Having A Record Year

Deshaun Watson led Clemson to two-straight ACC titles.
That is among myriad other accomplishments by this Tiger team.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)

With all due respect to Eric Church, it's the Clemson football team that truly is having a record year.

In an effort to savor the moment and not take this time in Clemson football history for granted, I wanted to make a list of accomplishments for the current Tigers. This is not an all-encompassing list. I don't have every statistic featured. It's just some perspective on what we have witnessed with this group. It's a long list, so let's get to it.

• Clemson has been ranked in the Top 5 of the AP Poll 23 consecutive weeks. The Tigers are No. 3 in the current poll. The current streak includes the entire 2016 season, which has never been done before in program history. It also is the longest active in the NCAA. Alabama is second at 21 straight weeks. 
• Clemson has been ranked in the Top 25 for 35 straight weeks. That is good for the fourth best streak in school history. Clemson's longest streak is 50 weeks, accomplished twice (1989-1992 and 2011-2014). The Tigers were ranked 41 straight weeks from 1986-1989. The current streak began in 2014 and is tied for 121st all-time.
• The Tigers won their 16th ACC Championship, breaking a tie with Florida State for the most in the conference. It was the second straight championship for Clemson, the first time that's happened since a three-year run from 1986-88. Clemson has won three of the past six ACC titles after going 20 years between titles (1991 and 2011).
• Clemson has won 10+ games six consecutive years, tied with Alabama for the longest streak in the country. Prior to the streak starting, Clemson had not won 10 games in a season since 1990. Before these six seasons, Clemson had only seven season in its history with 10+ wins (1948, 1978, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990).
• The 12-1 record this year is only the third time in school history that Clemson has won 12 or more games. Clemson went 12-0 in 1981 en route to the program's only National Championship. Last season, the Tigers finished 14-1 with a loss in the National Championship Game.
• This season, Clemson played 11 bowl eligible teams and went 10-1. The 10 wins are the most in the nation and the most in Clemson history. 
• Clemson's senior class is 47-7. The 47 wins are a Clemson record for a senior class. Including two ACC Championship Game wins, the seniors have won 30 ACC games, also a school record.
• Deshaun Watson has thrown for 37 touchdowns, a school single-season record. As a team, Clemson has a school record 41 TD passes.
• Watson is 30-3 as a starter. The school record for wins by a QB is 32 held by Rodney Williams (1985-88) and Tajh Boyd (2010-13).
• Watson became the first player in ACC history to win back-to-back ACC Championship Game MVP awards. In two games, he's pass for 577 yards and six touchdowns, and rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Clemson scored 87 points in the past two ACCCG's, with Watson's TDs accounting for 70 of those points.
• Watson became Clemson's first Heisman Trophy finalist in 2015. He will be in New York for a second consecutive year to become the first two-time Heisman finalist to don a Tiger uniform. If he wins, he of course would become the first Heisman winner in school history.
• Mike Williams' 1,171 yards marks the second season he's surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. Williams joins Rod Gardner and Sammy Watkins as the only receivers in Clemson history to reach 1,000 yards in two different seasons.
• Wayne Gallman is now over 1,000 yards rushing for the second straight season. Gallman has 3,298 rushing yards in his career and is just the sixth running back in Clemson history to surpass 3,000 yards.
• Jordan Leggett passed Dwayne Allen (2011) for the single-season receiving yardage record by a Clemson tight end. Leggett (637 yards) is the first Tiger tight end to post at least 600 receiving yards in a season.
• Leggett is tied with former Tiger wideout Terry Smith for sixth in Clemson history with 18 touchdown catches.
• Artavis Scott is tied with Sammy Watkins for the career receptions record at Clemson, putting him at 240 in just three seasons.
• Scott caught a pass in his 36th consecutive game, tying Jerry Butler and DeAndre Hopkins for the school record.
• True freshman Dexter Lawrence was named the ACC's Defensive Rookie of the Year.
• Clemson placed 16 players on the All-ACC team as voted on by the coaches, and 15 All-ACC players as voted by the media. There were eight Tigers on the coaches' first team and nine on the media first team, including three offensive linemen. Carlos Watkins, Ben Boulware, Cordrea Tankersley and Jadar Johnson were the Tigers' four first-team defensive players.
• Clemson has scored 522 points, an average of 40.2 points per game. Clemson's defense has given up 239 points, an 18.4 points per game clip.
• The Tiger defense has recorded a sack in 43 straight games. 
• Clemson has won four straight bowl games - not including the CFB National Championship last season. The Tigers defeated LSU in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Ohio State in the 2014 Orange Bowl, Oklahoma in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl, and Oklahoma again in the 2015 Orange Bowl. The Tigers face Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. Clemson has never played in the Fiesta Bowl game.

