Posted by Block-C Staff

#13 Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC) @ Georgia Tech (2-2, 0-2 ACC) Saturday, September 29th, 3:30 PM EST, ABC HD, XM 191.

The Line: Clemson -3

Edge goes to:

Offense: Clemson

Defense: Push

Special Teams: Clemson

Intangibles: Georgia Tech, Georgia Tech, Georgia Tech

Our Panel of Sandwich Artists & Occasional Pigskin Prognosticators Say:

Seigler: I’ve been confident every game so far this season, that Clemson would find a way to win. Tommy Bowden’s new philosophy of “finish the job” seems to be working, and I think we’ve finally shown a little, by the game last week, that we’re not just getting lucky. I hate to say it, but I think the fun might end this weekend.I thought that when we got to this point in the season we’d find ourselves playing a top 10 ranked Tech team, and not one which finds themselves 0-2 in the ACC. I think them losing to Virginia will have a profound effect on this game. Tech’s players probably know that they shouldn’t be at .500 right now and need a big win this week to sort of save their season. While this game won’t be hyped up the way it was last year, I still think this is perhaps the most important game of the season. We should win this game, we should win it easily, but I have a feeling we might find a way to lose this. I’m equating this game to the one we lost to BC last year. We went up to Boston and lost to a team we shouldn’t have, ruining what could have been a perfect start. Here we outclass this team, but for some reason I can’t wrap my mind around this being an easy victory. I think our ability to win this game will depend on our defense, which has been mediocre at best this year. We need to stop the run, I’m hoping that we can do to Choice what we did to Calvin Johnson last year, and hold him to some goose eggs. If not this will be a hard fought win, if a win at all. Clemson will need to really step it up this week, this to me is our final test, if we win this game, I’ll say we deserve to be a top 10 team. Right now, I don’t think we do. Still I think Davis and Spiller will carry us to victory this week. Don’t expect this one to be a blowout

Clemson 31 GA Tech 28

FORGET THAT CAN OF WHOOP-ASS

Chili: If this Clemson team was like the ones of the past four or so years, they would’ve gone up to Raleigh and dropped one to the Pack. While they met that challenge, I’m still not convinced this team is different than the good old Tigers who lose one they shouldn’t and win one they shouldn’t. Bowden’s Law, let’s call this. If this still holds true, the Tigers will lose to GT this weekend, and maybe by more than a touchdown. Tashard Choice will be back from an injury and Tech is still seething from the way we cold-cocked them last year in Death Valley. I can see a loss here; it’s a very real possibility. Out of this game, Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Boston College, I think we go 3-1 at absolute best. 1-3 would just about hold true to Bowden’s Law. I think, however, our talent level is high enough to eclipse the normal pitfalls, and I think we manage to pull a victory from the jaws of defeat against Tech, to use a hacky sports cliche.

I normally hate it when prognosticators make up big scenarios for games instead of just predicting a score, but I’m going to go against my better judgment and do just that. The 2001 Clemson-GT game was on ESPN Classic this week, and I’m throwing back to it for my prediction. Much like that game, it goes to overtime. GT kicks a field goal, but when the Tigers get the ball, James Davis takes it to the house in front of friends and family and wins the game. Vegas set the over/under on this game at 50, and with both teams able to control the clock there’s no way the 2001 score of 47-44 is duplicated, so…

Clemson 27, GT 24

BEES! GIANT GODDAMNED BEES!

Willy Mac: This game, like Chili said, is very, very, very losable. Everyone was so worried about our performance against La Mo and Furman but you’ve got to remember a few things here:

1) It’s very hard to get yourselves psyched up for those games. Normally, we play down and they play up, which still isn’t nearly good enough.

2) We had most of our backups in all game long.

3) We were tinkering and working on different things. Those games were just tune up games.

4) We proved that we can hang in competition up at NC State.

Given those reasons, our wins are still suspect as they came over an ever shaky FSU team and an under .500 Wolfpack team. This game will be one more rung on the ladder but I think we’re more talented and certainly faster than the Jackets. Also, our first team ability to crush running backs so far this season is a huge factor. If we can force them to play a defensive game like we did last year and keep our offense on the field, we’ve got this thing won.

Clemson 27, Georgia Tech 17

When Chili and I went to the GT/UVA game last year, I was well into a coma by the fourth quarter.

Posted by Willy Mac

Sorry so late, but no news really. Sam still at top. Chili still in the middle. Me still at the bottom.

1) Sam +54
2) Tully +48
3) Lyrtch +47
T4) Chili +46
T4) Brad +46
6) NoleCC +45
7) Seigler +42
8) Willy Mac +40
9) Captain DNF

Posted by Willy Mac

“OM NOM NOM NOM!”

Continuing on our segment, we bring you the Budwieser song singin’, currie eatin’, bumble bee havin’ engineers from Ramblin’ Racket. Check out our answers here.

1) After trolling message boards last year, GT fans seemed to be largely convinced they’d beat us easily. Acknowledging that the teams are in different situations this year, how does the average Tech fan feel about the matchup on the 29th?

I’ve heard from two camps: One is despondent following the loss at UVa and is like “Dude we’re f’ed. We’re not beating another decent team.” The other thinks the Jackets will come out really fired up following the Virginia game, pissed off that they lost a totally winnable game, and stick it to the Tigers like whoa. Personally, I kind of expect this game to be a lot like the GT/Clemson games of the late 90′s; a relative shootout that ends wicked (Did he just go South Boston on us?) close. Probably by won/lost three points.

