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Webmaster [∞]
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Mickey Plyler's Blog: More Answers Than Questions
Aug 21, 2012, 11:54 AM
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More Answers Than Questions
More Answers Than Questions This is the time of year where I get the opportunity to speak at events and preview the upcoming football season. Last week I was in Charleston. This week we have a preview radio show in Clemson. Monday I will be at a Clemson Young Alumni function in Greenvill
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Rival Killer [2745]
TigerPulse: 92%
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Don't forget
Aug 21, 2012, 12:24 PM
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We beat - handily - a pretty darn good Va Tech team at a neutral site for the Championship. As bad as the end of last season was, you can't just ignore that game. It was, in my opinion, one our top 3 most complete games of the season. I'd be very happy at 9-3, but I think 10-2 is a real possibility for this team. Go Tigers!!
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Hall of Famer [9036]
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Not happy with 9-3 is SC is one of the three!!! Would....
Aug 21, 2012, 12:39 PM
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rather be 8-4 with a SC win than 9-3 without.
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All-TigerNet [11934]
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Losing again to SCAR is not an option regardless of record.
Aug 21, 2012, 1:00 PM
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Personally, for me ... no matter what else we achieve this coming year, if we don't right the ship against SCAR, the off-season is once again going to be absolutely dismal.
Maybe ... just maybe winning all of our other games and winning the Orange Bowl might make a 4th consecutive loss to SCAR palatable.
Nah! Not going to happen.
Losing to them again is just not an option!
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Varsity [100]
TigerPulse: 93%
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Re: Losing again to SCAR is not an option regardless of record.
Aug 21, 2012, 1:03 PM
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I completely agree here.
A lot of folks seem to deny that that game matters. They say that winning the ACC Championship is more important.
I think that's very debatable given the circumstances. And I agree that we must beat SC this year.
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All-TigerNet [5906]
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Where Beating Your Rival Ranks
Aug 21, 2012, 1:49 PM
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It doesn't matter what school you speak of, the only logical order of goal priorities is:
(1) winning each weekly game (2) winning the division (3) winning the Conference (4) winning every game (including your rival) (4) winning the National title
No other order makes sense to a program. Period.
Beating your rival can NOT come before winning your conference. Otherwise, you may never have a shot at the ultimate goal.
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Rival Killer [2790]
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So you're saying S Car == Ball State?***
Aug 21, 2012, 2:03 PM
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All-TigerNet [11934]
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Yeah, right! Check the attitude among T-Netters if and when
Aug 21, 2012, 2:31 PM
[ in reply to Where Beating Your Rival Ranks ] |
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we lose a 4th straight to SCAR.
Naw ... realistically to any Tiger fan who is honest, this is how it goes.
1. Beat SCAR 2. Win each game 3. Win division 4. Win conference 5. Gain BCS bowl bid 6. Win BCS bowl 7. Play for national title 8. Win national title
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Oculus Spirit [41703]
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I agree with apex, beating the coots is highest priority
Aug 22, 2012, 8:19 AM
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or we could be like them. They always claimed the game wasn't that important when we were whippin that ####. Now that they own us the last three years, does the game not matter all of a sudden? Of course it does, it is still the most important game on our schedule as of right now. If we make it to the conference championship game, then that game becomes more important. But right now, the championship game is not on our schedule. The same goes for BCS games.
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Clemson Icon [26697]
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AU-burn is the most important game on the schedule. That
Aug 22, 2012, 8:46 AM
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has to be the approach the entire season. Always the next game. If you don't, then they didn't learn anything from last year's late slide. Consistency is the key to building championship teams and avoiding the monicker of "pulling a Clemson". I can't stand the product I've seen against SC the last few years but in the overall picture, momentum throughout the season is best way to change this year's outcome. Start right and keep building.
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Paw Master [16757]
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Re: Where Beating Your Rival Ranks
Aug 22, 2012, 8:13 AM
[ in reply to Where Beating Your Rival Ranks ] |
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If you're doing #1 on your list, the rest are pretty much assured, unless we were to get hosed by not being in the NC game. But, I don't have an issue with some of your logic.
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Campus Hero [13429]
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9-3 would be a pretty good record considering the ? marks
Aug 21, 2012, 1:24 PM
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surrounding o-line, depth issues on both lines, and the schedule.
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Athletic Dir [1143]
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Re: 9-3 would be a pretty good record considering the ? marks
Aug 21, 2012, 2:14 PM
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I believe we had more question marks prior to the beginning of last year than we do prior to the beginning of this year. I predict 10 wins.
