Post-SC State Sunday Thoughts

Well, it is what it is. I'll need to study the film to get a better grasp of where we are lacking, but the items below are my thoughts initially after the game.

And there was not much to see--basically a scrimmage that was able to sell a lot of tickets.  I was overall pleased with the performance yesterday against a very overmatched SC State team.  Defensively, I thought the front seven played well.  Particularly, the defensive line played their asses off and need to be commended.  The secondary, not so good.  Both touchdowns were enabled by multiple defensive backs making mistakes.  Those are the things that take you from being a good football team to being one of the best.  Right now we are ranked as one of the best but we have to improve there if we ever want to achieve really big things.

I was disappointed that Tajh didn't have monster numbers but was pleased to see Martavis Bryant with four grabs including a nice one he took away from the defender.  Overall, the offensive line needs some work.  Offensive line-wise, I noticed Eric Mac Lain getting his ass worked several times.  That is understandable considering he has moved positions but unacceptable when he is working with the first team and putting our quarterback's health at risk against SC State.  The fact that we have to move a tight end to tackle then play him just screams to me that we need to do a better job recruiting offensive linemen AND need to take more each cycle than we do.

When Chad Kelly went to the locker room yesterday, I was all in favor of a complete riot.  Fortunately, it was a calf injury and not an issue with the knee.  I still think everyone involved with Clemson football is batshit crazy for sending these guys out there 4-5 months after a really serious injury.  I was surprised Adrian Peterson saw NFL play eight months after his knee injury, and that guy is simply a BAMF.  If Kelly had injured his knee yesterday, we would have been all over somebody's ass today...and that still stands for the rest of the season.  I am no doctor and I certainly don't roll with the team  but I can tell you that an ACL injury is a tough one and guys who I know have torn the ACL  have torn it again (often just after they are cleared to resume normal activities).  That is nothing to play with.

On other fronts, I got a ton of texts this morning saying something along the lines of "I was pulling against Georgia with you, sorry it wasn't enough."  Damn I appreciate those...and keep on pulling against them.  As I've told Dr. B a couple times, I'd vote for any conference realignment that forced Clemson and Georgia to play every year.  Having a good year is one thing, but having a good year and beating Georgia, that gives you no reason to not get out of bed smiling every morning (and, no, we are no lock for a good year yet, but I do get out of bed every morning thinking "Hell yeah we beat Georgia.").  Back to the Dawgs and Cocks, my takeaway was very straightforward:  Gurley is indeed the best runningback Georgia has had in the past 30 years.  He is not Herschel Walker but he is very, very good-better than any back they have had since Walker.  South Carolina has some backfilling to do at linebacker.  Whammy told us such early on and we knew this group would be faster than the last but would also need time to grow.  Growing up filling gaps against Gurley is a tough way to learn, but it is what it is.

I will say this, I am pissed I didn't see this gem prior to our game against the Dawgs, else it would have been my focus point:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73batHS6TzY&feature=player_embedded

And, yes, they have disabled the embedded video because they apparently realize how ridiculous this is.  It reminds me of my time over in Korea.  The Koreans take their karaoke seriously.  And they are damn good too...though I will say it was funny hearing David Allen Coe songs.

Onto pop culture...I am an engineer; therefore I am about three years behind everyone else.  When I got a text that mentions "twerking" I had no clue what anyone was talking about.  Apparently this is twerking at its worst (and many of you have already seen this video but will still laugh anyway):

On to golf:  Stenson is on fire followed by my man Steve Stricker.  Stricker is a baller...doesn't play most PGA events because he likes to fish and hang out with the family.  The rest of these guys, all over it, all the time.  Stricker rolls out of the rack, makes the same decision most of us make (do I play golf or go to the lake?) puts his sticks in his sled and somehow is in contention for what seems like every tournament.  Props to Steve...we all hate you for being so damn good that you are the guy who plays once a year and rolls out with a 76.  Actually, you are the Tour Pro who plays your choice events and wins millions of dollars and, if Feddy is smart, will put you on his President's Cup team.

Neckcar is now in "playoff mode."  They have rewarded the folks who have whipped ass to this point with resetting the whole field.  My driver rode in a car sporting the number 3 with a Goodwrench sticker on the hood (and my driver is dead) so by default I pull for 88 who is 15 points out now after a horrendous summer?  This system is ridiculous.  Go back to the Winston Cup points system.  And, no, this is not even close to discussion with golf.  In golf, you bet on every hole.  It is like polo, four week stretches win or lose a ton of money.  FedEX is nothing more than that.  Winston Cup racing is a whole year's worth of effort.

And to make your weekend good...couldn't resist getting my Panic Attack in: