(This post also appears at the new TheeSportsBlog.com)Call me crazy, but here are three reasons why State will win tomorrow:
1. Kyle Parker will have a bad game: Yeah, he's good. He's also a freshman, and though he threw four TDs against FSU last weekend, he managed to only toss one score against two picks against lowly Coastal Carolina. So if you're a believer in the on-again, off-again theory, tomorrow would fall in the "off-again" portion of the rotation.
2. State's defense will play inspired football: If I didn't lose you at the title of the post or during point #1, I'm probably going to lose you here. Yes, I think State's defense will rise to the occasion and play the kind of defensive football needed to win. What does that mean, specifically? It doesn't mean State will completely shut down the Tigers, but I think the Pack will generate a turnover or two and slow C.J. Spiller down enough to limit him to a merely awesome 150ish yards. The probable return of Ray Michel to the interior of State's linebacking corps will bolster State's defensive attack. The Pack won't shut out the Tigers, but they'll build upon holding the Terrapins to 17 offensive points last week to limit the Tigers to 17-24 points. That'll be good enough to win.
3. Frankly, this is just what happens in the ACC: Clemson has everything to play for; State has virtually nothing to play for. In the ACC, that's a recipe for an upset if there ever was one. In a noon game, in Raleigh, and despite the fact that everything logically points to Clemson taking care of business, I think this is the perfect game for ACC teams to do what ACC teams do: exactly what you don't expect.
you always want to play Clemson late. I'm hopin it's time for their annual late season swoon.
ReplyDeleteI see State holding em in check for the first half but Clemson wears us down and breaks for a big play or two in the second half to win by 10-14 points. Although your prediction would make me happy, I just don't see us having the horses to completely shut them down.
ReplyDelete"I just don't see us having the horses to completely shut them down."
ReplyDeleteThat's PRECISELY why we will!
Reverse mojo, me likey!!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more James... State always does what you'd never expect. Right when you expect a big season, cue the rug being pulled out from under us all... but right when we expect to get the final nail in the coffin on the "fall on your face" season, they pull of a huge win. (So if we're expecting us to pull off the unexpected, does that ruin our chances??)
ReplyDeleteoh well
ReplyDeleteThat turned out about how I expected...not good.
ReplyDeleteSo much for your prediction. Better get a blog on cooking or something because you fail at the internet.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for reading Jack! Without douchebags ERRRRRRRR readers like you, the internet wouldn't be the wild and crazy place it is that I apparently fail at so miserably.
ReplyDelete