"Maker's and Rich Brooks: Tastier'n they cost."

pic via www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com

Who: Kentucky Wildcats (7-5, 3-5 SEC), with wins in 5 of their last 7 games. Schedule results are below, with a few links to the bigger games with the Kentucky and rival blogs.

When: Dec. 27, 8:30PM, sEcSPN

@Miami  OH	W 42-0
Louisville	W 31-27
Florida	L 41-7
Alabama	L 38-20
@ SC	L 28-26
@ Auburn	W 21-14
ULM	W 36-13
Miss. State	L 31-24
Eastern KY	W 37-12
@ Vanderbilt	W 24-13
@ Gawja	W 34-27
Tennessee	L 30-24 OT

Kentucky is not a bad team, while certainly not on par with Floribama, they did get big road wins at Auburn (who were 5-1, though I predicted this after Arky burst Auburns bubble) and an unexplicable win at Georgia, their first in Athens in 32 years. Their SC loss I saw most of, and Kentucky had every chance to win that game. If Hartline had not been injured, I believe they would've. When they have lost, it has been because of average play on the front line on both sides of the football. When they've won, its been because their running game was unstoppable and their defensive front played disciplined football.

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#12 Georgia Tech (10-2, 7-1) vs. #25 Clemson Tigers (8-4, 6-2)

When: 8pm EST on ESPN

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Previous result: 30-27. Georgia Tech squandered a 24 point lead they'd built early on, only to switch to the midline and come back enough to win the game late in the 4th quarter. Georgia Tech owns a 48-24-2 advantage in the all-time series with Clemson, and the Yellow Jackets have won the last three meetings, and five of the last six overall.

 

Our articles on the game:

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Film Review

Defensive Breakdowns against GT-Game 1

Statsheet statistics for the first game

The Key: Containing the run. You won't stop an offense like this cold, they'll get yards on the ground no matter what. Our great pass defense will be useless as Nesbitt does not throw very often and in those cases its usually a 20 yd bomb. I expect Cover 2/bracket to whichever side Thomas is lined up on, and us to challenge the other receiver with various looks. 

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Clemson Tigers versus South Carolina Gamecocks

Time:  12:00 NOON 

TV Coverage:  ESPN 

Radio Coverage:  WCCP (www.wccpfm.com) 

Location:  Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

CUAD Notes         ESPN Preview           Rivals Preview

The Palmetto Rivalry is right here, as the 8-3 Clemson Tigers (15 AP, 18 BCS, and 16 USA Today) travel to the 6-5 South Carolina Gamecocks.  This game is for pride only, as Clemson has secured its spot as the ACC Atlantic Division representative and the Cocks are bowl eligible.  Clemson looks to extend its series win streak to 3 games, while South Carolina looks for its 2nd win against Clemson at the Brice in 22 years.  We will be watching quite a few areas of this football game from both teams. 

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#18/19 Clemson vs. Virginia Cavaliers (3-7, 2-4 in ACC)

3:30PM, ABC/ESPN reverse mirror.

"Virginia? That's the white meat of our schedule." - Frank Howard

Virginia season statistical rankings.

I only got to see a couple of UVAs games this year, the first one against TCU when their offense was predictable an anemic, and the 2nd against Boston College when it was only slightly less anemic. Both of those games were against great defensive teams, but looking at this UVA team I see nothing to fear except possibly their size up front. Their offense was switched this year to a new spread option system under former Urban Meyer assistant Gregg Brandon. Its somewhere between the single-wing/double-option spread that Meyer uses and the run-heavy spread that RichRod used here. It features 4 wideouts, zone running, and a lot of zone read, traps, and QB Dives with Sewell, but although they have improved a little since that TCU game, I don't see them moving the ball consistently on our defense at all unless we have a big mental letdown in game preparation this week.

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#24 Clemson vs. NC State pit-wolfies (4-5, 1-4 ACC)

Two-Deep Depth Charts

I've seen NC State play two games this year, against Sakerlina and then FSU. What I took away was that Russell Wilson (177/293 2351yds 24TDs) really has an NFL-quick release. At times the bullets he throws are so hard that his receivers can't hold them, and he has some of the touch issues that Parker has on short throws. He runs well too, and more often than Parker (78 car, 294yds, 4TDs). He's thrown 5 picks in the last two games against FSU and Maryland, but 2 of those picks were hail mary throws vs. FSU. I think he's right behind Ponder as the best QB in the ACC. Against Sakerlina they had a pitiful offensive performance, but at the time I thought O'Brien would have their act together and they'd be playing better, and they are (at least on offense).  Right now they are 30th nationally and 3rd in the ACC in total offense, 17th nationally in passing offense.

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Seminoles vs Tigers coverage

FSU: 4-4, 2-3 in the ACC.

Mickey Andrew's FSU defense is quite possibly the absolute worst in the entire country aside from recent 1-A addition Western Kentucky. Its certainly the worst one he's ever fielded in his tenure as a DC at Clemson and FSU. One item of worry is his announced retirement: Will it encourage his defense to play to their potential for the first time this year? They still have young guys with alot of potential over there, many of them more highly rated recruits than ours.

