Atomic Picks Us to Go 9-3

[GTNavyNuke]

Wow, this is the most optimistic yet. http://www.knology.net/jashburn/football/archive/teams/tm_9.html

Based on past win loss score history and home / away, they come up with their predictions which are as good as any outside of Vegas which is much more current and includes injuries (dismissals in UGAg's case). http://www.knology.net/jashburn/football/

Only UNC and UGAg are favored over us. I would think that Miami and Clemson would be too, but they aren't.

Just another "opinion" based on an impartial score prediction optimization scheme ..... but of course I like this one better.

 

[awbuzz]

Atomic is "the bomb" with that prediction, although I hope they're wrong regarding the UGAg game.

 

[AE 87]

I haven't had a chance to consider their method in depth, but it seems that they're looking only at records. I expect us to be better than what past records would suggest.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I think they are also incorporating the home - away which falls heavily in our favor this year. There is no way you would pick us over Clemson at Clemson. But at home we have done very well. Also, UNC on paper shouldn't be a problem for us except it's an away game. Next year it won't have as good a home -away matchup plus we exchange Ga Southern for ND........ but I'll just enjoy this year and worry about next year next year.

I looked back at my records and could only find 2011 where they predicted we'd win 5.8 and we won 8. Last year I think they predicted 7 (regular season) and that's what we won.

 

[takethepoints]

I swear by all that's Holy that I can't see why people think Clempson will be as good as everyone seems to be predicting. They got absolutely gutted by graduation on O and their D was nothing to write home about last year. As I've said before, I wouldn't be surprised for them to have 3 or 4 loses by the time they get to Grant Field. Where, you may recall, their recent record has deeply and truly sucked.

 

[AE 87]

I swear by all that's Holy that I can't see why people think Clempson will be as good as everyone seems to be predicting. They got absolutely gutted by graduation on O and their D was nothing to write home about last year. As I've said before, I wouldn't be surprised for them to have 3 or 4 loses by the time they get to Grant Field. Where, you may recall, their recent record has deeply and truly sucked.

Their D was better than their O last year, fwiw, #13 vs #19 F/+

 

[00Burdell]

My only problem with that forecast is that I think they are actually underestimating our offensive production.

Here are our average points per game per year against FBS only under CPJ:
2008....24
2009....34
2010....25
2011....32
2012....32
2013....29
2014....33 (projected)

I think we will break the 2009 record under CPJ of 34 ppg (vs FBS) this year.

 

[33jacket]

I swear by all that's Holy that I can't see why people think Clempson will be as good as everyone seems to be predicting. They got absolutely gutted by graduation on O and their D was nothing to write home about last year. As I've said before, I wouldn't be surprised for them to have 3 or 4 loses by the time they get to Grant Field. Where, you may recall, their recent record has deeply and truly sucked.

I am not sure. First dabo has recruited for a few years now top notch where I think the pervasive thought is they are loading up again to a degree. And this is one thing he has taken to the next level from prior clemson is the quality of the athletes there. Secondly their D was really good...under hyped due to watkins and boyd etc. But really good. Outside of FSU their division sucks.

I think clemson is now a 9-10 win program a year....i really do....they are showing that trend....and the program around it is looking like it. Can they sustain? Who knows...but right now they are 2 notches where i wish we were.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

This year is intriguing. Lot of our opponents will be using inexperienced QB's including us. Too many unknowns when that occurs.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I swear by all that's Holy that I can't see why people think Clempson will be as good as everyone seems to be predicting. They got absolutely gutted by graduation on O and their D was nothing to write home about last year. As I've said before, I wouldn't be surprised for them to have 3 or 4 loses by the time they get to Grant Field. Where, you may recall, their recent record has deeply and truly sucked.

Here's the Scout rankings for the 2011 to 2014 Clemson recruiting classes: 20th, 17th, 12th, 28th. So over the last four years they have almost averaged as good as our 2007 class. Clemson has talent to burn. (The only ACC problem for them is that FSU has recruited 4th, 11th, 16th and 3rd.)

Clemson has good D and O coaching. Maybe Clemson will stop pulling Clemsons like they have consistently done. Till then, the history based statistics will assume they are still Clemson.

Unfortunately for us, I think Clemson has made a fundamental shift in their program with Dabo as head recruiter and cheerleader and more competent people coaching the O and D.. Even though, like GT, their D was gutted and they lost their star O (like we lost Vad and Godhigh who statistically were most of our O), they have a lot of talent. I said before that my upset pick for the ACC this year was Clemson will win it all. Not FSU who I think will be overconfident. Clemson will have more motivation than FSU and after a certain point of quantity of elite athletes, you can only put 11 on the field.

