#13 Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1 ACC) @ #12 Clemson (6-1, 3-1 ACC), Satruday, October 21st, 7:45 PM, ESPN, XM Satellite Radio ch 191-193. ESPN Gameday Preview show, 10AM, Bowman Field. Eggs, Kegs, and Bloody Mary's, 7AM, The Bad Apple.
Stats
The Line: Clemson -7.5
Edge goes to:
Offense: Clemson
Defense: Push
Special Teams: GT
Intangibles: Clemson. They absolutely must win this game and put the past behind them. This is by far the hardest game on the schedule besides BC this year. Also, it is Clemson's homecoming and ESPN Gameday is making an appearance is well. The game is almost surreal and the Clemson player's must keep there focus more than ever.
Our panel of DFIG "experts" say:
Chili:
First of all, I'm not even going to include a clever picture this week. THATS HOW SERIOUS I AM ABOUT THIS GAME. The past two matchups against the engineers have really pissed me off. We handed the game to them in 04 while failing to slow down Johnson at all and absolutely no one stepped up in the awful 05 game. I know that the players are as frustrated with the past years' results as Clemson fans are, and I think that we will continue to set right the wrongs of past years in this 06 football season (BC not withstanding). GT comes into this game with a solid defense under Tenuta Christ's tutelage, allowing only 2.7 rushing yards per carry. If some GT fans are to be believed, our runningbacks might as well be watching from the stands. For some reason playing no real running teams has imbued them with an impenetrable sense of confidence. Not to take the D lightly, but I think Spence with counter their blitzing schemes with zone blocking and bubble screens. Even if they put 8 in the box I'd like to think we'd try and work an outside run with speedsters Ford and Spiller. However, if their defense does shut down our running game, we don't have many receivers healthy to beat them with.
Neither team sports great special teams, but GT gets the nod because of just how many times Clemson's f-ed up on xp's.
Offensively, Clemson is far more balanced than GT and sports more than just one weapon (don't try and tell me Reggie Ball is dangerous). If Clemson doubles up on Calvin Johnson and applies constant pressure to Reggie, the game is ours, because Tashard Choice sure as hell isn't going to beat us. While GT isn't as offensively diverse as Clemson, they are winning with what they've got and Johnson remains a formidable weapon.
As someone on Tigernet said, this is a turning point game. All eyes will be on Clemson to see whether we're the same old team or if we rise above past expectations. I think the Tigers won't disappoint.
Clemson 27, GT 20
Willy Mac:
My opinion? I think that we need to come out and throat punch GT in the first quarter. This game is going to be a dog fight. We have a powerful offensive line with powerful running backs. They have a powerful run defense. We have good receivers (let's hope Stuckey gets in this weekend) and good back field players that can catch and have decent speed. We don't need to get hung up on the run. Their weakness is definitely their defensive back field. The main thing our team should be worried about at this point is beating themselves and giving the game away again. I could go on and on about about how close the games in the last ten years have been (except for 2003, 39-3 bitches), or about Calvin Johnson/Reggie Ball, etc. I think there is one thing we have to do to win the game handedly. That one thing is to make Reggie Ball implode. If Reggie Ball folds like he usually does, Tech will collapse as well.
Two predictions
Reggie Ball Implodes: Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 10
Reggie Ball Explodes: Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 35
Let's hope he stinks it up like he usually does...
Reggie Ball's playbook for the past few years.
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