The Morning After... Back-to-back

A short and sweet TMA today, as the final ranking for the CFB Playoff will be announced at noon ET. BENched will have a reaction piece and a look ahead to the Playoff and New Year's Six bowls.

This guy is the best player in the nation.
As Dabo Swinney said, "... And it ain't even close."
(Photo courtesy Associated Press)

1) Earlier Saturday, I texted a good buddy of mine and said I had trouble sleeping because I kept having the thought that Clemson would lose to Virginia Tech. His response was simple, "Take a deep breath and remember we have #4." How could I be so silly? Deshaun Watson (that'd be the #4 he was talking about) is the best player in football. Period. He proved it again Saturday night on another big stage, claiming the ACC Championship for the second straight year and becoming the first player ever to win consecutive ACC Championship Game MVPs. He did so with 288 passing yards, 85 rushing yards and five touchdowns (three pass, two rush). Clemson fans have had the pleasure of watching DW4 for the last three years and if we ever doubt our Tigers, we should all keep in mind that he's on our side.

2) "All we need is an opportunity. Once we get an opportunity, we're going to take full advantage of it. ... We're going to go for that natty." Clemson is rolling into the Playoff and Watson's quote tells me the Tigers have had their eyes on this prize all year long. Now that the opportunity is here - or we assume it is - the rest of the country should look out. Clemson is coming.

3) Clemson has now scored 35+ points in six straight games. The Tigers have scored 30 or more in 10  of their 13 games. ... Clemson has won a record 16 ACC Championships, breaking a previous tie with Florida State. ... The back-to-back titles are the first for Clemson in 28 years (CU won three in a row from 1986-88). ... The win was Clemson's 10th over a bowl eligible team this season - the most in the nation. The Tigers played a record 11 bowl eligible teams, going 10-1. ... The Tigers' 12-1 record is tied for the second most wins in school history. In 1981, the Tigers finished 12-0 to win the National Championship. Clemson went 14-1 in 2015, falling short in the title game.

*BENched will produce more stats in another post later this week.

4) My hat is off to Virginia Tech. The Hokies are a fun club to watch. Jerod Evans is a talented quarterback and he has some really good weapons around him. He has some things to work on, but the Hokies are scary with him back there. Bud Foster is one of the best defensive minds in the business. There wasn't much he was going to do to slow down the Tiger train, but Foster dialed up some things that confused the heck out of the Clemson offense and disrupted its rhythm. Justin Fuente has ignited a fire in Blacksburg that is going to rage on for a while. Expect a lot of Clemson-VT and FSU-VT matchups in the ACCFCG in the near future.

5) Oklahoma won Bedlam in impressive fashion, 38-20. The Cowboys scored to go ahead 17-10 with 1:42 to go before halftime. The Sooners marched down the field and scored in 1:10 to tie the game. OSU returned the ensuing kickoff near midfield. The Pokes ran one play and did not call their final timeout, instead opting to go into halftime tied. OU dominated the second half 21-3. When the game was within 11, Mike Gundy called for a run play on 3rd and long to set up a field goal to cut it to an eight-point deficit. OSU missed the field goal and Sooner running back Joe Mixon went 79 yards on the next play to ice the game. Oklahoma now leads the Bedlam series 86-18-7 and is likely headed to the Sugar Bowl to face off against Auburn. Oklahoma State is likely going to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl against either Colorado or USC.

6) The only other conference championship game that was worth watching was the Big Ten, and even it looked like a blowout early. Wisconsin jumped all over Penn State, leading 28-7 late in the second quarter. If you read BENched, you knew this nugget: Penn State is a second half team. The Nittany Lions scored just before half to cut the lead to 28-14, then outscored the Badgers 24-3 in the second half. Penn State, a two-loss team, claimed the Big Ten Championship out of the East Division. That same division has Ohio State (which its only loss is to Penn State) and Michigan (which blew out PSU 49-10 way back in September). Are the Nittany Lions Rose Bowl bound or Playoff bound? Time will tell.

7) Washington crushed Colorado 41-10 Friday night to claim the Pac-12. The Huskies seem to be a lock for the Playoff at 12-1 with the conference title. But the Huskies are holding their breath, as their strength of schedule and many other metrics are not in their favor. ... Alabama throttled Florida 54-16 to win the SEC again and finish 13-0. Florida actually looked like it was going to be in the fight early, marching down the field and scoring to go up 7-0. Two interceptions - one a pick-six - and a blocked punt for a TD gave Bama a lead despite the Tide having minus-7 yards. They did not look back.

8) It's been a really fun year and I hope you've enjoyed delving into my brain each Sunday morning. BENched will have much more on the upcoming Heisman presentation, CFB Playoff, and other Clemson thoughts and reflections. Until then, enjoy your holiday season with friends and family. Go Tigers!

Wait 'til this year?

Is this the year? Can the Clemson Tigers top the college football mountain for the second time in program history? Is this season National Championship or bust?

It sure feels like that's where they're headed.

After four straight seasons of 10+ wins, Clemson burst into the National Championship picture in 2015 with an undefeated regular season, an ACC championship, and a College Football Playoff berth. The Dabo Swinney-led Tigers defeated Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl to earn a shot at the ultimate prize.

Deshaun Watson had the best championship game in college football history statistically, but Clemson fell short against Alabama.

That's all led to preseason hype surrounding the Tigers that hasn't been seen in Upstate South Carolina in decades. Many prognosticators have Clemson in the top two of their preseason polls, including the Amway Coaches Poll where the Tigers are No. 2 behind Alabama.

Offensively, Clemson is loaded. Watson is enough of a force to be reckoned with, but he has a plethora of weapons at his disposal.

Defensively, there are question marks. Most are due to a lack of experience, but certainly not a lack of talent. The Tigers have aimed high in recruiting and it's paid off. How that talent translates to the field this fall will be the storyline.

Dexter Lawrence is one of many newcomers who will have to
step up on the defensive side of the ball for Clemson.
(Photo courtesy TigerNet.com)

The schedule isn't difficult, but it won't be a cake-walk either. It has a few tricky spots - namely at Georgia Tech on a Thursday night early in the year (Sept. 22) and at Florida State on Oct. 29. Clemson opens at Auburn, which in normal years would be a true measuring stick, but the SEC Tigers haven't been up to snuff the past couple years. Louisville, Pitt and in-state rival South Carolina all visit Death Valley, where Clemson has won 16 straight home games.

Like a season ago, there will be "if" games, as I like to call them. "If" Clemson wins at Auburn ... "If" the Tigers handle the Yellow Jackets ... "If" they get by Louisville ... it goes on all season.

But the big one is in Tallahassee (of course, "If" Clemson is undefeated at that point). Win against the 'Noles and plans to visit Atlanta in late December (for the Peach Bowl) and Tampa on Jan. 9 (for the CFP National Championship) will begin being made by the Tiger faithful.

One game at a time, my orange-clad friends. Just make sure to BYOG to each one!

-BtW

I just can't

Remember me? I know it's been a while. Sorry for that. Thanks for coming back to the blog! I picked up my copy of Athlon Sports College Football magazine about a week ago. The itch is back! It might be 90-thousand degrees outside, but I can smell the tailgates, feel the crisp fall air, and hear the marching bands blaring away.

I just need to touch on something related to the end of that magical 2015 season.

There are 66 days left until college football; 68 until Clemson kicks off. That means it's been 169 days since Alabama claimed the National Championship in the desert. 

You probably know I was there. You probably could've guessed that I recorded the game at home. You may or may not know that I still have the recording on my DirecTV system.

I don't recall when it was but I started the game at some point thinking rewatching it would help me heal. I didn't last very long. Thirty-seven minutes into the four-and-a-half recorded hours, to be exact.

It's still paused on my DVR: Alabama 7, Clemson 7, 1st quarter, 3:05 to go.

I just can't get myself to relive the full game. There's one man - a much better man than me - who has watched it. In fact, he's watched it multiple times. 

"I’ve watched it maybe about six or seven times. I’ve watched it to correct myself, to look at my mistakes, and honestly I’ve just watched it to watch it. That game is behind us now, but it was still a great experience. There are thousands and thousands of athletes who want to play in that game, so why not watch it? Sit back and enjoy it, even though it didn’t turn out the way we wanted." -Clemson QB, Deshaun Watson

This is how I know Clemson football is in good hands this season. What an incredible attitude this guy has. He understands the magnitude of having played in a National Championship Game. He understands that life is bigger than one game, one loss.

It hurts me too bad. Maybe one day before Sept. 3 I will be able to press play again. I hope so.

But for today, I just can't.

-BtW

Orange Bowl Preview - Clemson O vs. Oklahoma D

We've reached single digit days until the Capital One Orange Bowl clash between No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma. As mentioned in yesterday's blog, I'll break down the matchups over the coming days based on what I (think I) know.

