Showing posts with label Big Ten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Ten. Show all posts

Sunday, October 8, 2017

The Morning After - Sluggish Saturday

A few ranked teams fell while others didn't look their sharpest. Yes, the calendar flipped to October and the race to the CFB Playoff is finally heating up. Conference matchups give us a much better indicator of who the real contenders and pretenders are. Let's take a deep dive into this weekend's action!

1st Quarter
Deon Cain torched WF early for a 28-yard score.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
After getting off to a very impressive start with two touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game, Clemson's offense sputtered to the finish line. It's happened in the past where it seems the first series or two of "scripted plays," as they say, work to perfection. Then, it's as if offensive play-caller Tony Elliott scrambles to find plays that work. Usually, things begin to click and everything works out, as was the case Saturday against Wake Forest. It's still bothersome and something I hope doesn't come back to bite us later.

As for the rest of the game, the best defense in the nation did its thing again, shutting out Wake through three quarters before giving way to the backups who allowed the Demon Deacons to score. Kelly Bryant getting hurt didn't help matters offensively. Backup Zerrick Cooper looked slightly lost and ill-prepared to enter the game. Hunter Johnson showed he was ready on his first drive, going 4-for-4 with a couple passes to fellow freshman Tee Higgins and a TD toss to tight end Cannon Smith.

The win gives Clemson a 6-0 record for the third straight season. It was the 20th straight over an ACC Atlantic division foe. It was the 11th straight overall, now the nation's longest active winning streak. And it assures the Tigers a spot in the AP Top 5 for a school-record 31st consecutive poll.

Tiger fans, these are the glory days. Enjoy them while they last. And beat Syracuse.

2nd Quarter
Speaking of not being able to finish, for the second straight game, the Oklahoma Sooners raced out to a double-digit lead only to see it slip away. Against Baylor, OU saw the Bears score 24 straight to take a 34-31 lead before rallying and pulling out a 49-41 win. It was a different story at home against the Iowa State Cyclones. OU's 24-10 lead turned into a 31-24 ISU lead. OU managed to tie it, but the Cyclones scored the game-winner and prevented the Sooners from rallying again.

It was a shocking upset of the No. 3 team in the land, but The Athletic's Matt Fortuna revealed this was the seventh straight season Oklahoma has lost as a game as a double-digit favorite. In most years, the Sooners have recovered and gone on to play in New Year's Six Bowls, or at least prevent the season from flopping completely. This, however, is a new squad with a new coach.

I told several folks prior to the season that I'd be interested to see how OU responds to adversity under new leadership. Can Lincoln Riley right the ship quickly, as Bob Stoops did so many times? Sooner Nation better hope he does because it is officially Texas Week.

On a grander scale, the Big 12's Playoff hopes now fall to TCU, the remaining unbeaten in the conference. The Horned Frogs have already knocked off Oklahoma State and West Virginia, meaning OU is their last major hurdle. As proven Saturday, though, no one in the Big 12 can be overlooked.

3rd Quarter
Of course Miami-Florida State came down to the wire. This time it wasn't decided by the kicking units. Florida State drove the field and scored with 1:24 to go to take a 20-17 lead. It was the first time James Blackman has looked like a capable quarterback. The Noles apparently left too much time, as Miami went 75 yards in 1:18 and scored on a wild pitch and catch to the front corner of the end zone.

With :11 to go and the ball inside the 20, the Canes decided they had time for one shot at a touchdown. Malik Rosier placed a perfect ball over the shoulder of Darrell Langham, who barely got across the goalline before his knee touched. The play was reviewed for quite some time. Several angles showed maybe it was a TD and maybe not. In the end, the play stood as called and the Canes ended a seven-game losing streak to FSU.

The win further pushes Miami into discussion of being a team to beat in the ACC Coastal Division. Florida State, on the other hand, is now 1-3 with games against Louisville, Clemson and Florida still remaining. Because of their cancelled game due to Hurricane Irma, three more losses would put FSU's final record at 5-6. Unless the NCAA grants some kind of waiver - or they benefit from not having enough teams bowl eligible and their APR scores are high enough - the Noles would be ineligible for a bowl. Quite the fall for a team that began the season No. 3 in the AP Poll.

4th Quarter
Luke Falk is the best player only about a third of the country knows. The Washington State quarterback is lighting up the Pac-12 and running Mike Leach's offense to perfection. Falk had another impressive night in Autzen Stadium against Oregon. He threw of 282 yards and three scores to lead Wazzu to a 6-0 record for the first time since 2001.

But the big story might be the Cougs' defense. WSU has looked impressive on that side of the ball. Last week, it was USC and Heisman hopeful Sam Darnold who were shut down (327 total yards, 164 pass yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT). This week, the Ducks were held to 278 total yards and 10 points at home. Oregon was averaging over 49 points per game and nearly 540 yards per game going in.

The opponents keep lining up, the analysts keep doubting, and Wazzu keeps knocking 'em off. Slowly but surely we're finding out that we need to take Washington State seriously. With a couple Top 10 losses this week, the Cougs will move into the Top 10, giving the Pac-12 - and the state of Washington - two highly-ranked teams.

It's also conceivable that Wazzu will be 9-0 (upcoming games against Cal, Arizona, and Colorado, each hovering .500) when the Cougs host Stanford on Nov. 4. If they get past the Cardinal, two road games at Utah and the Apple Cup at Washington loom large. That Apple Cup is going to be juicy.

Overtime
As for Washington, the Huskies quite simply are the class of the Pac-12. Washington has yet to be really tested and may not be for several more weeks. Up next is a road game at Arizona State, then home dates with UCLA and Oregon before a Friday night trip to Stanford. ... The Big Ten took a couple blows this weekend. First was the OU loss to Iowa State. Wait, OU is in the Big 12. Yes, but remember the Sooner team you saw that couldn't handle Iowa State is the same one that manhandled Ohio State at the Horseshoe. Later in the night, Michigan fell victim to "little brother" Michigan State at home. The Wolverines were at least expected to compete in the East Division, but games at Penn State and at home against Ohio State are still to come. The offensive struggles finally caught up to UM and are glaring going forward. ... NC State picked up a huge win Thursday night against Louisville, essentially knocking Lamar Jackson out of the Heisman race before it ever heated up. The win also asserted the Wolfpack as the hands-down contender to knock off Clemson in the Atlantic Division. NCSU hosts the Tigers on Nov. 4 in what could turn into the de facto division title game. ... As aforementioned, TCU is now the only undefeated team remaining in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs have a slightly easy road to travel until Nov. 11 when they visit Norman. TCU will likely be the favorite in all except the OU game, and even then they might be the favorite in that one.