I think its more likely Clemson's offense shits the bed. FSU's defense is truly horrible and might play a little better, but emotion and effort is not the problem in Tallahassee, technique is. Kyle Parker should not have difficulties finding guys open downfield and considering our pass-blocking so far, I expect him to have ample time to throw against this FSU D-line. The only question is whether he's going to use his head and not throw balls away too early or give up easy turnovers.

FSU runs a defensive scheme that has never ever been very complex: 2-man, 2-zone, and Robber. More zone than in the past because they suck at man coverage, which itself is affected by their poor pass rush. Its a basic 4-3 Stack and Under front system. They blitz quite a bit. Thus, it surprises me that they are this bad. It is not hard to teach.

We've previewed FSU's offense, and there isnt much else to say that I didnt cover there. Clemson's secondary is the best they've faced so far this year. UNC did ok against them in the first half and stopped the running game before injuries sidelined two of their LBs, and we will have to shut that down and make their offense one-dimensional. Its impossible to shut down Ponder and do the opposite, he's too skilled a QB. Pay no attention to the rib injury, this guy will play. My only expectation is fewer called QB Draw plays and Zone Reads than what they would run with him on a good ankle.

Their running game has potential and given the penchant by our LBs to overpursue and take bad angles at the POA, we could be gashed a few times. If they could play defense, their rushing stats would likely be better, as they've had to throw to keep themselves in games. Watch the FSU play-action game as well.

I expect Clemson to play Robber Defense against pro formations with Brandon Maye spying Ponder, though I also expect Maye to charge up the wrong gap and be left behind a few times. Cover 2 Matchup Robber is possible but will likely just be a basic Cover 2 Zone and 2-Man, out of Nickel and Dime defense. Given their speed and depth at WR, good Man coverage may only be possible for our 2 Cornerbacks and McDaniel.

Some press has been about Bowers, but his backup has more tackles per play average than he does.

Clemson's defense has not allowed more than 2 TDs at home this year. TCU scored once set off by a freak play and BC would not have scored if not for a fumble by Ellington and a missed assignment by McDaniel. CCU would not have scored against the first team defense.

On special teams, we're both average at coverage but we are considerably better at returns with Spiller and Ford. We will need Zimmerman to have a good day to pin them back and make their offense execute. Give them a short field with turnovers and we're in big trouble.

Feel free to comment throughout the games today and tonight.

70% chance of rain at the moment, though it will not be a gusher.

CCU Game Preview

Radio feed online

CUAD Game Notes

Coastal, which began football in 2003, will get its third taste of FBS football after it opened at Penn State last season and went to Kent State to start this year. The Chants will earn $235,000 for its visit to Death Valley.

Chanticleers vs Tigers coverage

Coastal has allowed 157 yards rushing per game and more than 16 yards on 23 kickoff returns this season. Spiller has returned three kickoffs for TDs this season. Spiller will run all over these guys, but we'll see if the coaches give him the touches to make him a serious Heisman contender. I bet they do not. He really needs to show out in the RUSHING column to get strong consideration. A 200yd ground-only performance would go a long way.

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Clemson (3-3) @ #10 (BCS) Miami (5-1)

3:30 EST ABC, Online Radio

Forecast: 20% chance of T-storms

Two-Deep Depth Charts

TigerNet Game Preview

Canes injuries

Randy Shannon came into this season on the hot seat after back-to-back subpar seasons, and facing an incredibly difficult schedule in my opinion. In the preseason I figured that if they went 2-2 then they'd be set up for a good season and possibly able to win the Coastal, but I never expected Jacory Harris to light it up like he did.

"He's pretty talented, and he's a pretty cool customer," Swinney said Sunday. "I don't think we've played anyone more talented, but the kid from TCU was a winner and Riley Skinner the same. They were very good. Harris has made some big, big throws and has made some good runs. He probably is [the most talented quarterback Clemson has faced]. Ask me on Tuesday, because we're just getting into studying them."

Turns out letting Patrick Nix go, and hiring Mark Whipple, will be Shannon's best decisions as a head coach.  Theres never been any doubt about his defense in my mind, but he still ran off Bill Young and hired John Lovett as his DC. Make no mistake though, this is not a Lovett scheme.

In his days at Clemson, Lovett ran an 8-man front, close to a Gap 8/4-4 scheme but not the same that Virginia Tech runs. Miami still runs what Shannon has always run: a 4-3 EVEN Stack with Cover 2 Man coverage.

(H/T Tomahawk Nation)

Cover 1 Robber and Cover 2 Man are probably the two most prominent defenses Clemson runs, but we show more fronts than Miami does, and usually play an ODD front. Different fronts imply different gap responsibilities for each player, one-gap or two-gap, so it can be more to learn and think about for a player. Miami doesnt complicate things for their young guys on defense. An ODD front simply means there is a NT over the Center, usually lined up in a 1-Technique right in the A-gap. EVEN means the two DTs are lined up over the Guards. A STACK defense refers to the positions of the LBs: they are lined up in a row of 3 behind the DL, shifted either to the strong or weakside, as opposed to the UNDER front Clemson employs most where the SAM is lined up head-on the TE and usually on the LOS.

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