1. Is it strange to think Dabo Swinney was on the hot seat a few months ago?
There were mixed feelings among the fan base about Dabo’s job security at the start of the season. He did a good job of re-evaluating his coaching staff during the offseason, and Chad Morris may be have been the biggest factor in the program’s turnaround this season. I think making the ACC Championship has obviously cooled down whatever heat Dabo may have been feeling. You’re starting to hear the same old questions with the way the team has played the last few weeks, though. Clemson needs to finish strong, because a third straight loss to South Carolina and/or a poor showing in the ACC championship could have Dabo back in questionable standing when next year comes around. With that said, he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
2. Going into the season, what did most expect out of Sammy Watkins?
I think most people expected Watkins to be an immediate contributor because of the way the coaching staff sang his praises in the preseason. Nobody expected him to have the kind of impact he has, however. He is one of the best players in the country, regardless of class. He is not a typical freshman in any facet of the game, and simply his presence on the field makes Clemson’s offense better. That was obvious this past week when the unit looked lost without him. His absence is comparable to South Carolina playing without Marcus Lattimore as far as how the offense has to adjust its approach. Clemson fans expected a lot out of Watkins this year, but they have gotten more than they could have dreamed.
3. Can Clemson keep Chad Morris after this season?
Morris has a four-year contract and has said he wants his daughter to be able to attend the same high school for four years, so Clemson can take some solace in that. The Clemson athletic department knows they will have to pay up to keep him around, though. His offense hasn’t been running as smoothly the past few weeks, however, so we’ll see what kind of offers he actually gets after the season. I don’t see him leaving abruptly if he isn’t offered a high-profile head coaching job. I think he has everything he could want as far as offensive weapons at Clemson, and I think the Tigers should be able to keep him in town for the full length of his contract if they increase his pay substantially.
4. Will this team be more prepared for USC a week before the ACC title game than the 2009 squad?
I think Clemson may have been looking ahead (for reasons that are beyond me) to the ACC Championship game when they faced South Carolina in 2009. I don’t think the Tigers were unprepared; they just got outplayed. They should be prepared this time around because they have something to prove after last week’s pathetic performance at N.C. State. I think Clemson was looking ahead in that game to the South Carolina matchup. Execution, rather than preparation, has been Clemson’s problem lately. There’s never an excuse to get caught thinking about any game besides the one in front of you, and, unfortunately, Clemson has fallen victim to that problem more than once over the past few years.
5. Prediction time — who you got?
It’s funny how my perception of this game has changed over the course of the season. At the start of the year, I would have said South Carolina should win easily. Four weeks ago, I would have said Clemson was a sure bet. Now, it seems like a tough call. If Clemson plays like it did against N.C. State, it has no chance to win. I think the Tigers will be more determined against their archrival. I think the way Tajh Boyd performs against South Carolina’s outstanding pass rush will go a long way in determining who wins the game. If he can make the right reads and get the ball out quickly, I don’t think the Gamecock secondary is good enough to stop Clemson, as they have been shredded by every legitimate passing attack they have faced. Watkins should be back to provide a much-needed boost. The Tigers will have to run the ball effectively, though, to keep the defense honest.
South Carolina’s offense is just not the same without Lattimore. It’s easier for defenses to focus on stopping Alshon Jeffery, and Connor Shaw just isn’t as good as the 2010 version of Stephen Garcia. Clemson’s defense has made a practice of making bad offenses look good, however. Don’t be surprised if Brandon Wilds has his best game of the year, and Clemson will have to do a much better job defending Jeffery than it did last season. This game is a tough one to predict, but it pains me to say that I think the Gamecocks will notch a three-game winning streak over the Tigers for the first time since 1970. Clemson has played poorly on the road, and I’ll have to see the Tigers actually perform well away from home before I can predict it will happen. South Carolina 24, Clemson 21.