Clemson Opponents Review: Week 7

(10) Georgia Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC)

Waved dismissively at Missouri, 34-0. I think Hutson Mason is an afterthought on this team, like choosing what color Spirit of Ecstasy you want on your $700,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom. No, no, that QB will do, just set him over there alongside the pile of diamonds. Georgia rushed for 210 yards without Todd Gurley against a Missouri team that at times looked inept and at other times looked like SMU. Now they stand more or less in control of the SEC East, along with... Kentucky?

South Carolina State Bulldogs (4-3, 2-1 MEAC)

Got their barn burned down by North Carolina Central, 48-35. I swear, the MEAC has as many North Carolina teams as the ACC - this one racked up 517 yards of offense on our Mini-Bulldogs, who lost using the Wake Forest formula: 290 rushing yards given up, 77 gained. And yet SC State came a lot of the way back despite only gaining 262 yards of their own, thanks to 93 yards of NC Central penalties.

(2) Florida State Seminoles (6-0, 4-0 ACC) at Syracuse Orange (2-4, 0-2 ACC)

The Orange were juiced, 38-20. Well, that isn't quite true. Syracuse made this a game for a lot longer than would seem possible, and they also managed 412 yards of offense against a Seminole defense that just isn't what it used to be. FSU still has that Winston guy, though, and he threw for 317 and three touchdowns. Everyone had a decent offensive day, really. Actually... that's not quite true either; Syracuse threw three picks and FSU lost two fumbles. A case of playing down to their competition? Maybe. Or maybe Syracuse just played hard enough to make them look a little wobbly while falling short in the quarterback department.

North Carolina Tar Heels (2-4, 0-3 ACC)

Got their domes polished by Notre Dame, 50-43, in a game I simply don't understand. Everything was even here offensively - how did they even manage to do this on the road? - though their upset bid died with a failed onside kick recovery. Everett Golson was responsible for all three of Notre Dame's turnovers, but also had three touchdowns. So what gives? Oh, you say UNC had crucial, Notre Dame-drive-sustaining penalties? That seems about right.

Boston College Eagles (4-2, 1-1 ACC) at N.C. State Wolfpack (4-3, 0-3 ACC)

One of these teams soared over the competition, 30-14. Get it? More Wake Forest formula, this time demonstrated beautifully by NC State: BC rushed for 310 yards and gave up 43 rushing yards. In fact, the Eagles acted a lot like Georgia. What's a QB? We don't need one, not when we're running this incredibly silly, no sir. In other news, this is what you get for stacking your out-of-conference schedule with cupcakes so sweet, they'd kill diabetics in a 50 mile radius. NC State, I officially declare your team utter clownfrauds.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-4, 0-2 ACC)

Ironically, the only team not to Wake Forest itself this week was the genuine article, who was on a bye.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-1, 2-1 ACC)

Bedeviled 31-25 by Duke, despite 483 yards of bee magic. Two picks and a fumble hurt; so did 69 yards of penalties. Was it the extra week of preparation? Was it the weather delay, which gave Duke over an hour in halftime to adjust even more to the Paul Johnson Magical Mystery Option? Perhaps. Or perhaps GT finally started slow one too many times and screwed up against a team of roughly similar talent - a team that was mad about losing so much. Whatever it was, order is restored in the Coastal, and by order I mean chaos.

Georgia State Panthers (1-5, 0-3 Sun Belt)

Gently smoked for three hours over hickory chips by Arkansas State, 52-10. Herein we see that the Wake Forest formula achieves its final form in the Panthers, who gave up 384 rushing yards while only managing 71. Throw in four sacks of Nick Arbuckle and this game was just never a game at all; Georgia State was losing 24-0 after the first quarter. Due to the blowout, no really mind-blowing stats this week. Unless you count the 384 rushing yards, because wow.

South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 2-3 SEC)

Football was canceled this week in Columbia while authorities try to figure out how they lost to a team that lost to Florida. What? You say this bye was always scheduled? I don't believe you.