.
Don't misunderstand. Watson's a terrific player and the leader of a terrific team. Neither Clemson nor Alabama should be able to do to the other what they did to Oklahoma and Michigan State.
Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander on Ridley will be NFL good on good. Clemson's defensive line, especially if Shaq Lawson's knee is OK, may be the only front in the nation that won't take a back seat to Alabama's.
Then there's the Heisman winner in Henry against the second runner-up in Watson, two men capable of taking over a game.
Swinney against Alabama is the icing. All he does is knock off national championship coaches, and now he gets a shot at the alpha dog of that breed in Saban in the actual national championship game.
The pride of Pelham went from assistant to interim guy to head coach at Clemson in large part because Alabama humbled Tommy Bowden and the Tigers in the 2008 opener. That was the beginning of the Saban dynasty and the beginning of the end for Bowden.
Can Swinney now put a stop to Saban? It should be some reunion. Mama may have to cover her eyes either way.
Continue reading...
Former Tide walk-on Dabo Swinney got the Clemson job in part because Nick Saban whacked Tommy Bowden. Can Dabo now put a stop to Saban? Should be some reunion.
Hey, Dabo Swinney. Mama's calling.
No, it's not that call. Not yet. She simply wants to get together in the Arizona desert for a family reunion with a little football game thrown in.
Oh, and she has one teeny, tiny request.
Please, by all means, bring your own guts.
She knows you've got 'em, plenty of 'em, and that makes her awfully proud. She's also pretty sure you'll need 'em.
Swinney's dream national title matchup came together on the final day of 2015 in two emphatic demonstrations of championship football. First, his undefeated No. 1 Clemson team left 37-17 cleat marks on Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Then, No. 2 Alabama was even more dominant in a 38-0 Cotton Bowl beatdown of Michigan State.
It's only fitting that the two best teams in college football will meet Jan. 11 in the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz. It's only family with Swinney trying to win Clemson's first national title since 1981 against his alma mater.
Lucky for Dabo he's a protege of Gene Stallings. Nick Saban's pupils tend to get embarrassed when they meet their mentor. It got so bad for Mark Dantonio, he might've preferred to meet his maker.
This was the first time one of his Michigan State teams got shut out. It was the first shutout in a postseason game since Alabama 21, LSU 0 in the 2012 BCS Championship Game. It was the first Cotton Bowl shutout since 1963.
The Spartans were lit up by crimson fireworks, and it was hard to pick a favorite.
Offensive MVP Jake Coker throwing a laser over a defender to Calvin Ridley from half a field away for a touchdown? Or Ridley climbing over a defender to cradle a Coker dart to his chest while tap-dancing for another score?
Defensive MVP Cyrus Jones doing the hesitation hop while taking a punt return to the house? Or Jones refusing to let Alabama playoff history repeat itself when he picked off a pass in the end zone just before halftime to snuff out Michigan State's last hope?
That pick got lost in the second-half onslaught, but it was the perfect example that this Alabama team - the defense especially - isn't last year's Alabama team. That team let Ohio State score late in the half to cut the lead to one, and it wouldn't go well from there. This team took its 10-0 lead to the half and then took the Spartans to the woodshed.
The defining moment may have been Derrick Henry flattening a 250-pound defensive end with a Mike Tyson right cross of a stiff arm for the final touchdown. Alabama was so good, Henry was more of a decoy, and Connor Cook and company were mostly sitting ducks.
Coker was supposed to be the Crimson Tide's weak link, but he was the best quarterback on the field. Lane Kiffin figured Michigan State had spent a month steeling itself to stop Henry so he put the game in Coker's hands, and he delivered the game of his life.
Coker completed 25 of his 30 throws for 286 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Let that be a lesson to anyone who's already declared that Clemson will have a decided advantage at that position in the dangerous Deshaun Watson.
Don't misunderstand. Watson's a terrific player and the leader of a terrific team. Neither Clemson nor Alabama should be able to do to the other what they did to Oklahoma and Michigan State.
Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander on Ridley will be NFL good on good. Clemson's defensive line, especially if Shaq Lawson's knee is OK, may be the only front in the nation that won't take a back seat to Alabama's.
Then there's the Heisman winner in Henry against the second runner-up in Watson, two men capable of taking over a game.
Swinney against Alabama is the icing. All he does is knock off national championship coaches, and now he gets a shot at the alpha dog of that breed in Saban in the actual national championship game.
The pride of Pelham went from assistant to interim guy to head coach at Clemson in large part because Alabama humbled Tommy Bowden and the Tigers in the 2008 opener. That was the beginning of the Saban dynasty and the beginning of the end for Bowden.
Can Swinney now put a stop to Saban? It should be some reunion. Mama may have to cover her eyes either way.
Continue reading...
M
Matt Zenitz |
Three Things Alabama fans should know about Clemson
Dabo's ties to Alabama
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is a Pelham native who was a wide receiver for Alabama from 1989-92 after originally joining the team as a walk-on.
Swinney was then a graduate assistant for the Tide from 1993-95 before serving as full-time assistant from 1996-2000.
Alabama fired coach Mike Dubose and his staff in 2001, including Swinney.
Swinney was out of coaching from 2001 until being hired as an assistant at Clemson in 2003.
He has been Clemson's coach since December 2008 after going 4-2 as an interim head coach.
The Tigers have won 10 games or more each of the last five years.
They were ranked 11th in the final Associated Press poll in 2012, eighth in 2013 and 15th last season.
The quarterback
Clemson sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy behind Alabama running back Derrick Henry and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey.
A former five-star recruit out of Georgia, Watson has thrown for 3,699 yards and 31 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions.
He has also run for 1,032 yards and 12 scores.
All-around good team
Clemson entered Thursday ranked 11th nationally in total offense and seventh in total defense.
Led by Watson, the Tigers put up 530 yards of total offense Thursday against an Oklahoma defense that was tied for 29th nationally in total defense.
Watson is throwing for 264 yards per game and running for an average of 74 yards per game. In addition, running back Wayne Gallman, who ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns against the Sooners, has run for 1,482 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games while averaging close to six yards per carry.
Clemson's offensive line is tied for 10th-best nationally in sacks allowed per game.
Defensively, the Tigers had five sacks and two interceptions vs. Oklahoma.
Clemson entered Thursday ranked fifth in the country in pass defense, 24th in run defense and tied for sixth in sacks.
Continue reading...
Dabo's ties to Alabama
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is a Pelham native who was a wide receiver for Alabama from 1989-92 after originally joining the team as a walk-on.
Swinney was then a graduate assistant for the Tide from 1993-95 before serving as full-time assistant from 1996-2000.
Alabama fired coach Mike Dubose and his staff in 2001, including Swinney.
Swinney was out of coaching from 2001 until being hired as an assistant at Clemson in 2003.
He has been Clemson's coach since December 2008 after going 4-2 as an interim head coach.
The Tigers have won 10 games or more each of the last five years.
They were ranked 11th in the final Associated Press poll in 2012, eighth in 2013 and 15th last season.
The quarterback
Clemson sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy behind Alabama running back Derrick Henry and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey.
A former five-star recruit out of Georgia, Watson has thrown for 3,699 yards and 31 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions.
He has also run for 1,032 yards and 12 scores.
All-around good team
Clemson entered Thursday ranked 11th nationally in total offense and seventh in total defense.
Led by Watson, the Tigers put up 530 yards of total offense Thursday against an Oklahoma defense that was tied for 29th nationally in total defense.
Watson is throwing for 264 yards per game and running for an average of 74 yards per game. In addition, running back Wayne Gallman, who ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns against the Sooners, has run for 1,482 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games while averaging close to six yards per carry.
Clemson's offensive line is tied for 10th-best nationally in sacks allowed per game.
Defensively, the Tigers had five sacks and two interceptions vs. Oklahoma.
Clemson entered Thursday ranked fifth in the country in pass defense, 24th in run defense and tied for sixth in sacks.
Continue reading...
mando
Member
We hear a lot about how mobile quarterbacks cause problems for Bama but in reality they do for ANY team. They will always have a little more success than others against Bama but it will still be less than their average.
In the Clemson case they are a VERY good team on both sides of the ball. Stating the obvious but this will be the best team Bama has faced. Can we move the ball and control the game? That will be the key.
In the Clemson case they are a VERY good team on both sides of the ball. Stating the obvious but this will be the best team Bama has faced. Can we move the ball and control the game? That will be the key.
BamaFan615
Member
Offensively we should be able to move the ball fairly consistently.
Slowing their QB will undoubtably be a task and a deciding factor.
I think their RB is a bit underrated. I haven't watched the replay to see if it was bad tackling or if he's just tough to bring down, but he sure did break a lot of tackles last night.
Slowing their QB will undoubtably be a task and a deciding factor.
I think their RB is a bit underrated. I haven't watched the replay to see if it was bad tackling or if he's just tough to bring down, but he sure did break a lot of tackles last night.
Listening to the talking heads last night and something struck me odd. Every last one of them wanted to make the comparison that Clemson was just like or most like Ole Miss due to the running and passing of Watson and Kelly.
JMHO, Clemson resembles Tennessee VILES more so than the Ole Piss Black Bear Rebels. Look closely for a second. Dobbs and Watson are almost identical in skill set and ability. Hurd and Kamara are similar to Clemson backs. Defensively, I feel that UT is better man for man.
What say you??
JMHO, Clemson resembles Tennessee VILES more so than the Ole Piss Black Bear Rebels. Look closely for a second. Dobbs and Watson are almost identical in skill set and ability. Hurd and Kamara are similar to Clemson backs. Defensively, I feel that UT is better man for man.
What say you??
this isn't recruiting
They remind me a lot of Ole Miss with an even more athletic QB and a better RB.
It will all come down to the game plan and how quickly the D can prepare themselves. Fortunately, we've had an extra D coord who likely has prepped most of a contingency game plan.
On the otherside, their D is very good as well. Venables is an outstanding coach who prepares well and makes great in-game adjustments. I'm glad the change up in the Bama play calling last night will occupy his time this week as he looks to adjust what he may have already prepared as a shell game plan.
I'm really excited for this matchup. It's like we are back where this run started under CNS in 2008. Would love to continue the postseason holiday theme of repeating past ass whoopings.
Last edited:
bamafan4ever
Staff
I have watched Clemson several times this year and a lot like us, they step it up against in the big games and yesterday was the best I have seen BOTH teams play. Clemson earned my respect for stifling, what I felt, was the hottest team in the country. The Clemson defense played at a different level despite key injuries. That offensive line having 5 new starters amaze me how well they have played as a unit. I understand the fact that Clemson will be a challenge and I embrace it. I bet the team does too. No way they lose focus when they see yesterday's game film. It was impressive but so was the Crimson Tide.
I think someone once said something similar about God Himself not being able to sink the Titanic.
Oklahoma, who didn't bring their "A" game it appeared to me.
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