Saturday November 29, 2008

Clemson vs USC Prediction by Rev O

Wanted to get this out today because I'll be too full of ….. Turkey tomorrow to get this out.

A little off on the score last week but they still beat the spread as I thought they would. I enjoyed being at the game and the results made the beer go down easier after the game. Hat's off to the UVA fans for a memorable experience. They were gracious and very tolerable of all the Tiger fans that were at the game. Now on to the Coots. This is a tough one. Always is no matter what the rankings are. USC won the last time they paid a visit to TigerTown. From a statistical standpoint you have two offenses that are not very good going against two defenses that are ranked high nationally in pass defense. With the exception of last weeks implosion at the hands of Florida, the USC defense has been top notch. USC can be compared to FSU in terms of ability and speed. I can guarantee that Spurrier is itching to ruin the Tiger's bid for a bowl game. The Coots are already bowl bound so no worries for them in that department. They can go out and play with reckless abandon and see how the cards fall. The Tigers, on the other hand, need to win this game to go bowling during the holidays.

When Clemson has the ball: Advantage South Carolina

Clemson Scoring Offense is 67th in the nation. USC Scoring Defense is 23rd in the nation.
Clemson Total Offense is 85th in the nation. USC Total Defense is 11th in the nation.
Clemson Rushing Offense is 97th in the nation. USC Rushing Defense is 35th in the nation.
Clemson Passing Offense is 53rd in the nation. USC Pass Defense is 2nd in the nation.

Clemson is out ranked in all categories but that's OK. They have been there before and put points on the board. Harper was 20-35-1 for 267 yds against a good FSU defense and FSU boasts the #4 pass defense in the nation. Clemson has a lot of tools at their disposal - Spiller, Davis, Kelley, Ford and Grisham. They will need to use all available assets to get points on the board while the O-line does a better job than they did in the FSU game of protecting Harper. I think the key will be keeping the sacks to a minimum. I think that this will be the fifth game that the O-line has not changed so they should start melding together. The Coot defense is led by defensive back Emanuel Cook, who has 81 tackles, 23 more than any other Gamecock. Eric Norwood is second in tackles with 58, but has nine sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss to go with two fumble recoveries. Marvin Sapp is another outstanding defender with 57 tackles. Jasper Brinkley is also a top flight linebacker with 45 tackles in 11 games. Look for Dabo to mix it up but depend on the pass. Davis and Spiller have had success on the ground against the Coots and the Coot defense is only ranked 35th in the nation so who knows. This could be the surprise.

When South Carolina has the ball: Advantage Clemson

USC Scoring Offense is 84th in the nation. Clemson Scoring Defense is 13th in the nation.
USC Total Offense is 96th in the nation. Clemson Total Defense is 15th in the nation.
USC Rushing Offense is 108th in the nation. Clemson Rushing Defense is 46th in the nation.
USC Passing Offense is 54th in the nation. Clemson Pass Defense is 5th in the nation.

Clemson has held its last two opponents to seven points or less and under 200 yards of total offense. The Coot offense is not strong and they still have not settled in on one QB. Smelley will start but look for Garcia to play. Garcia plays well when he sits in the pocket but his tendency is to scramble out of the pocket and that is his weakness. They don't run the ball well and they have an average pass offense. Look for Spurrier to get creative in order to score points. Ricky Sapp is out with a knee injury sustained in the UVA game. In fact, he went out late in the second quarter and did not return but the defense was able to pick it up a notch and play well without him. Kevin Alexander will start in his place and Da'Quan Bowers will get the start at the other end position. Both play well at DE but the backups are questionable so they will need to stay healthy. I don't see the Coot offense moving the ball easily against the Tiger defense. This could be a low scoring game much like the UVA game. Count on the pass defense to hold their own again.

Special Teams: Advantage Clemson

It's time for a break out run by CJ!!

Intangibles: Advantage Even

Spurrier scares me. I don't like him. He carries a chip on his shoulder. But he's a quality coach. Dabo is still real green in the head coach category. USC beat Clemson the last time they came to town. The Rock is still at the top of the hill.

Prediction:

It's a close one but Buchholz pulls it out in OT.

Clemson 20 USC 17 (Overtime)

Go Tigers!!

Reverend Optimistic