Tiger Tweets





















































-BtW
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Sunday, September 3, 2017

The Morning After - Winning the Opener

Welcome back to The Morning After, a Sunday staple of BENched. TMA began as a way for me to provide my thoughts on the previous day's Clemson game. It morphed into writing about the national landscape.

A new season is upon us and I'm going with a new format. There will be four quarters and an overtime, followed by "Tiger Tweets."  The first quarter will be all Clemson. The second through fourth quarters will be a look at the most important games from the weekend. Overtime will be some quick hits of the other action. Tiger Tweets will be a condensed game thread of some of my personal favorite tweets about the game.

There are still a few games to go over the holiday weekend. None should really impact the Playoff race, but a couple could turn the burner a little higher on some already hot seats.

1st Quarter
If you read my season-opening post, you know I'm high on my Tigers. It all stems from knowing Dabo Swinney loves the underdog role. With all the offensive firepower gone, pundits across the nation are hesitant to pick Clemson for a third straight Playoff run. That's understandable, but Swinney plays that chip on his shoulder better than most.

Kelly Bryant showed off his arm and his wheels
to lead Clemson in a blowout win over Kent State.
(Photo courtesy AP)
I realize Kent State is not a barometer for this team, but as Swinney mentioned during postgame this team played a relatively clean game. It was good to see Kelly Bryant lead the offense to three straight scoring drives. One of Clemson's strengths is its offensive line (returning four of five starters). Bryant had time to throw and the lanes were wide open to run through. The Tigers were very balanced and played 91 players in the game. Getting the youth playing time will pay dividends down the road. Clemson scored 56 points, gained 665 yards (312 passing, 353 rushing), all four running backs scored a rushing touchdown along with Bryant, and the passing game was on point.

Kent State managed 120 total yards and threw just five passes, completing one for one yard. I don't know why the Golden Flashes stuck to the running game against one of the best defensive front sevens in the country, but it's hard to get a read on the Tiger D when a team is voluntarily one-dimensional.

There is lots of promise for this team. The talent is there, but these next four games to close September are a different animal than what these youngsters have seen at the collegiate level. Clemson has Auburn visiting Saturday, then travels to Louisville, home vs. Boston College, and at Virginia Tech. Buckle-up, Tiger fans.

As always, one game at a time. Beat Auburn.

2nd Quarter
The GOAT (Greatest Opener of All-Time) was quite the DUD. Early on, it looked like we'd have a competitive game. But as it wore on, it was clear the Alabama was a step above Florida State. The Tide stuffed the Noles running game, holding FSU to 40 yards on the ground. Ultimately, offense and special teams blunders doomed the Seminoles. Good teams, like Alabama, take advantage of those mistakes.

Where FSU was impressive was on defense. Despite being put in terrible situations much of the second half, the Noles stiffened up and kept the deficit from growing. Alabama outgained FSU by just 19 yards. Jalen Hurts only threw 18 passes, completing 10 for 96 yards and a TD - seven of those completions and the TD were to playmaker Calvin Ridley. But Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, and Hurts combined for 39 rushes for 168 yards (4.3 yards per carry).

FSU would have had a long way to go to reach an ACC Championship this year before Deandre Francois got hurt. If his knee injury is serious, the Noles may be in rebuild mode with a young backfield. I feel bad for Francois. He's done nothing but get pounded into the ground since he put on that uniform. I hope his career isn't ruined because FSU can't block for him.

I'm also not completely sold that Alabama looks like the best team in the country just yet. In year's past, they destroyed their opening week competition. On Saturday, they struggled and were practically gifted some points off turnovers.

Still, I think both teams will be in the conversation in November.

3rd Quarter
Another team that impressed many but I'm holding back on is Michigan. The Wolverines had a hard time getting things going against a stout Florida defense. Starting QB Wilton Speight threw two pick-sixes that would have sunk Michigan against any other opponent with an offensive pulse. Lucky for the Maize and Blue, this was Florida. Quarterbacks not named Tim Tebow or Danny Wuerffel, umm, aren't good. Somehow, the Gators put up 181 passing yards, but only ran for 11.

Yes, Florida was without a lot of suspended players, including its starting running back and star wideout. However, at a place like Florida it's inexcusable not to have backups ready to fill in and take over.

On the other sideline, the stats show Michigan dominated this game. The scoreboard told me it was a nine-point game late in the fourth quarter. How do you only give up three offensive points and find yourself needing a defensive score to seal the deal? Michigan is a young squad and this win will go a long way for confidence-building. I still think Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin are above them in the Big Ten right now.

4th Quarter
I dislike preseason predictions and prognostications (despite myself picking the Playoff teams last week). I think it places expectations on teams that haven't stepped on the field yet. Then, we judge a season-opening game based on those expectations and that's simply not fair. Take USC and Sam Darnold for example. Many anointed Darnold as the Heisman favorite based on last year. They have USC pegged as the Pac-12 representative for the Playoff. Maybe that got to the Trojans heads a bit, as they were deadlocked at 28 midway through the fourth quarter with Western Michigan.

Ohio State is another example. The preseason No. 2 team and favorite to win the national championship by many, trailed 14-13 at halftime at Indiana. The Buckeyes won going away, 49-21. Despite holding the Hoosiers to 17 rushing yards, OSU allowed 420 through the air. It took the offense three quarters to hit its stride, but that happens.

Let's hold off on the hot takes for another couple weeks until we see some of these teams against better competition. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Overtime
Most of the top teams played cupcake games. However, there were some other interesting results. I'll start with South Carolina knocking off NC State. The Wolfpack doubled the Gamecocks' yardage output 504-246, but shot themselves in the foot too many times. Deebo Samuel made some huge plays for USC and Jake Bentley showed off his skillset. But once again, hold your horses. South Carolina got the win, but there are plenty of question marks. NC State took the loss, but much like a season ago, one play here or there can turn this team into a conference contender.

The conference debate was a major talking point in the offseason. The ACC finished 2016 on top, but that quickly went south. Aforementioned FSU and NC State lost to SEC schools, North Carolina lost at home to Cal, Pittsburgh needed overtime to pull out a win against Youngstown State, and Louisville squeaked by Purdue. The Big Ten had the best weekend, getting out of conference wins away from home over Florida and Texas by Michigan and Maryland, respectively. Purdue's loss to the Cards looked respectable and even Rutgers managed to hang with No. 8 Washington for a half.

Like I said, it's a marathon still. Lots can happened between now and conference championship weekend.

Tiger Tweets












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Friday, July 14, 2017

I have an SEC problem

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well folks, I'm here to tell you, I have a problem. An SEC problem.

A little background for those who don't know me. I grew up in Columbia, SC. I was raised in a house divided - Mom was a Gamecock, Dad was a Tiger. I think somewhere around sixth or seventh grade, I finally picked sides. I cut myself one day to check and sure enough, my blood runneth orange! (I really didn't cut myself).

Growing up in South Carolina, particularly Columbia, you hear all the crowing about the SEC, but never see what all the fuss is about. Gamecock fans yell "SEC! SEC! SEC!" more than any other fan base. And as it has been noted, they have an "Alabama mouth and a Vanderbilt trophy case" - and that might be demeaning to Vandy.

This talkative bunch won their first bowl game in 1995 and hadn't experienced success until Steve Spurrier came along. Before he arrived, South Carolina's overall record was sub-.500. Since he left, they've slid back into mediocrity-at-best. Clemson owns the overall series record over South Carolina 68-42-4. In my lifetime, the Tigers are 19-11-1 against the Gamecocks, including last year's 56-7 thumping. Against other SEC foes since 2011, Clemson is 6-2 with wins over LSU, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama.

I tell you all that because that's where my personal disdain for the conference began. Thanks a lot, Gamecock fans.

On a whole, since the ACC didn't decide to become a "football conference" until very recently, ACC football was always looked down upon with the exception of Florida State. Many schools were on the verge of breaking through yet never did. The addition of Miami and Virginia Tech was supposed to upgrade the conference, but the Canes took five steps backward and Virginia Tech was barely relevant nationally early on in their ACC marriage.

Thus, SEC football was the king of the south. And everyone else had to deal with it.

I despise the SEC. I loathe it. The constant "we're better than thou" attitude despite the fact that most of them aren't. The "we won seven straight national titles" when it was four teams who won, not 14. Sorry, Georgia and Tennessee and South Carolina and Kentucky and Vanderbilt and Mississippi State and Ole Miss and Arkansas and Missouri and Texas A&M, but you didn't win a championship. As for LSU (2003 and 2007) and Florida (2006 and 2008), we're going on 10 years since you last won a title.

Most of all, I hate the arrogance that fans of SEC schools have, who don't give credit to other teams and conferences. Sure, a few SEC teams have been on top and are tough to beat, but that doesn't mean the success of others should be downplayed. Nor does it mean that everyone in your conference are world beaters. That's just Alabama.

Yes, the SEC experienced unprecedented success with the seven straight championships and the 2011 rematch in the title game between LSU and Bama. But the fans haven't come down as far as the play on the field has in the past few years.

There have been three CFB Playoff years. The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 have sent two different teams each to the first three semifinal matchups. Alabama is the only SEC representative to make the Playoff (all three years). In all likelihood, the Tide will once again represent the SEC in 2017. Not so favorable for the crowd screaming "The SEC has the most depth." Seems to me that a deep conference would be represented by more than just one school in college football's ultimate prized tournament.

But wait, there's more...

SEC media bias
Yes, ESPN has agreements with pretty much every conference, including the little guys like the MAC. But which one has the ESPN invested more money in? Which one did ESPN start a TV network for?

There is a media bias for the SEC, like it or not. Pick any college football Saturday this coming season and see which games are on in primetime. More often than not, you'll find SEC games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU in prime slots (read: after 3:30 PM ET).

Oh, and guess who spent the entire week at SEC Media Days with a full crew for not one, but two different shows (SEC Now and College Football Live). The four-letter network again.

Now, I'm not saying every analyst is told to pick SEC teams for this or promote an SEC player for that. I'm saying when your company has invested more money and more time in one conference, it's going to get way more play, eye balls across the country are going to see way more SEC coverage, and people are going to fall into the trap that is watching SEC more than other games.

Switch over to Fox or FS1 a few times this season and see how varying their coverage is. You won't get SEC crammed down your throat, I promise.

"We get beat up by the brutal SEC schedule"
Ah, the old "we're not good by the end of the season because we got roughed up early on" argument. Yeah, okay. This is what you will hear when an SEC team loses in a bowl game or a late regular season rivalry matchup. It's totally contradictory to the argument when an SEC team wins those games and they boast that the SEC has depth and is strong top to bottom. Also, what's the argument for when you lose one of the first few games of the season?

Let me get this straight, if you win it's because your conference prepared you for it, but if you lose it's because it's too tough and beat you up? I guess you can spin anything to make it fit your stance.

For one, I'd love for Clemson to play an SEC schedule. Heck, I'd love to see any team play an SEC schedule. I'd also love to see LSU or Alabama or Florida or Georgia play an ACC or Big Ten schedule. Or heck, go play the wide-open spread offenses in the Big 12 week in and week out.

Recall that Texas A&M and Missouri - two former Big 12 schools - entered the SEC, with Missouri winning the SEC East twice and A&M beating big, bad Alabama on their home field. Next.

"They're built like an SEC team"
This phrase is regularly used to justify another team being great. So they're built like Missouri? Kentucky? Mississippi State? Or do you really mean they're built like Alabama? To pump up your entire conference as if all 14 teams are in the Top 5 is ridiculous.

What does this even mean anyway? That only SEC teams produce fast, physical, athletic players? I'll give you that more players are drafted in the NFL than any other conference, but that doesn't mean Michigan and Oklahoma are producing minor leaguers. The best NFL running back in the last 15 years - Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma (Big 12). The best NFL quarterback - Tom Brady, Michigan (Big Ten). The best receiver - Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech (ACC).

These things are cyclical. Twenty years ago, people wanted to be "built like" Nebraska and Florida State. When Tennessee won in 1998, nobody said they were built like a Big 12 or ACC team. Fifteen years ago, it was Miami. When LSU won in 2003, no one proclaimed the Tigers to be "built like a Big East team." Twelve years ago, USC was the darling. No one was going around when Florida won in 2006 saying, "They're built like a Pac-12 team."

So stop. Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, and several others aren't built like an SEC team. They're built like a Top 5 CFB Playoff contender.




"It Just Means More"
I'll end on this one because it's my favorite. By now you've seen or heard this moniker from coast to coast. I'm not here to argue that it doesn't mean more than it does in Austin or Norman or Eugene or Ann Arbor.

I'm here to tell you to own it. If you're going to go around beating your chest that "It Just Means More" to you in the SEC, then don't get your panties in a wad when a non-SEC team beats your beloved school and does a little MORE bragging than usual.

Whatever it is might mean more to you, but it also means more to us to beat you.

 This past season, you weren't first. You were second. You can't spell second with S-E-C. And that's a fACCt!

-BtW
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Friday, December 2, 2016

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 14 (Championship Week)

Another month of football gone. Hard to believe we've reached the end of the college football season. Championship Week presents a whole new season in itself. Plenty is on the line for all the championship games - Playoff positioning, New Year's Six Bowls, bragging rights (in Bedlam). It's time to man up or shut up. As for BENched, we've had a good, not great, season of picks. Rivalry Week pulled a fast one with several upets. But we're in the championship phase. Just like these games, this is when it counts most.

2016 BENched PTF Record
Last Week: 10-10
Game of the Week Pick: 5-4
Overall: 117-54 (.684 win %)
*Rankings below reflect the CFB Playoff Top 25

Friday

MAC Championship (Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.)
Ohio vs. No. 17 Western Michigan (Line: Western Michigan -17)
On the verge of a 13-0 season, Western Michigan is staring a New Year's Six Bowl in the face. It's right there for the taking and all that stands in its way is Ohio, which has lost four games, but all have been decided by single digits. The Broncos, on the other hand, have had one game decided by single digits. In fact, it was a single-digit win (22-21) at Northwestern to start the season. No slowing down the boats. They can row right on down to the Cotton Bowl after this one. Boat Rowers 41-24

GAME OF THE WEEK
Pac-12 Championship (Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.)
Sefo Liufau has Colorado in position for one of the best
turnarounds in college football history.
(Photo courtesy Associated Press)

No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 4 Washington (Line: Washington -7.5)
Implications in this one are larger than the Pacific Ocean. Washington knows it must win the Pac-12 to be considered for the CFB Playoff. The Huskies have had a fantastic year, but despite the 11-1 record, they are just 1-1 against the current Top 25. Colorado can creep into the conversation by knocking off No. 4. The Buffaloes are the turnaround team of the year, led by Sefo Liufau. Colorado's defense may be the best the Huskies have faced, but UW's defense is far and away the best the Buffs have seen. Huskies 27-21

Saturday

AAC Championship (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.)
Temple at No. 19 Navy (Line: Navy -3)
Navy has a chance - albeit slim - to earn a New Year's Six berth. Ironically, Navy needs the boats to stop rowing and sink.  The Midshipmen need a Western Michigan loss and to beat Temple for that conversation to begin. If the Broncos win tonight, which BENched predicts, all Navy can play for is a conference championship. That'd be tremendous for our nation's Naval Academy. Middies 34-20

 Big 12 Championship - Bedlam (Oklahoma leads 85-18-7)
No. 10 Oklahoma State at No. 9 Oklahoma (Line: Oklahoma -11)
One of the few regular season games remaining on the schedule, Bedlam figures to live up to its name. The Sooners and Cowboys will go toe-to-toe with the Big 12 title on the line for the fourth time in the last six years. Oklahoma has a dynamic offense that is unstoppable with Baker Mayfield leading the charge. Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon are a great one-two punch in the backfield, but Dede Westbrook is a sensational wide receiver. Opposite OU is Oklahoma State's high-octane offense that has recently found a running game. Both defenses are, for lack of a better word, awful. This one will have points galore. Ponies and Wagons 55-45

SEC Championship (Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga.)
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 15 Florida (Line: Alabama -24)
Unlike the matchup above, defense won't be optional in the Georgia Dome. Alabama boasts the nation's best and Florida isn't far behind. Alabama didn't allow a touchdown in four games in November. Florida has no offense, so this one shouldn't be close. Tide 33-3

ACC Championship (Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.)
No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 23 Virginia Tech (Line: Clemson -10)
Clemson has been on a tear since its loss to Pitt three weeks ago. Actually, the Tigers' offense has been on a tear since their Oct. 29 game at Florida State. In the fives game since, Clemson has scored 37, 54, 42, 35 and 56 points. Virginia Tech always has a tough defense with Bud Foster sailing that ship. And the Hokies' offense has seen an uptick with new head man Justin Fuente and quarterback Jerod Evans. But Clemson looks to be on a mission and VT won't be able to keep up the whole game. Tigers 41-17

Big Ten Championship (Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.)
No. 6 Wisconsin vs. No. 7 Penn State (Line: Wisconsin -3)
The storylines out of the Big Ten are numerous. Ohio State allegedly is a lock for the Playoff. Penn State, which beat Ohio State, could win the Big Ten and be left out of the Playoff. Wisconsin is most likely left out even if it wins. These scenarios are all barring what may or may not happen in other conferences, like the ACC and Pac-12. There's little arguing that the Big Ten is the best conference this season, but whether its champion slides into the Top 4 is a mystery. As for the game, Penn State is a second half team, so ignore whatever may happen in the first half. Wisconsin has a stout defense and will pose problems for the Nittany Lions. Expect this one to be close and low-scoring. Nittany Lions 16-9

-BtW
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Sunday, November 27, 2016

The Morning After... Another State Championship!

1) What Clemson and South Carolina fans witnessed Saturday night was complete and utter domination. One team was focused, talented and eager to put a whippin' on its rival. The other just wanted to get out of dodge as soon as possible. The Gamecocks could not match up with the Tigers man-for-man.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
2) Deshaun Watson likely finishes his career in Death Valley the way he started it. In Watson's first career home start, he threw six TD passes against North Carolina. Saturday night, he tossed six against South Carolina. The young man has had a career worthy of every award and record he's earned. I've been critical of him and I don't apologize for that. There are still flaws in his game, but at this time, it's just nitpicking at things I wish were perfect. Well, Deshaun Watson ain't perfect. Nobody is or ever will be. But Watson is as close to perfect as Clemson's ever had at the QB position.

3) A year ago, Mike Williams stood on the sidelines with a neck brace. Williams might want to get his back checked out this time as Gamecock defenders dangled off him all night. He made NFL-type catches and showed by Mel Kiper has him as the No. 1 WR in the upcoming NFL Draft. His first TD was a thing of beauty. His second was unreal. Williams carried the Carolina defender eight yards into the end zone. You have to see it to understand how awesome of a highlight that was. Williams was a man among boys.
4) Incredible defensive performance by the Tigers to boot. USC freshman QB Jake Bentley looked like he belonged in high school. He finished 7-of-17 for 41 yards and an interception. Bentley only played one half, supposedly injuring his knee. Will Muschamp said there was nothing wrong with him other than he wasn't comfortable pushing off throwing, but Muschamp didn't want to put him back in the game. The Gamecocks had 218 yards, were 4-for-14 on third downs, and had just 14 first downs (Clemson had 41). Again, there was very little South Carolina could do to find any mismatches on the field. The Tigers were just better all around.

 5) I'm going to do a little bragging here, and also set the record straight. I've heard nothing but a bunch of whiny sour grapes coming out of the mouths of Gamecocks - coaches, players and fans. You got beat. Deal with it. Stop trying to act like you didn't do any trash talking all week. Stop trying to act like you didn't rub it in during your five-game winning streak. Stop trying to act like your players are perfect little angels and Clemson's are the scum of the earth.

Clemson's players didn't say much this week and let their play on the field do the talking. They very well could have said a lot, considering they'd won two in a row in the series. After the game, a third straight win, they didn't hold back. And good for them. They're right. South Carolina has been, is, and always will be the little brother in this state. Clemson does run the state. The 56-7 thrashing makes that pretty clear. As does the 68-42-4 series record. Get over it.

6) Michigan and Ohio State might have been a good game that went to double-overtime, but color me unimpressed. It was 17-17 at the end of regulation. Neither offense looked competent. Ohio State's kicker missed two chipshot field goals. Michigan fumbled at the one-yardline and threw two costly INTs - one returned for a TD and one that set up a short TD drive. Ohio State was 3-of-16 on third downs. Michigan had 91 rushing yards (2.1 yards per rush). I realize it was a huge game with big ramifications, but neither team was impressive. The rest of the nation will tell you it was a classic - and it was - and that both teams are deserving of high rankings and praise. That's great. Just not from this guy.

7) Rivalry weekend produced a lot of thrills and upsets that no one saw coming. NC State knocked off North Carolina, Missouri over Arkansas, Air Force over Boise State, Texas Tech over Baylor, and Arizona over Arizona State ... All of those took place before Saturday. Then, there was Georgia Tech over Georgia, Kentucky over Louisville, Mississippi State over Ole Miss, Oregon State over Oregon and Vandy over Tennessee. Gotta love it.

8) The Heisman race is back open. Here are the serious contenders: Lamar Jackson, Louisville; Deshaun Watson, Clemson; Dalvin Cook, Florida State; Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma; Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma. That's it. Jackson has stumbled his past two games to allow the other contenders to close the gap. I still think he will be the winner, but it won't be as large of a margin as previously thought.

9) The ACC finished 3-1 over the SEC for the second straight season in in-state rivalries. Over the past three seasons, the ACC teams (Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Louisville) are a combined 10-2 against South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky. ... Every Power 5 conference has a championship game next weekend - four actual championship games (ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC) and one by luck (Big 12). ... The Playoff Committee ranking comes out Tuesday and I will warn everyone now: Michigan will be ranked No. 4 this week. The Committee isn't likely to drop Michigan behind Washington at this point because the overall body of work favors the Wolverines. And a double-overtime road loss to the No. 2 team in the country doesn't do much to warrant a big drop anyway. However, conference championships are not factored in this week. After this coming Saturday, they will be and that's where Michigan (and Ohio State) will likely drop if Clemson and Washington win their conferences.

10) After Virginia Tech's 52-10 over Virginia, Hokies defensive end Ken Ekanem said, "This was a statement game, to tell Clemson that we're coming." Bring it, turkeys. Beat Virginia Tech.

-BtW
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Sunday, November 13, 2016

The Morning After... #Chaos

Sorry, Clemson fans. This won't be all sunshine and rainbows like what you've heard out of the locker room Saturday night. I'm a fan and as a fan, I have the right to be upset with what transpired in our home at the hands of Pitt.

1) Deshaun Watson needs to stop thinking about the NFL. He's pressured himself into thinking he's a legitimate Top 5 pick and is trying to prove it every week. He's forcing throws into tight windows. He's making poor decisions. He has 13 interceptions this season through 10 games. He had 13 all last season (15 games). All the trips this past spring and summer got to his head. He said at the beginning of the year that all that was a grind and it was uncomfortable for him, but he still had to go out and play. Well, he's pressing and it has nearly cost Clemson several times this season. It finally did against Pitt.
Yeah, yeah. Pitt's Chris Blewitt didn't blow it. The headline
writes itself. But Clemson did blow it.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

2) Clemson's offensive playcaller Tony Elliott out-coached himself at least twice. First, even after all I said about Watson in #1 of this post, you have the best player on the field with a 3rd and 1 AND a 4th and 1 with a minute to go in the game and you took the ball out of his hands. TWICE you pitched it back five yards to a running back that had less than 40 yards all game. This also goes into the players' hands for not being able to get one yard on two downs. But with a QB who has thrown for 580 yards, why go to the ground game there and why take the ball out of the hands of the best player on the field?

This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but on the previous drive why are we throwing the ball on 2nd and goal from the three after running for four yards on first down? There was 5:45 to play, you need to run clock and all you need to do is kick a field goal on that drive and you win. Just run the ball and game over. Hindsight is always 20-20, but coaches at this level have to make better decisions.

3) Pitt's offensive coordinator Matt Canada out-coached Brent Venables. Clemson had no answer for stopping the shovel pass, a wrinkle the Tigers hadn't seen and couldn't adjust to until it was too late. Canada exploited the Tigers' weakness - coverage by linebackers. It's been bad under Venables and has never gotten better. 

4) Blame the refs all you want, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so, but for every penalty thrown against Clemson, there were double the amount of bonehead mistakes by a Tiger player or coach. The refs play a part in every game. That's a fact. But they were not the reason for the outcome. That's one area where I agree with Dabo's postgame comments. 

5) Spent the early part of the day in Norman for the OU-Baylor game. Speaking of outcoaching themselves, Baylor ran for over 200 yards on Oklahoma, gaining five-plus yards on numerous plays right up the middle, but the Bears kept going to the air. They were picked off twice, including once on the goalline when Baylor was trying to cut the OU lead to 14-7. The pick allowed the Sooners to go up 21-0. For OU, the game seemed very ho-hum. There really wasn't much Baylor was doing to stop OU. After getting out to a 21-0 lead, the teams traded scores most of the rest of the way, tying the remainder of the game 24-24. It was a perfect afternoon for football and it was great to get back to a college game. BENched always enjoys his time in Norman.

6) OK, let's get the chaos out of the way. For the record, I sat on my couch following Clemson's loss and just started saying, "Chaos." I guess if you say it enough, it will happen. And it did, so allow BENched to explain what will likely happen these next few weeks with regards to the CFB Playoff rankings:

  • Nos. 2, 3 and 4 all lost Saturday. Aforementioned No. 2 Clemson fell to Pitt, 43-42; No. 3 Michigan also lost on last-second field goal 14-13 at Iowa; and No. 4 Washington was dominated by No. 20 USC on its home field, 26-13.
  • That leaves us with two unbeatens (Alabama and Western Michigan). It also leaves us with a jumbled mess between No. 2 and No. 6 in the rankings. Expect Ohio State to move to No. 2 behind No. 1 Alabama. That much should be clear and easy. There are five other Power 5 teams with one loss - Clemson, Louisville, Michigan, Washington, and West Virginia. The Mountaineers were No. 16 in last week's rankings and I don't see them jumping at least 10 spots after a close win over 5-5 Texas. 
  • The Playoff Committee has set a precedent that for the most part, teams with equal records who have played each other, the head-to-head winner will be ranked above. Therefore, I believe Clemson in some capacity will be ahead of Louisville. Clemson was also previously ahead of Michigan and with both teams losing, and Big Blue gaining 200 yards and scoring only 13 points, I can't see Clemson falling behind the Wolverines. Washington's loss was crushing for the Huskies, so here's how I see Nos. 3-6: Clemson, Michigan, Louisville, Washington.
    • Iowa's upset of Michigan was not so good for the Buckeyes.
    (Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)
  • If you want chaos, wait until Penn State wins out (Rutgers and Michigan State are all that remain) and Ohio State beats Michigan in the Horseshoe. The Nittany Lions will play for the Big Ten title, while both OSU and UM sit at home awaiting a potential Playoff fate.
7) Don't be shocked when what I just said is completely false. It's very plausible that Clemson falls out of the Top 4, Louisville is ranked third, and instead of one-loss Washington at No. 6, perhaps a two-loss Wisconsin or Penn State slides in. These rankings are fluid and will completely different anyway at the end of the season once conference championships are factored in. Even if Louisville is ahead of Clemson, if the Tigers win the ACC and are 12-1, they will be ranked ahead of 11-1 Louisville in the final Playoff ranking.

8) Two thoughts here: The Big 12 is dead. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and WVU are the only hope. Oklahoma is higher ranked and plays both teams in its final two games. Both OU and OSU have two losses, while the 'Neers only loss is to OSU. Even if one-loss WVU emerges, the Big 12 is so down it won't have enough quality wins to sniff the Playoff. Same goes for OU/OSU, who lost to Houston and Central Michigan, respectively.
Jake Browning's thoughts reflected those of Husky Nation.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

The Pac-12 is not dead. Washington might be out for now, but the Huskies will have ample opportunity to make up for the one loss. Colorado, USC and Utah are in a battle in the South. It's likely the winner of that division will be have Top 15 or better ranking entering the Pac-12 title game ... Where it will face either highly-ranked Washington or Washington State. The winner of the Apple Cup will in the North Division. Wazzu is 8-2 and has won eight-in-a-row. If the Cougs can win at Colorado and vs. Washington, plus the Pac-12 championship, they will see a big jump in the rankings. Washington can win on the road at Wazzu and then a Pac-12 title and be right back in the Playoff mix.

9) It's only Nov. 13 and we have chaos. Next week provides some relief. Most of the big teams face lesser opponents. Remember, this is the week the SEC takes a break from action to play the likes of Chattanooga, UT-Martin, The Citadel, etc. The SEC East could be decided if Florida beats LSU in the makeup game which was moved from The Swamp to Death Valley. Some big conference games are on tap in the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12, but the big one of the weekend will be Oklahoma traveling to West Virginia. All this to say, expect more chaos in the next three weekends.

10) Clemson is down and not out. Here's where what the players/coaches said is true. The Tigers are facing adversity and it can either build them or break them. Clemson faces championship weekends in its next two games. Wins at each stop will add another trophy to the case in Tiger Town. It starts with winning at Wake Forest to clinch the ACC Atlantic Division. We are #ALLIN, Always. Beat Wake.

-BtW

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Sunday, September 25, 2016

The Morning After... A Wild, Winning Weekend!

Dabo Swinney celebrates Clemson's first win at Georgia Tech since 2003.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Football)
1) When you haven't won at Historic Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium since 2003, and you leave the 2016 game with a 19-point victory, you feel extremely great about yourself. Only, Clemson fans felt only half great. While the first half looked like what Tiger fans have come to expect - leading 23-0 at the break - the second half was ho-hum. Clemson struggled to finish. Clemson went vanilla at least on offense. Could the Tigers have been holding back with Louisville coming up next?

2) Clemson's defense looks better than I can remember, even the past two years where over 15 players have been drafted to the NFL. The Tigers have played 240 minutes of football so far this season and have had arguably 8-10 "bad" defensive minutes - the last three at Auburn, the last five vs. Troy, and the one scoring drive against Georgia Tech. Clemson has allowed five touchdowns in four games and is giving up 11 points per game.

3) Brent Venables is the second greatest thing at Clemson. Maybe the first. But the first is Deshaun Watson.

3B) Ray-Ray McCloud is emerging as a star. McCloud has been the most consistent receiver outside of Mike Williams through four games for the Tigers. He had a career-high eight catches for 101 yards at GT. He is tied with Williams to lead Clemson with 21 receptions and is 51 yards behind him in total yards.

3C) It was great to see tight end Jordan Leggett get involved. Leggett had one catch coming into Thursday, but produced four receptions and a TD. He has been a missing piece to the Tiger offense and will be needed the rest of the season.

4) How 'bout the little ole ACC? Outside of the conference games - Clemson-GT, Pitt-UNC - the conference went undefeated (8-0) on the weekend. The surprising wins were Duke knocking off Notre Dame in South Bend 38-35, Virginia beating Central Michigan 49-35, Syracuse won at UConn 31-24 and Wake Forest remaining unbeaten with a 33-28 win at Indiana. All four schools were 3-point underdogs or bigger, with Duke a 20.5-point dog to the Irish, and three of the games were on the road (UVa was home). Combined with big wins by Louisville, FSU and Virginia Tech, this was a great weekend for a conference on the rise.

5) Speaking of Louisville, the Cards romped past Marshall 59-28 in a game that wasn't that close. However, for the first time this season Lamar Jackson looked a little less like Superman. He still finished with seven touchdowns (5 passing, 2 rushing), but was 24-of-44 passing and threw an ill-advised interception. The Thundering Herd kept him in check on the ground, allowing him just 62 yards. Louisville only led 7-0 after one quarter. It was one of those games where the Cardinals dominated, but didn't necessarily look perfect doing so. The guess here is they had one eye looking toward Clemson.

6) Some of the wildness began Friday with Utah scoring with 55 seconds left to beat USC 31-27 and continued into Saturday. ... Tennessee finally got the monkey of its back by beating Florida after trailing 21-0. ... North Carolina trailed Pitt by 13 with under 10 minutes to go, but scored twice including the game-winner with two seconds on the clock. ... Les Miles' poor clock management skills bit him and LSU again. The Tigers needed a TD with no timeouts left. They failed to get out of bounds, were penalized and had a 10-second runoff, then did not have enough time to get a snap off - even though the refs initially allowed it and LSU scored the would-be go-ahead touchdown. After review, the clock was triple-zeroes and Auburn won 18-13. ... In the nightcaps, Stanford scored with under 30 seconds to go to take a three-point lead over UCLA. Keep in mind, Stanford was a 3.5-point favorite. UCLA QB Josh Rosen was sacked on the last play of the game and fumbled. Stanford ran it back for a TD to make the final score 22-13. A humongous play for Vegas betting. ... Arizona and Washington traded blows late in the fourth quarter for some amazing #Pac12AfterDark action. Zona scored with 4:50 to go to tie it at 21; Washington re-took the lead 40 seconds later; Zona scored with 27 seconds to go to send it to overtime; And the Huskies eventually won in OT, 35-28.

A wild weekend indeed.

7) There were skeptics about West Virginia and Baylor. Both undefeated, but both unproven. Until Saturday. The Mountaineers knocked off BYU in another entertaining game, 35-32. Baylor took down Oklahoma State to earn its first conference win, 35-24. The Bears and Mountaineers remain unbeaten and atop the Big 12 standings. Baylor should have little trouble next week at Iowa State. West Virginia hosts Kansas State in a tricky game, as the Wildcats are still coached by Bill Snyder which means they are vastly underrated and prime for an upset.

8) Quick hitters: Texas A&M served noticed to the rest of the SEC West that it will contend. The Aggies knocked off Arkansas 45-24. A&M goes to South Carolina before a big two-game stretch at home against Tennessee Oct. 8, then a bye week before going to Alabama Oct. 22. ... Wisconsin also served notice that it will not be overlooked in the Big Ten. Everyone thought the Big Three in the Big Ten were Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. The Badgers had none of that, demolishing the Spartans on their home field 30-6. With Iowa struggling, it looks like Wisconsin may be the best team in the West division. Nebraska may have something to say about that, though. And the Badgers head to the Big House this weekend.

 9) Top 10 on tap: Next week will produce three top-10 matchups including No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington (Friday), No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 4 Michigan, and No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson. Other big games include Oklahoma at TCU, North Carolina at No. 12 Florida State and No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia. (Note: Rankings reflect current AP Poll)

10) All eyes, though, will be on Tiger Town next weekend. ESPN's College GameDay will be on hand to kickoff the morning live from Bowman Field. The game will be broadcast in primetime on ABC with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Sam Ponder on the call. It was one year ago when Notre Dame visited Clemson on the exact same weekend (Oct. 3, 2015). Get up. Get ready. Get loud. Get CLEMSON LOUD. Beat Louisville.

-BtW
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Sunday, September 11, 2016

The Morning After... That? What was that?

Hunter Renfrow's acrobatic touchdown catch was one of the
few bright spots for the Clemson offense Saturday.
(Photo courtesy TigerNet.com)
1) There will be no sugar-coating in this blog - this Clemson team has not looked like a Top 10 team so far this season, much less the No. 2-ranked team. I fully expect the Tigers to drop a couple spots in the polls in a few hours. No offensive rhythm, dropped passes, nine carries for 34 yards by a running back who had over 1,500 yards last season, lack of QB protection, questionable play-calling, unfathomable mistakes, terrible third down conversion rate ... and that's just the offense. Luckily, Clemson's defense has looked somewhat the part of the past two seasons, but even they gave up two late scores that turned a 27-10 ballgame into an onside kick recovery away from a major scare.

2) About that third down conversion rate. Against Auburn and Troy, Clemson converted 14-of-37 tries on the money down. The Tigers were 8-of-20 against Troy. The 38 percent conversion rate is nearly 10 percent less than that of the 2015 team, when it finished the season with an over 47 percent conversion rate. Staying on the field and running more plays does a few things. One, it allows your offense to get into rhythm. Two, it deflates a defense trying desperately to get off the field on third down. Three, it allows your own defense to rest a few more plays instead of sending them out there after another three-and-out. This area needs to get better ASAP.

3) We've all seen it one too many times, and I've made it a point before to say this when it happens: Run the ball through the back of the end zone if you can and hand it to a referee after you score.

3B) Seriously, how hard is that? Run the ball past the goal line 10 more yards to the back of the end zone and give it to the ref. That way, you KNOW you scored.

4) Not everything that has happened offensively this season is Deshaun Watson's fault, but he simply does not look like the same guy from a season ago. I don't know if it was all the travel for awards and camps and appearances at ESPN or the 300 hours of courses he took between the end of last season and now or what. But this is not the same guy who had aspirations of winning a Heisman and getting a national championship before he left Clemson. If you read between the lines of all the quotes from Watson, Dabo Swinney, and co-offensive coordinators Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott, they are all searching for answers.




Among others, Scott said, "We're just not clicking the way that we know we can. We know what we have in that room and for whatever reason we're just not on the same page right now."

Elliott noted, "We've got to find rhythm on offense. ... We tried to establish an early rhythm in the running game, but they came out with some different structure where they were going to take some chances. They were geared up to stop our bread and butter, so we had to find some complimentary schemes we had to get to. ... We felt like we could make some plays in the passing game until we could figure out what were our best schemes."

You mean the opposing team game-planned to stop what you do, and you weren't prepared for that and had to spend time figuring out what would work? Yikes.

5) I'm moving on. I could spend all morning writing about how bad this team has looked. Luckily, Clemson is 2-0 and that is ultimately what matters. If they put it together over the next 10 games and the offense clicks, this will be a minor blip on the radar. For now, it appears there are myriad problems needing fixing.

6) The Sooners bounced back to the tune of 459 yards in the first half in a dominant win over UL-Monroe. This was expected, as the Warhawks were no match for Oklahoma. The air raid offense was wide open and OU pretty much was able to do whatever it wanted. Backups played the entire second half, which prevented any injuries as the Sooners get set to host a big one next weekend in Norman. Ohio State (I refuse to call them "The") comes calling in what should be a fantastic heavy-weight matchup.

7) So much for a ho-hum Saturday with zero games involving two ranked teams. Non-Power 5 teams pulled off more upsets of Power 5 teams for the second straight week. ACC - NC State lost to East Carolina. Big Ten - Cincinnati beat Purdue and FCS Illinois State knocked off Northwestern. Big 12 - Central Michigan stunned Oklahoma State (albeit, the last play should have never happened, thought it did and thus, as a Top 25 team, you don't put yourself in that position to begin with) and Ohio beat Kansas ... well, that's not an upset. Pac-12 - San Diego State defeated Cal and Boise State held on against Washington State, although that, like Ohio-Kansas, wasn't so much an upset, but still a non-Power 5 taking down a Power 5. SEC - Well, there were no upsets in the SEC this week, but Nicholls gave Georgia a close call.

8) Texas might be the Big 12's saving grace. Oklahoma fell to Houston last week, then Oklahoma State was upset by Central Michigan and TCU lost a heartbreaker to Arkansas Saturday. That means the top three Big 12 teams heading into the season all have a loss. None are technically out of the Playoff hunt, but the Longhorns have looked sharp early on. With momentum in their favor, the Horns may be the best shot for the Big 12 to get a team into the Top 4 of the initial Playoff rankings.

9) Quick thoughts - In case your thumb wasn't fast enough to change channels, or you fell asleep early, you missed some wild ones last night. Arkansas-TCU had a crazy finish including two blown leads, a blocked game-winning field goal and double overtime, ending in a Hog victory. Boise State almost blew a 17-point lead, but held on to knock off Washington State 31-28. Utah thwarted a BYU comeback by stuffing a would-be game-winning two-point conversion. San Diego State held on against Cal on the West Coast. And some guy name Kalen Ballage scored a FBS record-tying eight touchdowns to help Arizona State win a shootout against Texas Tech 68-55. ... On Friday, Louisville blew the doors of Syracuse and the Carrier Dome, 62-28. Cards quarterback Lamar Jackson is the immediate front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. Against the Orange, Jackson had 411 passing yards and 199 rushing yards to become the first QB in college history to pass for over 400 and rush for over 175. He's accounted for 13 touchdowns in the Cards' two games, despite only playing half a game in the first one. Look out, Florida State. The Noles go to Louisville this weekend in what should be a gargantuan matchup.

10) I don't care if the offense scores a touchdown on every possession and puts up 100 points this week. That does not mean they have it all figured out. Clemson is playing a MEAC school and should do that. Just a two years ago, the Tigers beat SC State 73-7. It'd be nice to see that again, but I won't be convinced that all is right in TigerTown. I'll need to see it again the following Thursday in Atlanta. That said, one game at a time. Beat SC State.

 -BtW
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