Revisiting "Buzz Words"

Greetings, college football fans!

Before the college football season started, I sat down and decided to figure out one “buzz word” for each game, a word that would be the theme for each game. For the bye week, I wanted to take a look at these words and see how relevant they were to the season so far. Some were close, some were debatable, but I’ll make an argument for each one and its correctness.

Week 1- Auburn (Neutral Site): Precedent.

I believe this one was fairly accurate. Clemson went into the game with a lot to prove, and they proved it. They proved that their defense could hold up against a run-heavy, hard-hitting SEC offense. They proved that their young offensive line could come in immediately and compete. Most importantly to some fans, they proved they could win without Sammy Watkins. I give myself an A for accuracy on this one.

Week 2- Ball State: Implementation.

I’m sure that Ball State would agree that Clemson implemented their offense rather effectively in the 52-27 pummeling. The offense ran at a tempo close to what Chad Morris wanted, and an ACC record for longest field goal was set along the way. This was another pretty good one, even though the backups were implementing the offense and defense in the second half.

Week 3- Furman: Return.

It takes more than playing an opponent that resides 40 minutes away to sell out Death Valley. Luckily, the chance to see Sammy Watkins back on the field did the trick. I remember when they introduced the starters on the video board and the people already in the stadium went wild when Sammy’s familiar face popped up. After a 58 yard touchdown run, I would say Sammy’s presence was immediately felt, although it is taking longer for him to get back into a rhythm.

Week 4- @ Florida State: Experience.

Unfortunately, my selection of this buzz word seemed to backfire. Experience was a major factor, as many players had not experienced a game  as hostile or as high-profile as the game in Tallahassee. This game came down to a lack of experienced players on special teams and a major momentum shift in the third quarter. When these players come back to Doak Campbell in two years, they’ll be ready to bring the heat for a full 4 quarters.

Week 5- @ Boston College: Maturity.

I think out of the buzz words I did for the first half of the season, this one proved most true. Tajh Boyd showed major maturity by following up the heartbreaking loss to Florida State with a players-only meeting to get the team back on track. The maturity of this team to not allow one loss to ruin the entire season was evident during the game against Boston College, with DeAndre Hopkins coming up huge for the Tigers in a much-needed win.

Week 6- Georgia Tech: Fundamental.

Georgia Tech is a team that has been a thorn in coach Dabo Swinney’s side as long as he has been head coach at Clemson. After spoiling an 8-0 start and a BCS Top 5 ranking last year in Atlanta, the Tigers were out for blood, and that was evident during the game. The defense was hungry and showed some potential in the second half, forcing a safety and blocking a field goal. The Tigers went into a bye week definitely deserving of time to rest and recover.

Overall, I’d say my words were accurate in the sense that they had at least some connection to the games. The Tigers have momentum on their side, and with 4 of their last 6 games at home, this season definitely still has some promise. Up next is a home game against a reeling Virginia Tech.

Until next time, God Bless and Go Tigers!