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YOUR BALANCE
So could Clemson beat Tenn
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So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 1, 2022, 10:17 PM

if they had to play tomorrow?

They'd have to play pretty flawless ball, for sure, and that takes it aaaaalllll the way full-circle back to whether DJ can stand and deliver when the pressure's on.

I just dont think he's a big-time QB. And maybe he doesnt have to be, team sport and all.

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We absolutely could beat Tennessee tomorrow.


Nov 1, 2022, 10:22 PM

I don’t think we would though.

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


Re: We absolutely could beat Tennessee tomorrow.


Nov 1, 2022, 10:23 PM

Why not?

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A couple of reasons.


Nov 1, 2022, 11:07 PM

First, I don’t think our defense could consistently stop their offense. They are averaging 49.8 points per game over the last five games. Four of those games were against SEC teams, and two of those were against top 15 teams.

Our defense is good, but inconsistent. We are especially vulnerable against the pass. The chances of us holding Tennessee under 30 points seem slim. I wouldn’t even feel good about holding them under 40.

I don’t think our offense is likely to do well if we get into a track meet against them. We aren’t a quick strike, big play type offense. We are slow and methodical. That’s not good in a game where 40 points is probably needed to be competitive.

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


Re: A couple of reasons.


Nov 2, 2022, 7:29 AM

When our D plays we can beat anyone on the planet...think we may be a little weak at linebacker and that was to be our strong suit...maybe not a physical issue but a mental one...unusual for Brent and Dabo may be a transition between Dabo& company!

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"When our D plays we can beat anyone on the planet."


Nov 2, 2022, 10:22 AM

I just don't see the consistency in this defense that some of our previous defenses have had.

Our current national ranks are:

-21st in points scored against (right at 20 points per game)
-27th in yards allowed (332 yards per game)
-7th in rushing yards allowed (88 yards per game)
-86th in passing yards allowed (245 yards per game)

We're great against the run, but below average against the pass. That's concerning against a team like Tennessee. We haven't faced an offense like theirs this season, and there is nothing our defense has shown us this year that suggests that we would be able to stop them with any consistency.

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


Re: "When our D plays we can beat anyone on the planet."


Nov 2, 2022, 11:55 AM

Yeah I don't see the "world beater" traits of previous Ds in this year's version.

It'd be hard - no, impossible - to keep up with Tennessee in a scoring match. See also Bama, who's 14th-best D leaked like a sieve against them. And we don't have Bryce Young on the other side of the ball.

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Re: A couple of reasons.


Nov 2, 2022, 7:33 AM [ in reply to A couple of reasons. ]

it would probably look a bit like the wake forest game. whoever has the ball last wins.

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I agree that it would probably be a higher scoring game.


Nov 2, 2022, 10:24 AM

Tennessee's defense is almost identical to Wake's when you look at points allowed and total yards allowed.

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


Re: A couple of reasons.


Nov 2, 2022, 8:20 AM [ in reply to A couple of reasons. ]

I bet on defense more than an offense.

A good defense can hold a 45 point + "best ever" SEC champ to 16 points. Heck, this team looks more like 16 Louisville than anybody and that can easily make for a 2-3 game late season slide.

UT's defense can't sustain itself. You can't keep winning based on offense alone - our 19 & 20 teams know that.

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Re: A couple of reasons.


Nov 2, 2022, 8:44 AM [ in reply to A couple of reasons. ]

Uh....we are particularly vulnerable against the run. Have been all year. Wake was the only game where our pass defense was really bad.

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Screw Calford.


You might want to check the stats again.


Nov 2, 2022, 10:28 AM

We are top 10 nationally against the run.

Passing defense is where we struggle. We are currently ranked in the 80s nationally in passing yards allowed, which isn't good.

You can click on a category to see how teams rank:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2022-team-defense.html

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


A slow methodical offense can actually be very effective...


Nov 2, 2022, 10:27 AM [ in reply to A couple of reasons. ]

against opponents who tend to score a bunch. It limits the opponent's possessions and keeps your defense fresh. Now if we can't sustain those drives, or we don't come away with points, it can get ugly.

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"I've played multiple sports and would bet any amount that I'm still more athletic than you at this present time...."


Good point.


Nov 2, 2022, 10:32 AM

I agree in theory. I just don't think our defense will be able to get enough stops to allow for a methodical offense to score enough.

