Clemson Tigers are 10/1 odds longshot to reach the ACC Title Game according to oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com.It’s been a number of years since I last regularly covered Clemson football, but from past experience I can assure you one thing. The natives are restless in the Piedmont where the Clemson Tiger roars. Expectations at Clemson are not difficult to understand. First you must win at least nine regular season games and of those nine, South Carolina had better be one of them. Clemson is always expected to be in a bowl game at seasons end and a trip to Boise or Nashville are not what the locals have in mind. It had better be somewhere in the Florida sunshine. Of course any BCS Bowl location would be more than acceptable. The bad news for the Tiger in 2007 is it isn’t expected to come close enough to sniff a BCS Bowl or a post-season invite to anything in Florida. Unfortunately, the Tigers don’t have two or three cream puffs to open the season with so the young players can hone their skills prior to entering conference play. Clemson opens its season in a nationally televised (ESPN) game against Florida State in Death Valley.
Coach Tommy Bowden is on the hot seat coming into this season and his immediate prospects aren’t good. Bowden will be tasked with finding a suitable replacement for departed quarterback Will Procter as well as completely rebuilding the offensive line. At least with the line he has an anchor to construct a line around in returning All-ACC left tackle Barry Richardson.
The battle for the starting quarterback position is between red-shirt junior Cullen Harper (6-4, 215 lb) and incoming freshman Willy Korn (6-2, 200 lb). Korn, a native of Lymon, SC comes to campus rated as one of the top high school signal callers in the nation in 2006. Korn was rated as the No 5 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com, the No.25 prospect in the nation according to Tom Lemming, and the No. 7 quarterback in the nation according to SuperPrep. Of course all the high school accolades don’t mean a thing once the pads start to pop on the college campus.
Fortunately, Clemson is blessed with the best running back tandem in the ACC with returning All-ACC tail-backs James Davis and sophomore C.J. Spiller. Davis and Spiller finished 5th nationally as a rushing tandem in 2006.
Offensive coordinator Brad Scott likes what he sees with the progress of tight end Akeem Robinson, who according to coaches, has the potential to do it all. Scott also expects to see juniors Aaron Kelly and Rendrick Taylor to be a major part of the rotation. Any of these guys will provide a deep threat to any defense.
Sophomore Ricky Sapp will have huge shoes to fill with the departure of NFL first round pick Gaines Adams at defensive end. Sapp has garnered much praise from coaches in the early going of fall camp. Defensive tackle Rashaad Jackson will join Sapp as part of the defensive line anchor. Jackson was perhaps the most productive second-team defensive player over the last two years.
Having a solid place kicker is always special and Clemson has a long tradition of having great kickers. Blessed with a good soccer program, coaches don’t have to go far to find a suitable leg and it’s no different with PK Mark Buchholz. He is also the starting midfielder on the Tiger’s soccer team.
The prognosis , while not ideal does have its bright spots. The talent pool brought in by Bowden is very good. The success Clemson enjoys this season will depend on how quickly the inexperienced but talented players step up. However, Labor Day isn’t far off and that’s when things really heat up.