2) The loss of Reggie Ball? Addition by subtraction? How is the team affected by having a more stable QB running the show?

A friend of mine said something I never expected to hear: he missed Reggie. I was like WTF, but he made a valid point. Taylor doesn’t tend to make a play when things break down. For all his volatility, Reggie Ball had a talent for making plays when things didn’t go as planned. Another positive of Reggie was his vocal leadership. Taylor doesn’t seem to be that to the same level, but Tashard Choice has picked up that role very well.

Taylor Bennett has not dazzled this year after the Gator Bowl, but has played solid, mistake-free ball. He’s throwing over .500 (barely; .504), but very importantly he hasn’t thrown any “real” INTs. (There was one against Virginia, in which Taylor slapped down a tipped ball, which is what he was supposed to do, but it ricocheted off of a lineman’s helmet and was grabbed by a Cavalier player and run in for a score.) So overall, I don’t know if Taylor Bennet puts Tech in a better position to win ballgames than Reggie Ball did, but he’s predictable and doesn’t make bonehead plays. He’s kind of our Will Proctor.

3) We know the starting oline and dline are very good, but how deep is each unit? And yeah, we just asked “How deep is each unit”

Oh so deep, as all the ladies will tell you. (All twelve ladies, knowing GT. ZING on us!) On offensive line, eight of our top ten players from 2006 return. On defensive line, seven of the top eight come back. Michael Johnson is a defensive end who didn’t start last year, yet nearly all the students know his name because he’s such a badass. (He also has like the longest neck I’ve ever seen on a football player. Seriously, if you’re watching GT and like “who’s that dude with the huge neck?” I’ve got five bucks that says it’s #93.)

4) You had a good linebacking corps last year, how are they doing this year?

The only linebacker not returning is KaMichael Hall, who led the team in tackles last year. Philip Wheeler still looks like the Predator, with his dreads and visor, and still likes to break Notre Dame quarterbacks. Overall, I don’t particularly like the performance of the linebackers so far. There’s been a lot of weak arm-tackling from both LBs and DBs the past couple weeks, and our zone blitzes have a lot of holes that a talented QB ( i.e. Matt Ryan) can use to make GT look silly. I know that the linebacking corps is talented, and I believe they’ve just been underperforming. It will be bad news for Cullen Harper if their blitz starts clicking effectively this weekend.

5) What seems to be Tarshard’s weakness? Stengths? What does he bring to the table? Can he change a game?

Based on the BC and Virginia games, it seems Tashard may be injury-prone. (He injured a hammie against BC and saw limited play up in Charlottesville.) Other than that, weaknesses may include a tendency not to make the moves necessary to break past those last one or two guys to get to the open field. This is something Choice worked on a lot during the offseason, though, and he’s already broken several long runs this season, which was not his specialty in 2006.

As mentioned earlier, Deuce (as they call him) has taken on a very vocal leadership role, which the offense needed. His main strength, though, comes in his ability and willingness to run the ball all… day… long. Tashard will take as many snaps as the coaches allow, trying to wear down the D-line and set up the pass. Choice doesn’t come in and change a game the way big-time “playmaking” backs might, but by letting defenses know we’re never afraid to run Choice opens up the whole offensive gameplan.

6) You guys need more hot women at GT. We need more Varsity grub. What is the exchange rate in fried peach pies for one hot co-ed? Onion rings? What other abundant GT commodity would you trade for our women.

As all of you taters know, the exchange rate from hotties to head of cattle in South Carolina is three hotties to one heifer or two hotties to one steer. In Atlanta, though, we value chicks more than bovines, so taking interstate exchange rates into account, two full Varsity catering vans (including chili dogs, onion rings, peach pies, and Coke) are equivalent to one hot college co-ed.

Other abundant GT resources include “dot com machines” (computers) on which Clemson kids can play the Internet and lose at Number Munchers again. Also we’ve got pollution from off of the interstate and hobos on North Ave. Those last two come totally free!

Posted by Block-C Staff

Half furries. Half Klingons. All virgins. Seriously this place should be firebombed for the good of humanity.

This is real, by the way. Linky. I wonder if the Tech student section will get dressed up before or after the game? NERD JOKE! AHA!

Posted by Chili

WILLY KORN DID NOT PLAY AGAINST NC STATE…. OR DID HE?

I HAVE WATCHED THE TAPE OF THE GAME LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF TIMES TO MAKE SURE WHETHER OR NOT KORN PLAYED. I MEAN, WE WON BY A TON AND RACKED UP LIKE A BILLION YARDS OF OFFENSE, SO HE HAD TO PLAY… RIGHT? I STILL HAVEN’T SEEN HIM GO IN THE GAME BUT I AM MESMERIZED BY HIS POISE AND STAMINA IN A PLAY RELAYING CAPACITY ON THE SIDELINES.

THERE ARE RUMORS THAT KORN HAD A SEPARATED SHOULDER AND THIS IS WHY HE DIDN’T PLAY BUT I’M PRETTY SURE HIS ARMS ARE MADE OF SOLID PLATINUM, OR MAYBE ADAMANTIUM LIKE WOLVERINE. ONE OF THE TWO DEFINITELY, IF NOT A COMPOSITE OF BOTH.

EKR…. OUTTTTTTT