Tennessee's lowest point output this year was 34 points. Even if we think we have the best defense they have faced, and hold them to 30 - which I don't find likely - do we think we would score 30 on them? I'm not sure we would.

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


I think we are 3 points better than Pitt...


Nov 2, 2022, 10:35 AM

and they scored 27. I haven't watched enough Tennessee to get a good feel for their defense though.

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"I've played multiple sports and would bet any amount that I'm still more athletic than you at this present time...."


Re: I think we are 3 points better than Pitt...


Nov 2, 2022, 11:22 AM

So if we apply that logic to Clemson and Notre Dame vs. Syracuse.......

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Re: We absolutely could beat Tennessee tomorrow.


Nov 2, 2022, 5:24 PM [ in reply to Re: We absolutely could beat Tennessee tomorrow. ]

Their offense is too good for our underperforming defense. Our inconsistent offense is not good enough to overcome their big offensive plays.

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There is not any team out there we could not beat at least


Nov 1, 2022, 11:02 PM [ in reply to We absolutely could beat Tennessee tomorrow. ]

half of the time if we played our best football for 4 quarters. We have yet to do that, or even come close. Based on that, I think there are also a lot of teams capable of beating us on any given day, and there are 5 or 6 that I'd give an edge to over us until something changes, and one of those is TENN.

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"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."
- H. L. Mencken


I do wonder if a team goes basically an entire season


Nov 2, 2022, 9:51 AM

without "playing their best football for four quarters" that maybe, at some point, you just have to accept that that IS the best four quarters that they are capable of playing. I'm not saying we've reached that point yet, but i do think this team has something to prove down the stretch.

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I agree. We have an 8 game sample to look at this year.


Nov 2, 2022, 10:33 AM

That isn't an insignificant number of data points.

At some point, we must stop using excuses to explain away our performance and acknowledge the fact that this is who we are.

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


Re: We absolutely could beat Tennessee tomorrow.


Nov 2, 2022, 2:29 PM [ in reply to We absolutely could beat Tennessee tomorrow. ]

If Pitt can play them close we and UGA would beat them.

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No. Maybe by the playoffs if this team starts


Nov 1, 2022, 10:27 PM

playing 4 qtrs together, but right now, no.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 1, 2022, 10:42 PM

Their best is better than our best but if they didnt play their best we might hace a chance.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 1, 2022, 10:59 PM

It’s irrelevant if we could beat them tomorrow…we don’t play them tomorrow.

What matters is if we can beat them if and when we play them. This team will be entirely different 5 weeks from now. Or we could lay an egg in south bend and it’s over, who knows.

The season has a real 2016 feel to it, IMO. We didn’t win pretty, but we won.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 10:37 AM

I don't agree with the 2016 comparison. This team doesn't have the firepower of 2016. I simply don't see gamebreakers like Mike Williams, Hunter Renfrow, Artavis Scott, Deion Cain Jordan Leggett, etc.

I'm not knocking the guys now, and I'm not saying they can't beat any particular team. I'm just saying that the explosive component of 2016 simply isn't there this year.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 5:27 PM

Easy to see. Ditto

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+1. And more importantly ...


Nov 2, 2022, 7:39 PM [ in reply to Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn ]

You sure as he 11 do not see DW4.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 1, 2022, 11:14 PM

literally no way of knowing

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You’re asking the totally wrong question


Nov 1, 2022, 11:19 PM

Could Tennessee beat us tomorrow in Death Valley?
It’s think not.

We’ve proven ourselves with the longest winning streak in college football, and the long streak at home winning.

Dabo has always shown an ability for his teams to be ready for the biggest of teams. We have more Talent than Tennessee overall, and more experience winning big games.

We have the best game coach in college football in Dabo Swinney.

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We keep getting better & better everyday, in every way!
“The only disability is a bad Attitude” Dabo Swinney!!
Let’s Go Tigers!


Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 1, 2022, 11:48 PM

Any given Saturday. Defense wins football games and ours is top notch.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 3:23 AM

No telling.

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Pittsburgh took Tennessee to overtime


Nov 2, 2022, 7:19 AM

so yes

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You're assuming Tenn hasn't gotten any better***


Nov 2, 2022, 9:48 AM



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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 8:39 AM

Not unless they had a "Wake Forest" moment with 6 turn overs in a single quarter. Right now they are executing on all cylinders. Very similar to LSU in 2019 with Burrow.

