The Morning After... Blowout Saturday

Artavis Scott caught one of Nick Scheussler's two TD passes.
Scott saluted military personnel in the stands
on Military Appreciation Day at Clemson.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

1) Clemson's 54-0 win over Syracuse was about as complete a performance you'll see. The Tigers's offense was in sync, gaining 195 yards on the ground and 370 through the air. The defense was fast, physical, and slowed down the Orange uptempo spread offense. Clemson pitched a shutout and scored a defensive TD with a pick-6 by redshirt freshman Tanner Muse, who isn't listed on the Tigers' depth chart. There were two areas of concern - first, Deshaun Watson left with a shoulder injury late in the second quarter. It's been reported his injury was just a bruise and Watson could have returned if needed. With a 30-0 halftime lead, it was unnecessary. In relief, Nick Schuessler was brilliant. The career backup was 11-of-17 for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

The second area of concern was special teams. Clemson missed a PAT, a FG, and allowed a long kickoff return. There may have been a lack of focus in some areas with the game out of hand, but the mistakes need to be corrected. It's hard to get upset with Greg Huegel missing a 40-yard field goal after he went 3-for-3 including a clutch 46-yarder last week at Florida State. Consistency needs to improve for the young kicker.

2) With little to discuss in a 54-0 game, I figured I'd give my take on the Ben Boulware suplex tackle. No whistles had blown, the offensive player was still fighting for yards, and Boulware was doing all he could to get the guy to the ground. Was it a forceful takedown? Sure. But the referee's reported explanation of why he was penalized was because "he tackled him too hard." What does that even mean, too hard? Is he supposed to hit him with a pillow and hope he falls? Look, I'm on the side of the medical analysts who are looking out for players and injuries to their heads because CTE is real, but to say a tackle was "too hard" and THAT be the reason for the flag is pitiful.

3) It's become clear that one of two scenarios is playing out with Clemson's running game. Either Wayne Gallman doesn't have his heart 100% into this season or the Tigers aren't very good at run blocking. In a game where everything went Clemson's way, the Tigers averaged just 4.4 yards per carry. Now, 4.4 yards per carry gets you a first down every three carries, I get that. But the Tigers are averaging 4.5 yards per carry on the entire season. Gallman averaged 6.3 yards per carry (10 rushes for 63 yards), but he had one 30-yard gain. In a shortened day, he had nine carries for 33 yards (3.7 ypc). Clemson's not getting it done on the ground and Gallman has had far too many games with only 10-12 carries.

4) The win sets up a chance for Clemson to accomplish several things next weekend when Pitt visits Death Valley. First, Clemson can win 10 games for the sixth straight season, matching only Alabama for current active streaks (assuming Bama beats Mississippi State next weekend). Second, Clemson will clinch the Atlantic Division title for the second straight season. And last, a win next week would assure the Tigers a spot in the AP Top 5 for the 20th consecutive poll. Previously, Clemson's longest streak inside the AP Top 5 was eight weeks during the 1981 season.

5) More impressive stats: Clemson has begun the season 9-0 for just the fourth time in school history and the second straight season. The other seasons were 1948 under Frank Howard when Clemson finished 11-0 and 1981 under Danny Ford, the Tigers' lone National Championship season when they finished 12-0. Last season, Clemson took a 14-0 record into the National Championship game before losing to Alabama, 45-40. ... Clemson has won 46 straight against unranked teams (AP Poll), 23 straight regular season games, 21 straight at home and 15 straight ACC games. ... Clemson is now 23-1 since the start of the 2015 season. That is tied with Alabama for the best record in that time.

6) It seems long ago - it was only Thursday - when Oklahoma won at Iowa State. Thursday games do that to you, but the Sooners went up to Ames on a short week and came away with a double-digit win over a team that had played Baylor, Oklahoma State and Kansas State all within a one-possession score. The reason to keep your eyes on the Sooners is two-fold: 1) OU could run the table and finish 10-2 with nine straight wins and be a conference champion. 2) Dede Westbrook is the best receiver in football. Over his past six games, he's hauled in 12 touchdown receptions, has 1,011 receiving yards, and has a punt return for a TD.

7) On a day when most of the games ended like Clemson's 54-0 rout, there were only a few things that stood out. Texas A&M losing at Mississippi State could not have been seen by anyone. The Aggies were 10-point favorites on the road and faced a 3-5 MSU team that had lost to South Alabama. Needless to say, A&M will be falling far from the CFB Playoff Top 4. ... Staying in the SEC, the East is about as muddled and less than mediocre as ever. Florida, the top team in the East, fell 31-10 at Arkansas. Kentucky had a chance to take over the top spot, but lost to middling Georgia at home. And somehow, South Carolina is technically in the SEC East race after beginning the season 2-4. The Gamecocks have to win at Florida this weekend and hope a lot of other things happen. But in a season when this is how we've gotten here, why not?

7B) Alabama and LSU were scoreless through three quarters, but it was evident the Crimson Tide were close to breaking through several times. Bama missed a field goal, was stuffed on fourth-and-goal from the one, and had several other chances in Tiger territory. The 10-0 isn't impressive in terms of blowout numbers, but Alabama was the much better team. Not hard to believe considering LSU is now 5-3 and very well could end up 5-6 with games against Arkansas, Florida, and Texas A&M still to come. For Alabama, all eyes are now on the Iron Bowl.

8) Texas outlasted Texas Tech on the road, enhancing the chances the Longhorns reach bowl eligibility. D'Onta Foreman had a career day with 341 yards and three touchdowns. Foreman has 1,446 yards on 206 carries (7.0 ypc) and 13 touchdowns. It's sad that he plays at Texas or he would likely be the frontrunner for the Heisman. ...  In other Big 12 action, Oklahoma State rallied to beat Kansas State, 43-37. The Cowboys (7-2) remain in control of their destiny in the Big 12, needing to win out against Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma to claim the conference crown. ... The black cloud over Waco got even darker this weekend. People inside the Baylor bubble might be some of the most idiotic. I feel sorry for Jim Grobe having to deal with the mess he's in. If I were him, I'd tell those people to shove it. Oh, Baylor lost at home to rival TCU, 62-22, while wearing all black uniforms and fans dressing in black to show support for Art Briles. YUCK!

9) Conference races are heating up with just a few weeks to go. Here are the teams with a realistic shot of winning their divisions/conferences:
ACC Atlantic - Clemson, Louisville
ACC Coastal - Virginia Tech, North Carolina
Big 12 - Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, West Virginia
Big Ten East - Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State
Big Ten West - Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota
Pac-12 North - Washington, Washington State
Pac-12 South - Colorado, USC, Utah
SEC East - Everyone except Vandy and Mizzou
SEC West - Alabama, Auburn

10) Pitt lost at Miami 51-28 Saturday and has back-to-back losses after starting the year 5-3, one win from bowl eligibility. Another long trip south for the Panthers. Give them another long trip back home. Beat Pitt.