Today, we begin with Clemson's offense against Oklahoma's defense. I'll go ahead and preface all the forthcoming posts by saying this: We are down to the top four teams in the country, so there is minuscule advantages across the board.

Clemson Tigers Offense
Total Offense Rank: 12th
Total Yards Per Game: 510.7
Yards Per Play: 6.43
Rushing Offense Rank: 22nd
Rushing Yards Per Game: 222.2
Passing Offense Rank: 23rd
Passing Yards Per Game: 288.5
Scoring Offense Rank: 15th
Points Per Game: 38.5

Oklahoma Sooners Defense
Total Defense Rank: 32nd
Total Yards Per Game: 350.7
Yards Per Play: 4.68
Rushing Defense Rank: 45th
Rushing Yards Per Game: 149.2
Passing Defense Rank: 34th
Passing Yards Per Game: 201.5
Scoring Defense Rank: 21st
Points Per Game: 20.8

A simple look at the statistical rankings of each unit bears nothing for this game. Clemson benefits from playing in the ACC and while the conference had several of the top defenses statistically, many of those stats can be misconstrued because of the sub-par offenses.

On the flip side, OU's defense was the best in the Big 12, although it is outside the Top 20 in every category above. Well, think of the conference it plays in and now think about the type of offenses that conference boasts - Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia ... six of the top 28 offenses in the NCAA.

We could sit here and argue all day, "Well, the defenses in the Big 12 aren't great, hence why the offenses seem to be so good." Or, "The ACC owns five of the Top 20 defenses, so Clemson's stats are that much more impressive."

Look, you can make stats say whatever you want them to say. What can be concluded from watching each team is that these two units match up extremely well.

For starters, Clemson has the best quarterback in the nation in Deshaun Watson. A Heisman finalist and winner of the Davey O'Brien award, Watson is a surgeon signal-caller. He completed 69.5 percent of his passes for over 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns. Watson did throw 11 interceptions, but only four of those came in the final seven games.

It's Watson's running game, though, that has exploded in the second half of the season. Through the first six games of the season, Watson had one game where he ran for more than 60 yards. In the final five games, He had over 100 yards on the ground four times and had seven of his 11 rushing TDs. Watson finished with 887 rush yards to give him 4,399 total for the season.

While the Tigers lack a go-to playmaker at the skill positions, they make up for it with a bevy of talent. Running back Wayne Gallman ran for 1,332 yards and 10 touchdowns despite sitting out a full game (Wake Forest) and having his carries limited in others when Clemson held big leads. The Tigers' wide receiver corps consists of several reliable players and is led by Artavis Scott with 805 yards. Freshman Deon Cain and senior Charone Peake each have over 500 yards and five TDs. Lump in tight end Jordan Leggett and his team-leading seven TD receptions, and it's easy to see Watson likes to spread the ball around.

Clemson RB Wayne Gallman will be looked upon to shoulder the load against OU's run defense.
(Photo courtesy TigerNet.com)

All of this to say, Clemson's offense is good. It won't be the most explosive offense Oklahoma has seen this season, but it is arguably the most balanced and is certainly led by a quarterback better than anyone the Sooners faced.

For OU's defense, it starts up front with defense end Charles Tapper and linebacker Eric Striker. The two combined for 14.5 sacks and caused havoc in offensive backfields all season. Striker finds ways to disrupt a quarterbacks timing and is extremely quick on the edge. I expect Tapper to get double-teamed by Clemson's offensive line, but that frees up a gap and creates one-on-one matchups for guys like Striker and Matt Dimon, the end opposite Tapper. Clemson's offensive line started five new guys in 2015 and the big hogs only allowed 14 sacks.

If Clemson is able to win the line of scrimmage, that's great. But it's not the determining factor in the ballgame. In steps OU's secondary. What makes that unit scary good is the exceptional linebacker coverage. Striker, Dominique Alexander and Jordan Evans are hybrid backers who cover the short passing game probably better than any other group in the country. If they need to play up and stop the run, they can. If they need to drop back into coverage, they can. And they do both well.

The next line of defense is a veteran cornerback and safety group. Zack Sanchez, Jordan Thomas, Ahmad Thomas, Dakota Austin and Steven Parker anchor the secondary. Sanchez had a team-leading six interceptions and Jordan Thomas was one shy with five picks. They were burned a season ago by virtually this same group of receivers, so there will be plenty to play for. That and the fact that they shut down Baylor, Texas Tech, West Virginia, TCU and Oklahoma State provides more proof that they aren't fooling around this year.