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Valley Protector [1463]
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Re: Mickey Plyler's Blog: More Answers Than Questions
Aug 21, 2012, 1:34 PM
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I agree with those who say our record, whatever it is, must include a win over SC. I would say 8-4 is most likely but could be anywhere between 7-5 and 10-2. That's a huge difference I know but there are just too many uncertainties going into this season.
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All-TigerNet [5906]
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More Questions Than Answers? Really?
Aug 21, 2012, 1:42 PM
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I too think 9-3 is realistic, but my car has more tires than it does engines. Pretty sure yours does too. But that doesn't mean it's going to run any faster than the engine can push it. In football, the engine is the offensive line and the secondary. It doesn't matter how many tires we have (skill players) -- it's the engine that concerns us all. So while we may have more answers than questions, those few questions will require some overhauling and repair before our tires will turn. Otherwise, 9-3 will be a pretty lofty goal.
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All-Conference [405]
TigerPulse: 100%
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This could be the ghost of 2008 all over again
Aug 21, 2012, 7:10 PM
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...minus the coaching disaster early in the year.
In '08 everyone thought we were wonderful (pre-season). We were loaded at skill positions (Spiller, Davis, Kelly, Ford, Palmer) and Cullen Harper was pre-season ACC player of the year. Our defense had talent but was thin at LB and DL.
Started the year #9. Finished 7-6. Great skill wasted because we didn't have enough line support. Granted, poor coaching and staff turnover was a MAJOR issue that year, but we even good coaches can't win championships with no big fat uglies up front.
...but we did beat USuCk that year.
I trust our coaches 100x more this year than I did in 2008, but I'm expecting 8-4 to 10-2 depending on the outcome of the Auburn and VT games. USuCk will be a win this year. These seniors will not lose 4 in a row to the cluckers.
Next year will be when Dabo and friends take things to another level. This team will be scary good next year.
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CU Guru [1898]
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It is clear now with Clemson
Aug 21, 2012, 5:50 PM
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fans that the USC game this year is a MUST win. Yes, the conference championship is the top goal but that goal should never get in the way of whipping the coots. Why do we ever ask the question, "what is better - winning the conference or beating USC?" We want to do both every year. This year the USC game looms as a must win for sure. Our seniors have never beaten them. That abysmal record is going to end in the Valley this year!
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Fan [55]
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Re: Mickey Plyler's Blog: More Answers Than Questions
Aug 21, 2012, 8:06 PM
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You are right Mickey. I agree with your prediction. Every year I say: "Nine and three and USC is good enough for me." I am just being realistic. We got spoiled in the Ford era. Clemson has had no other stretch like that in its 100+ year history. Historically, Clemson is a 7-5 team.
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Athletic Dir [1158]
TigerPulse: 79%
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Evidently Mickey posted this before watching
Aug 21, 2012, 8:10 PM
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the Venables video.
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Hall of Famer [8301]
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Mickey 9-3 would be a complete disaster of a season
Aug 21, 2012, 9:05 PM
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Hear me out - we are preseason 14th. The only currently ranked teams we play are FSU, VT, SC. So youre saying we lose to all the ranked teams on the schedule - meaning we beat no one, dont win the conference, lose to the worthless coots for a fourth year in a row, and finish up with probably the tire bowl. Sounds like a disaster to me. Same old Clemson. I sure hope you are way off.
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Game Changer [1800]
TigerPulse: 67%
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I agree. 9-3 is a good guess, but Bowdenesque disappointment
Aug 23, 2012, 3:54 PM
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At this early point...
There is only ONE team on the schedule (FSU) that has clearly superior player talent and will likely be favored.
There are EIGHT teams on the schedule (Ball St, Furman, BC, GT, WF, Duke, UMD, & NCSU) that have clearly inferior talent and will likely be unranked underdogs.
SCar has comparable talent but will likely be favored.
Auburn & VT have comparable talent but will likely be underdogs.
I think 9-3 is a good guess, but should Clemson really lose 3 games?
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Mascot [24]
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Re: Mickey Plyler's Blog: More Answers Than Questions
Aug 21, 2012, 9:26 PM
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There is a lot of talk about losing to South Carolina "not being an option" this year. I want to beat'em as bad as anybody and I frankly would trade an ACC title for a win this year.
But the reality is the Shamecocks are at a higher level than ever before. A few years ago Spurrier advised the fanbase to be patient and wins over the Tigers would come as they built the program and that has proven to be true.
I am confident we can get back on top in this rivalry but blowing everything up if we don't win this year would be a mistake. We have depth problems because we are still working to overcome the small 2009 class. But by next year that should no longer be an issue.
I am hoping for a win, but I'm prepared to stay the course this year if we don't. 2013 is another story...
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