 

[daBuzz]

I swear by all that's Holy that I can't see why people think Clempson will be as good as everyone seems to be predicting. They got absolutely gutted by graduation on O and their D was nothing to write home about last year. As I've said before, I wouldn't be surprised for them to have 3 or 4 loses by the time they get to Grant Field. Where, you may recall, their recent record has deeply and truly sucked.

I don't think they'll be as good as last year necessarily. But they had some studs on that defensive line who are returning. That one big R-freshman gave us fits with about 3 sacks in the game against us and he's back.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

I am not sure. First dabo has recruited for a few years now top notch where I think the pervasive thought is they are loading up again to a degree. And this is one thing he has taken to the next level from prior clemson is the quality of the athletes there. Secondly their D was really good...under hyped due to watkins and boyd etc. But really good. Outside of FSU their division sucks.

I think clemson is now a 9-10 win program a year....i really do....they are showing that trend....and the program around it is looking like it. Can they sustain? Who knows...but right now they are 2 notches where i wish we were.

Even if you are not a big fan of the star system, this has to get your attention; Clemson as of today has commits from 8 four star, one five star, 11 three star and 2 no-stars. Total: 70 stars. We have a better than historically average class for us and it's 16 three star and 3 two star players. Tech Total: 54 stars. Clemson will put many more good athletes on the field.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Their D was better than their O last year, fwiw, #13 vs #19 F/+

Boyd threw a lot of interceptions in his career.

 

[Ramblin Wrecker]

Even if you are not a big fan of the star system, this has to get your attention; Clemson as of today has commits from 8 four star, one five star, 11 three star and 2 no-stars. Total: 70 stars. We have a better than historically average class for us and it's 16 three star and 3 two star players. Tech Total: 54 stars. Clemson will put many more good athletes on the field.

Is this different than any other year? Clemson recruits well and has "put many more good athletes on the field" just about every year. And every year we still show up. The only difference seems to be that we now have a better than historically average class for us.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Is this different than any other year? Clemson recruits well and has "put many more good athletes on the field" just about every year. And every year we still show up. The only difference seems to be that we now have a better than historically average class for us.

No, not different from any other year. Some one just said they couldn't understand the hoopla about Clemson, then 33Jacket said Dabo recruits awfully well, and I just chimed in. Someday, may this fall, Clemson is going to cease "clemsoning" and run the table. In 2008 and 2009 we lampooned Dabo. They have gotten better, we have fizzled. The big reason is they get better players. I don't think for a minute that they have a superior staff, but how many decades has it been since we had a player like Vic Beasly, or Da'Quan Bowers or Gaines Adams?

 

[takethepoints]

Yes, Clempson has good athletes. Yes, they'll put talent on the field again. Yes, they'll probably do ok.

But … having Watkins and Boyd on the field at the same time was like it would have been for us with Joe Hamiliton and Calvin on the same team. You simply don't lose once in a generation talent at two main skill positions without your performance suffering. I think that suffering will be a good deal greater then people anticipate. We'll run the experiment directly.

 

[Ramblin Wrecker]

No, not different from any other year. Some one just said they couldn't understand the hoopla about Clemson, then 33Jacket said Dabo recruits awfully well, and I just chimed in. Someday, may this fall, Clemson is going to cease "clemsoning" and run the table. In 2008 and 2009 we lampooned Dabo. They have gotten better, we have fizzled. The big reason is they get better players. I don't think for a minute that they have a superior staff, but how many decades has it been since we had a player like Vic Beasly, or Da'Quan Bowers or Gaines Adams?

I agree that Clemson consistently has very good players and that eventually that level of talent should put together a whole season. I would say that based on the past 2 recruiting cycles we seem to be closing the talent gap between us, since our recruiting has improved and theirs has stayed the same. On the field it's hard to say they've made much progress in "figuring out" how to stop us- we've put up 31 on them each of the last 3 times we've played.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

I agree that Clemson consistently has very good players and that eventually that level of talent should put together a whole season. I would say that based on the past 2 recruiting cycles we seem to be closing the talent gap between us, since our recruiting has improved and theirs has stayed the same. On the field it's hard to say they've made much progress in "figuring out" how to stop us- we've put up 31 on them each of the last 3 times we've played.

We have won 6 of the last ten against them, but we are NOT closing the recruiting gap. They aren't done, and it is not NSD yet.

 

[Ramblin Wrecker]

We have won 6 of the last ten against them, but we are NOT closing the recruiting gap. They aren't done, and it is not NSD yet.

Well if we improve our recruiting ranking from 50 to 30 and they maintain their ranking a 5 then it's hard to argue that the margin between us hasn't diminished.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Well if we improve our recruiting ranking from 50 to 30 and they maintain their ranking a 5 then it's hard to argue that the margin between us hasn't diminished.

Okay, fine.