Oklahoma's Zack Sanchez picks off one of his team-leading six INTs this season.
(Photo courtesy AP)

Gallman was used heavily to catch passes out of the backfield from Clemson in the latter half of the season. The Tigers love to use the short and intermediate passing game to draw defenders up. That's when Watson gets dangerous as the best downfield passer in the nation. He has to have success underneath, though, to open that up.

That's the matchup to watch. How will Clemson utilize the short and underneath passes to loosen up OU's secondary? If they are successful early, Watson could take some deep shots that might be the difference. If the Sooners don't allow Gallman to get free or Scott, Peake and Leggett to exploit the middle of the field, it could be a long night for those in orange. Historically, Oklahoma has had trouble defending dual-threat quarterbacks. Watson's legs could get another workout after eclipsing 20 carries for the first time in his career in each of the Tigers' final two games (21 carriers vs. South Carolina; 24 vs. North Carolina).

Advantage: SLIGHT to Clemson - and I mean SLIGHT!

-BtW

The Morning After... A Championship!

1) Man, what a time to be a Tiger! Clemson completed an undefeated season 13-0, winning 13 games for the first time in school history. Dabo Swinney won the ACC Championship for the second time in five years (2011) and the win came during his 100th game as a Clemson head coach. He has a 74-26 record. The Tigers will head to the Playoff as the No. 1 team in the nation and the ONLY undefeated team in college football. Clemson has a Heisman hopeful, a young and extremely talented team, a top 10 defense, wins over four teams with 10 wins or more - three of which are in the latest Top 10 of the Playoff Rankings - and another top 10-15 recruiting class on the horizon. Clemson is making history right before our eyes. What a time to be a Tiger, indeed.

2) I'll get right to the controversial call and nip it in the bud. I've seen all kinds of explanations as to why the referee called offsides. "The players head was crossing the 35-yard-line when the ball was kicked." "They lined up a player outside the 9-yard-hash mark when the whistle was blown to put the ball in play." Look, I don't know all the rules regarding kickoffs. All I know is the call on the field happened and Clemson was the beneficiary of it. The flag came out immediately, not after UNC recovered the ball. The ref either saw, or thought he saw something. Was it wrong? Probably. Does it mean the Tar Heels would have gone down the field, scored, converted a two-point conversion, taken the game to overtime and won? I don't know.

What I do know is this...

3) Clemson had 608 yards of offense, UNC had 382. Clemson ran 98 plays, UNC ran 67. First downs: Clem-33, UNC-21. Time of possession: Clem-38:56, UNC 21:04. Third down conversions: Clem-9 of 18 (50%), UNC-5 of 14 (37%). Rushing yards: Clem-319, UNC 142. Clemson had two 100-yard rushers, UNC had zero (leading rusher Elijah Hood 81 yards). Clemson had two sacks and eight QB hurries, UNC had zero sacks and one QB hurry.

My point is, Clemson dominated the game. The scoreboard reflects an 8-point win, but the Tigers were the better team on the field. They had the better quarterback, running back, offensive line, defensive line, wide receivers ... When Clemson stopped making stupid mistakes and stopped beating itself in the second half, it pulled away. Clemson led 35-16, 42-23, and 45-30 until the final two-minutes of the game. (More on this in a moment). Over the course of a season, teams get lucky bounces and breaks, or unlucky in some cases. It doesn't change an outcome. Clemson has been on the wrong side of these calls plenty of times in the past. It's about damn time some of them go our way.

Terrible call in ACC champ game on the onside kick, but my sympathy only goes so far for a team that allowed 600 yards.

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) December 6, 2015

4) Time and time again, Clemson has built a big lead and let it slip away late. Remember being up 21-3 on Notre Dame entering the fourth quarter, only to win 24-22? Remember a 31-17 lead at Syracuse entering the fourth, only to have the game in single digits and win by 10? Remember the 28-10 lead evaporated against South Carolina down to 28-25, up by 37-25, to a final of 37-32...against a three-win team? Other cases at Louisville and NC State come to mind. And then last night.

The takeaway: Yes, Clemson has given up big leads late, but the Tigers have found ways to win.

Deshaun Watson does the "Heisman pose" with the ACC Championship Football Trophy.
Watson was named the championship game's MVP.
(Photo courtesy Anderson Independent Mail)

5) What else can you say about Deshaun Watson? The sophomore - I REPEAT, HE'S A SOPHOMORE! - is the best quarterback in the country. In a championship setting against a defense all the pundits said would give the Tigers fits, Watson accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing), threw for 289 yards, ran for another 131, led the offense to 608 yards - a ninth straight game of over 500 yards. He set an ACC Championship Game record for total yards. He has been in control of this offense since Day 1 and there is no one else I'd want leading my team.

