Paul A. Esden Sr. Contributor (1-1)
I know my adoring fans wait all week for this so I will not disappoint you. How did the Clemson Tigers get their name you ask? In 1896 Coach Walter Merritt Riggs took the name from his alma mater Auburn University. Yikes so in a defacto way the Clemson mascot is an illegitimate child of Auburn.
Now that may sound bad (and it does) but it is a shade better than their previous mascot ‘the Southern Gentlemen’; which was a student wearing a purple suit matching top hat and cane.
But I digress ….
Now let’s talk about Saturday night’s game.
The insider information on this game is not that the Orange is the New Fast is 28 point underdogs at home or that they are coming off a beatdown at the hands of a mud turtle.
No, what the Orange accomplished last week was almost inconceivable prior to the game. They gave Clemson a reason to overlook them. Any coaching staff watching game film of last week would struggle to have areas for concern, especially on defense.
Now this is significant as we all know Syracuse has put the team from Death Valley into a tizzy the past two years in a row. Winning 119 out of 120 minutes, winning one of those games and both times knocking out their starting quarterback. In summary, after last weeks game, the Orange have nothing to lose and can go out and let it all hang out.
Insights:
- Lost in the visual of Tommy DeVito looking indecisive and lost at times versus Maryland was the fact that his completion percentage was 71.8 percent, he threw for 330 yards and a touchdown. Marring these flashes of brilliance was moments of throwing the ball away without a real attempt to keep the play alive that we all saw at the end of the game. Bottom line this kid has talent but needs some blocking and playcalling help.
- The defense needs to step up and wrap up, back to basics.
- Dome intangibles, Orange Nation and Otto need to rock the Loud House.
Onto the prediction.
Good news is there is nowhere to go after last week but improve. The bad news is this is the undisputed No. 1 team in the nation for many reasons. I think the Dome works its magic and makes this a win over the top team in the country in a barn burner. I have this one 56-55. Be Loud, Be Proud, Be ORANGE!