If we played I think it would be similar to the Kelly Bryant Clemson vs. Alabama in the 2018 Sugar Bowl. We were a good team. But we weren't the level to win a national championship like the following year. Right now Tennessee has 'it'. But so does Ohio State and maybe Georgia. We'll see after this weekend. THIS is why I love college football. The next 3 or 4 weeks are going to be incredible,

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not today, but maybe by year end


Nov 2, 2022, 8:48 AM

I just don’t think our secondary is good enough today to keep them out of the endzone.

You have got to be able to play a mix press man and zone coverages against a team like Tennessee. Haven’t seen us put together a complete game yet with tight press man against a decent qb.

I think 4 more games with a secondary at full strength will answer a lot of questions.

I think our defensive line will also have to play to their potential and get really good pressure. No doubt we have the taken to do that, but we are just lacking some effort and consistency there (not just me saying that, but Dabo Goodwin and Eason have been candid about that too)

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not today, but maybe by year end


Nov 2, 2022, 8:48 AM

I just don’t think our secondary is good enough today to keep them out of the endzone.

You have got to be able to play a mix press man and zone coverages against a team like Tennessee. Haven’t seen us put together a complete game yet with tight press man against a decent qb.

I think 4 more games with a secondary at full strength will answer a lot of questions.

I think our defensive line will also have to play to their potential and get really good pressure. No doubt we have the taken to do that, but we are just lacking some effort and consistency there (not just me saying that, but Dabo Goodwin and Eason have been candid about that too)

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Tenn is FAR better than anyone we have played so far


Nov 2, 2022, 9:34 AM

So, maybe that alone should answer your question.

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Could? Yes


Nov 2, 2022, 9:47 AM

Would? Probably not.

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Yes


Nov 2, 2022, 10:31 AM

Assuming all defensive starters are healthy and ready to go.

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Re: Yes


Nov 2, 2022, 11:03 AM

Yes
Absolutely….

Would we win in a shootout? Likely not - but why assume we’d engage in a shootout?

This isn’t Dabo’s first rodeo….

It will be interesting to see how Tenn fares against UGA…

UGA will be the best defense they’ve played all season…

If not for UGA - we’d be be the best defense Tenn played…

The SEC is the new Big 12….offensive firepower - definitely- but on defense…meh ..

People here keep comparing Tenn to our ‘16 team….to me they are more like our 2000 team with Rich Rodriguez running the offense….

Lots of flash on offense ….fun to watch…until we played someone with a defense….

We made it to number 5 that year ….in October …
Then we got exposed…

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Re: Yes


Nov 2, 2022, 2:45 PM

We absolutely could, but won’t play them as they’ll lose bad to UGA Saturday and then we will re-evaluate as UGA will be #1.

Remember, 2016 everyone was negative on Clemson during the season (weak conference, barely winning, almost lost to Troy, lost to Pitt). By the end of that season we were champs, the acc won head to head vs sec overall and was clearly the best conference, won virtually every major individual award Heisman etc and on and on).

The sec narrative has everyone believing Tennessee is special, really it’s to get everyone riled up for views/clicks etc.

The truth is the SEC is down overall, especially from last season. The ACC is up. I’m not ready to say we are a better conference this year because it’s inconclusive, but unranked FSU beat #10 LSU who is tied for the lead in the SEC West and gets Bama at home under the lights.

You could have an sec championship game in which LSU and Tenn play and both teams played close or lost to unranked middle of the pack ACC teams.

BTW I’m no conference homer for ACC, we mostly suck as a football conference (or “underperform”), most years.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 4:08 PM

We Absolutely can beat Tennessee.

It’s All about QB play. Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ohio State QBs we’re neutralized in some of our earlier championship runs and they were held High by Everyone just like this guy. If we put pressure on him, and we can, he’s no different.

Another point: All the comments about not having the fire power we had in 2016 is meritless. Put DW4 on this team and I would argue he has better backs, a better line, comparable TE certainly better depth at TE, and a comparable stable of WRs. (We don’t have MW81 I’m not blind). So the only argument really is DJ and his level of play. Again, his line and backs are better.

So IF DJ is on top of his game we can beat them No Doubt.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 4:11 PM

We'd get boat raced tomorrow.

Two months from now maybe.

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 4:22 PM

So maybe is your answer because the only way we play would be two months from now

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 4:29 PM

No

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Re: So could Clemson beat Tenn


Nov 2, 2022, 5:25 PM

Yep

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