Yards/touch this season: McCaffrey: 8.56 Cook: 8.05 Watson: 7.64 Henry: 5.97 (Watson = 7.92 w/o sacks)

— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) December 6, 2015

6) Speaking of the Heisman, it looks like it will be Watson, Alabama's Derrick Henry, Stanford's Christian McCaffrey, and maybe Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield. The thing that hurt Mayfield (and the Sooners in the Playoff Committee's minds for that matter) was OU didn't play Saturday. Watson, Henry and McCaffrey were on full display Saturday and all three made a statement to the voters. McCaffrey had over 460 all-purpose yards and ran, passed and caught a TD in the Cardinal's 41-22 Pac-12 title game win. Henry was a workhorse for Bama, getting 44 carries, but only gaining 189 yards and scoring one TD, as the Tide rolled Florida 29-15. Any of the four could win the Heisman and there'd be little controversy, but my vote goes to ... Watson, duh!

vs Florida this year... Henry: 44-189-1 Fournette: 31-180-2 Cook: 26-183-2

— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) December 6, 2015

7) Alabama relied on Henry to wear down Florida, as he has done with many other opponents all season. However, Alabama has yet to play a complete team on its schedule, perhaps outside of Ole Miss ... which the Tide lost. Alabama is SEC Champions, but this is a really down year for the SEC. Clemson has three wins over teams currently in the Playoff Top 10. Alabama has three wins over teams in the current Top 25 total. Oklahoma has four Top 25 wins. Michigan State has four. I question the Committee keeping Bama second. I'll hang up and listen.

8) Michigan State now has three last-minute wins over Top 20 opponents, plus a three-point win over Oregon. The Spartans deserve to be in the Top 4, that much is true. But, there is no way you can tell me MSU should be any higher than fourth.

9) On that note, here's how I would rank the Top 4 today - 1) Clemson 2) Oklahoma 3) Alabama 4) Michigan State. I'm guessing it won't look like this. Bama will likely be second and because of some bogus "we don't want Alabama to play in the Cotton Bowl against OU" conspiracy, I'm guessing Michigan State will be third and they'll send OU to Miami against Clemson. Those who don't know - my wife is an OU grad. We've already been through this a season ago when the Tigers and Sooners squared off in the Russell Athletic Bowl. It's no fun.

10) 13-0. ACC Champs. Undisputed No. 1 in the country. 16 straight wins. Playoff Bound. CU in Miami!

Current Mood: 🏆💍 🐅 What a time to be a Tiger! 🐾 pic.twitter.com/ARezdNziAN

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) December 6, 2015

-BtW

The Morning After...

Deshaun Watson helped Clemson complete an undefeated regular season
by knocking off in-state rival South Carolina, 37-32.
(Photo courtesy TheClemsonInsider.com)

1) State champs. Again. Another 365 days of bragging rights for the Clemson faithful (actually 366 because next year is Leap Year - you're welcome!). It doesn't matter if it's by one or 50. A win over your arch-rival is never disappointing. It's even better when it's on their home field. I hope South Carolina fans enjoyed their little five-year run. We've taken back our state. Some call it a rivalry. We call it domination. 67-42-4.

2) Turnovers have become a theme for Clemson lately, and not in a good way. Three fumbles yesterday by the top three offensive players nearly cost the Tigers dearly. When Dabo Swinney tells the media the "coach-speak" saying of "We can't beat ourselves," this is what he means. Had Clemson not turned it over and had the Tigers scored on just two of those three drives, this would've been a blow out instead of coming down to the final few minutes. Dabo said postgame, "When we win the turnover margin, we're going to kill somebody." He's right.

3) Disappointed in the defensive effort. After poor performances against NC State and Syracuse, Brent Venables lit into the defense and the unit responded with a solid showing against Wake Forest. However, they backtracked against South Carolina, allowing over 400 yards and the most points the Gamecocks scored all season. Big chunk plays continue to be an issue. With high-flying North Carolina on deck, those need to get corrected immediately. Or, it could be a long night in Charlotte.

4) Deshaun Watson probably won't win the Heisman Trophy this year, but he deserves to be in New York City when they hand out the hardware. I get that Derrick Henry has been a beast for Alabama and his best games have come when the Tide have played on a national stage. I get that Baker Mayfield - more on him in a minute - has been a human highlight reel week in and week out. But Watson, a sophomore, has played with poise when it mattered most and shown Tiger fans and the rest of the country how to lead a team desperate not to fall back into the days of "Clemsoning." All preseason the narrative was Clemson would have a chance IF Watson remained healthy. Well, he's been healthy for all 12 games. And Clemson has a chance to do something special. To think he's only 17 games into his career - just over a season and half, officially as a starter - and he's 16-1 in those games is remarkable. Did I mention he's only a sophomore?

5) Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners blasted the Oklahoma State Cowboys. A 30-point second quarter was all OU needed in a 58-23 Bedlam Bombardment. Mayfield finished with just 180 yards passing and 77 yards rushing, but accounted for three TDs. Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, the Sooners' two-headed monster at running back, ran wild with 267 yards and four TDs combined. The win clinched the outright Big 12 title for Oklahoma, its ninth - all under Bob Stoops. It very well may have clinched a berth in the College Football Playoff. The final rankings are Dec. 6 and the Sooners, who are finished playing games for now, are sure to be in the Top 4.

5B) I'm just gonna leave this right here... This is Oklahoma State.

6) Rivalry week lived up to its billing. There were many close calls, a few upsets, smiles and tears, and trophies both remaining on the same sideline and being taken away to their new homes. In-state battles provided those living within its borders a chance to gleam for the next year. Border clashes provided state teams and their fans the right to crow to their neighboring brethren. No other sport on the planet comes close to college football and the rivalries created between friends, neighbors and families. To the victors, enjoy the spoils. To the, um, losers, there's always next year.

7) There were three games over the weekend that provided even more clarity for the playoff picture. No. 7 Baylor fell to No. 19 TCU Friday night, knocking the Bears out of contention. That meant the winner between No. 3 OU and No. 11 OSU would clinch the Big 12 and have the conference's best chance at cracking the Top 4. OU did that and should be in Dallas or Miami New Year's Eve. The third was No. 9 Stanford hosting No. 6 Notre Dame.

The game lived up to its billing and was a lot of fun to watch. Back-and-forth all game, the Irish looked to secure the victory with a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining to go ahead 36-35. Kevin Hogan marched the Cardinal down the field to set up a game-winning field goal as time expired for the 38-36 win. Notre Dame has now lost on the road to two Top 10 teams by two points each. What the Irish lack is a signature win. Brian Kelly deserves a ton of credit for managing an injury-plagued roster and giving the Irish a chance to win every game. Still, Notre Dame likely ends up in a New Year's Six Bowl. Meanwhile, Stanford takes on USC, which beat crosstown rival UCLA, in the Pac-12 title game and hopes for chaos in the ACC, Big Ten and SEC.

8) Ohio State bounced back from its loss to Michigan State by trouncing rival Michigan in the Big House. The Buckeyes somehow are still in the hunt for a Playoff berth if chaos does take place. With Nos. 6 and 7 falling, it's very likely OSU moves to sixth with the loser of the Big Ten championship (Michigan State vs. Iowa) falling behind the Buckeyes in the final poll. That means Ohio State would need at least one upset in the ACC or SEC title games, maybe both. If Clemson and Alabama win, the Top 4 will be set - Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Iowa/Michigan State.

9) Quick hitters: Speaking of Sparty, MSU thrashed Penn State 55-16 en route to clinching the Big Ten East Division, setting up the matchup with Iowa next week. ... Florida's offense was MIA in a 27-2 loss to Florida State. The Seminoles could move up into the Top 10 with several teams ahead of them losing. Florida now must figure out a way to score against Alabama, or the SEC Championship will be a one-sided affair. ... Houston and Temple will duke it out for the AAC Championship next weekend. The unranked Cougars knocked off Navy 52-31, while No. 25 Temple defeated UConn 27-3. The winner potentially will be the highest ranked Group of 5 team and will earn a NY6 Bowl berth.  ... Les Miles was going to be fired. Then, he wasn't. Then, he probably was. And sometime during a 19-7 win over Texas A&M, the powers that be decided he wasn't, though, they didn't say anything and Miles was carried off the field on the shoulders of LSU players. He sang the alma mater on SEC Network, then answered the sideline reporter's questions about what that game meant to him. Then, he found out before the postgame press conference that he would continue to be LSU's coach for the foreseeable future. A non-story story because why not?

10) The Tigers are on the doorstep of history. A chance at 13 wins, something no Clemson team has every accomplished. The Tar Heels are riding an 11-game winning streak and look to spruce up their résumé with a win over the top-ranked team. The ACC Championship Game means something for the first time and it will be an epic battle. Beat North Carolina.


-BtW

The Morning After...

