ACC Championship
Outside of those diehards clad in bright orange, did anyone honestly think that Clemson had any chance of beating Virginia Tech on Saturday night for an Orange Bowl berth? I’m happy to put my hand up and say that I gave Southern Miss more chance of beating Houston – not all that much, before Saturday – than I gave Clemson beating Virginia Tech. It just goes to show that the game is played on the field, not on various football talk shows on ESPN.
When it mattered, after a decidedly shaky last month of the season, QB Tajh Boyd came good and looked like the quarterback we’d seen through the first six weeks of the season, like when they set about dismantling Virginia Tech early on, where Clemson were right up there in the national rankings and appeared to be at least mildly threatening for a BCS National Championship berth. On Saturday night, it was that version of the Tigers team who came out and laid the smack down on the Hokies, who clearly didn't know what had hit them. Boyd threw three touchdowns and ran for a fourth, and had his way with the Tech defense.
The most shocking thing of all is the ease with which Clemson won. Like the first time these two teams met, this game wasn't even close. Based on the last month, it almost seemed like the two teams had swapped personalities. Tech had been the high-flying ACC team, ripping through other teams and looking like world-beaters after a sluggish start to the season, while Clemson’s struggles have been well documented here and in other places. It was like the start of the season all over again, and something of a lost season for the Hokies, who have been the class of the conference for the past few years, and appeared headed to another BCS appearance this year.
Perhaps Clemson’s lacklustre form of late was because they had already sewed up their place in the ACC Championship Game, and were looking ahead to that game, rather than the games they were playing ahead of that. It makes their shellacking at the hands of a very mediocre NC State outfit a little easier to understand. None of it matters now, because they’ve won the game that counts, the Championship game, and would appear to be favourites – early favourites, of course – for the Orange Bowl title, given that whoever comes out of the messy Big East is going to get there almost backing in.
Outside of those diehards clad in bright orange, did anyone honestly think that Clemson had any chance of beating Virginia Tech on Saturday night for an Orange Bowl berth? I’m happy to put my hand up and say that I gave Southern Miss more chance of beating Houston – not all that much, before Saturday – than I gave Clemson beating Virginia Tech. It just goes to show that the game is played on the field, not on various football talk shows on ESPN.
When it mattered, after a decidedly shaky last month of the season, QB Tajh Boyd came good and looked like the quarterback we’d seen through the first six weeks of the season, like when they set about dismantling Virginia Tech early on, where Clemson were right up there in the national rankings and appeared to be at least mildly threatening for a BCS National Championship berth. On Saturday night, it was that version of the Tigers team who came out and laid the smack down on the Hokies, who clearly didn't know what had hit them. Boyd threw three touchdowns and ran for a fourth, and had his way with the Tech defense.
The most shocking thing of all is the ease with which Clemson won. Like the first time these two teams met, this game wasn't even close. Based on the last month, it almost seemed like the two teams had swapped personalities. Tech had been the high-flying ACC team, ripping through other teams and looking like world-beaters after a sluggish start to the season, while Clemson’s struggles have been well documented here and in other places. It was like the start of the season all over again, and something of a lost season for the Hokies, who have been the class of the conference for the past few years, and appeared headed to another BCS appearance this year.
Perhaps Clemson’s lacklustre form of late was because they had already sewed up their place in the ACC Championship Game, and were looking ahead to that game, rather than the games they were playing ahead of that. It makes their shellacking at the hands of a very mediocre NC State outfit a little easier to understand. None of it matters now, because they’ve won the game that counts, the Championship game, and would appear to be favourites – early favourites, of course – for the Orange Bowl title, given that whoever comes out of the messy Big East is going to get there almost backing in.
SEC Championship
And the South-Eastern Conference reminds us why they are the best in the country.
Impressive job by Georgia, winning ten straight after being embarrassed at the Georgia Dome in a de facto home game to start the season, but they were always going to be in trouble against LSU. It's been an incredible season for the Tigers defense, especially that secondary, and they shut Georgia out after a tightly-contested second half. They pressured Georgia QB Aaron Murray all day - he competed just 16-40 for 163 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs, including a Pick-6 - and showed us more of what we've witnessed all season long.
Then it was the offense, who scored 35 unanswered after the half - the run game was huge; LSU rolled up 207 yards and 3 scores at 5.9 yards a rush - and suddenly all the talk about how LSU would make the BCS National Championship Game whether they won or not flew out the window because the Tigers are headed there with an exclamation point, into what is sure to be another hotly-contested game with Alabama. The way LSU have played all season makes you wonder how they will be beaten?
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