Buzz Words: Thought on Clemson's Upcoming Season (Part 2)

Photo courtesy of Matthew Blouir via the Flickr Creative Commons

Salutations, sports fans! I’m back after taking a bye week of my own for band camp, and I’m now ready to tackle the rest of Clemson’s season with my personal set of “Buzz Words”: a single word that both the team and fans alike should keep in mind when it comes to these games.

There have been many changes going into the 2012 season, including a new defensive coordinator and an almost complete rebuilding at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. One other major change from last year is the way the schedule plays out. Last season, Chad Morris implemented a fast-paced style of offense that was much more physically taxing on the offensive lines, and by the time they reached the bye week at week 10, players were battered and exhausted. Playing 9 straight weeks of high-caliber football is no easy task, especially for a defense that had trouble keeping up with former DC Kevin Steele’s complex schemes. This year, that is not as large of a concern, as the regular season is split down the middle, giving the Tigers a break they couldn’t receive in time last season.

Moving on, here are my buzz words for the second half of the 2012 regular season.

Week 8- Virginia Tech: Trifecta. Last year, the Tigers went to one of the most hostile away environments in the ACC and silenced those who slighted their success because of home field advantage. Then, the Tiger defense came back from soul-crushing performances against N.C. State and South Carolina, holding one of the best rushers in the nation to 36 yards and making “the next Cam Newton,” Logan Thomas, look less than spectacular. After seeing what happened in the last two meetings, it’s hard not to draw parallels between Auburn’s 3 wins against the University of South Carolina from 2010 to 2011. Hopefully, the Tigers come out as fast and furious in the third installment of this duel between Clemson and Virginia Tech.

Week 9- @ Wake Forest: Focus. This game was pivotal for the Tigers last year. With a win this year, they would clinch the Atlantic Division Championship. Last time around, they eventually won on a last-second field goal, but there was a lack of focus, especially on the defense’s part. Going onto the Demon Deacons’ home turf on a Thursday night, the Tigers will need to be able to tune out the fans and stay focused on that division championship and a spot in the ACC Championship game.

Week 10: @ Duke: Consistency. Duke will be… well, Duke. They have a stud quarterback returning in Sean Renfree and a star wide receiver in Connor Vernon, but after that, there is a severe drop-off in talent. Their defense comes out swinging, but if you can make it to halftime, you’re set. If Clemson can stifle Renfree’s Air Raid antics and force the Blue Devils to run the ball, this could get very ugly, very fast.

Week 11- Maryland: Overpower. Maryland is returning a lot of starters from last year, but they lost both of their starting quarterbacks: CJ Brown to injury, and Danny O’Brien to Wisconsin (Is this Wisconsin QB raid on the ACC going to become an annual thing?). They have a defensive freak in Joe Vellano, but one strong lineman does not make a deadly defensive line. Another problem for Maryland is the continued lack of morale under coach Randy Edsall. This game was a shootout last year, but Maryland’s lost its arms and Clemson has found a pistol to fight back.

Week 12: North Carolina State: Retribution. I can honestly say that this loss last year left me scratching my head. It was not because N.C. State was a bad team, but because they never finished games. They were like the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants who caught the upswing at just the right time. This Clemson team remembers the game last year and the mistakes they made, and it would be hard to imagine them not going into this game with an axe to grind.

Week 13: South Carolina: Reclamation. Many of the Clemson fans I’ve talked to since December were focused not on the ACC Championship win, but more on the fact that Clemson lost to South Carolina for the third straight year in a row. They would say something along  the lines of “Winning the ACC is nice, but Dabo NEEDS to beat South Carolina.” Not being from a big college football state, I was surprised that so many fans viewed a coach who won a conference championship as being on the hot seat. But I feel that the fans will be able to calm down after this year. South Carolina’s schedule is extremely backloaded, facing 5 top-25 teams in their last 7 games. They also have a week 9 bye like Clemson had last year. I believe that Clemson will be able to capitalize on a beat-up Gamecock team and reclaim their place as the champion in this great state.

In my next article, I’ll try covering some skill positions, and try to make a case for each to be an All-American. Until then, God bless, and Go Tigers!