1) I absolutely love how this Clemson Tiger team flips the page from one week to the next. Dabo Swinney has instilled that mentality in this program, from the top down. The groundwork and foundation he laid since he took over has made the Clemson program rock solid. Folks, we've got a good one on our hands.

2) For the naysayers who felt like Clemson had been conservative or hadn't seen Deshaun Watson impress with his arm, what say you now? I saw an offense that was hungry and aggressive - 537 yards, and that was with the backup playing most of the fourth quarter. Watson threw for 265 yards and 2 TDs, and the offense looked very much in sync. Wayne Gallman had his longest run of his career (66 yards), scored twice, and went over 100 yards for the third straight game. All seven active wide receivers caught passes in the first half. To top it off, tight end Jordan Leggett caught his 3rd and 4th TDs in the last three games. It feels like the offense just started rolling and it's going to be tough to stop.

The Tiger defense suffocated Tech's triple-option Saturday.
Photo courtesy TigerNet.com

3) Can't say enough about the defense. I feel like a broken record every week, but they continually impress me. Holding Georgia Tech to its lowest rushing total, 71 yards, under Paul Johnson is a monumental task. Yes, there were breakdowns in coverage. But, against this style offense which we won't see the rest of the season, and the timing of those breakdowns (up big in the 2nd half) make them easier to handle. Correctable mistakes, for sure. But give Brent Venables and this defense all the credit for what they've done to this point.

4) Sad day on the Plains. Many Sooner fans have grown tired of seeing the same story play out from Bob Stoops. I'll come out and say it, I think Stoops has a sense of entitlement, of which he earned from his first 10 years on the job, but has lost over the past 4-5 years. However, I think he still thinks he's entitled and shouldn't be questioned. The OU beat reporters need to start questioning him or those who make decisions to keep him. Stop right there with the "Well if you get rid of Stoops, who else are you going to get that's better?" If the Oklahoma football head coaching job becomes vacant, there will be plenty of top notch coaches banging down the door. Yesterday was another chapter in the long, embarrassing book of losses for OU under Stoops, particularly since 2010. If the Sooners are headed to another 8-9 win season, expect the chatter to begin.

5) What happened in the great state of South Carolina a week ago will not soon be forgotten. To all my friends and family still dealing with that mess, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Big props to LSU and the people of Louisiana for their hospitality toward South Carolina this week. From the offering of ticket sales revenue back to the University to the billboards welcoming Gamecocks to Baton Rouge to playing "2001" and the USC fight song prior to the game ... Yes, even as a Clemson fan, it meant a lot that you would go to the lengths you did. A sincere "Thank you!" to all in Purple & Gold. 

6) On to more football... Seriously, is anyone going to score on Michigan?!?!

7) When the polls come out later today and Ohio State is still No. 1, just remember the only poll that matters is the one released on Nov. 3. And to be honest, that one doesn't matter either. The only one that does is the final Playoff Committee Poll. So what the coaches and AP poll voters have to say means absolutely nothing. The Buckeyes struggled with Maryland, putting them away late and winning 49-28 at home. ICYMI: Maryland got hammered by West Virginia, 45-6, and was blanked by Michigan, 28-0. Oh yea, and Bowling Green beat Maryland by the same margin as Ohio State. Remember, Florida State did the same underwhelming thing last year and was never ranked No. 1 in the Playoff Poll. #DropTheBucks (Blog note: I'll be releasing my weekly Top 10 beginning Monday)

8) Craziness ensued in the night games. TCU needed a double-digit comeback to win at K-State. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State allowed West Virginia to send their game to OT before the Cowboys escaped Morgantown with the win. FSU dodged another bullet after allowing Miami to take a 4th quarter lead. Michigan State needed a 4th down spike by Rutgers to lock up the Spartans win. That set up the big one in The Big House next week when Michigan State goes to Michigan. 

9) Some other quick hitters: Mark Richt and the Bulldogs "Georgia'd" again. Also, see #4 above. ... The Heartbreak Huskers are at it again. I believe they are trying to find the most excruciating way to lose. ... Texas' win was a big one for Charlie Strong. Could that be the turning point for the Horns? Or will it be the lone bright spot in a bowl-less season? ... FSU remained undefeated and should continue to do so ahead of the Noles' big matchup at Clemson. Dalvin Cook looks every bit as good as LSU's Leonard Fournette. ... Late night in the Pac-12 with Utah fending off Cal to stay undefeated and in the Top 5.

10) Homecoming in Tiger Town next weekend. One of the best times to be on campus. Wish I could be there. Beat Boston College.

-BtW