We're Doomed...

[dhbartlett12]

We can't control what the media thinks of us. When something like this happens, we can't let it faze us. We just need to shake it off and focus on what we need to do.
Its like anything else, you just play it one game at a time, and the rest takes care of itself.

 

[DrJacket]

For everyone who prefers to be pooped on, here we have one vote putting GT in the Belk Bowl and another in the Russell Athletic.

Also Schlabach puts GT at #18 in his preseason poll. That's lower than 4 of our 2015 opponents.

Thank goodness someone had the foresight and wisdom to put us a little closer to our accustomed, humble place. Now we can get on with the pre-season like we're used to.

 

[4shotB]

For everyone who prefers to be pooped on, here we have one vote putting GT in the Belk Bowl and another in the Russell Athletic.

There are only two times when us Tech fans are unhappy...that is when we are unranked in the polls OR when we are. The rest of the time, we are a pretty satisfied bunch.

 

[Ash]

has there ever been a more hyped player than Watson? I'm suprised they haven't awarded him the Heisman yet

Not in awhile, although I feel most of the hype is coming from the area surrounding Auburn with a Lake, not other sources. They are whipping themselves into a frenzy over this kid.

The reality is that he's a talent, but has not had much game experience at the college level yet. When you think about it, the current frenzy over Watson is just recruiting hype warmed over.

 

[chewybaka]

We will know CPJ has broken thru when he can get and keep an in state kid like Watson to Tech...

 

[Northeast Stinger]

We can't control

We just need to shake it off

Its like anything else

just play it one game at a time

I am not sure which of these is my favorite sports cliche.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Not in awhile, although I feel most of the hype is coming from the area surrounding Auburn with a Lake, not other sources. They are whipping themselves into a frenzy over this kid.

The reality is that he's a talent, but has not had much game experience at the college level yet. When you think about it, the current frenzy over Watson is just recruiting hype warmed over.

I am sure I am in the distinct minority here but I firmly believe that if he HAD NOT been injured against Tech, Tech still would have won going away. He was looking a little more shell shocked on each play while he was still in the game, like he was surprised at how hard Tech was hitting. When he went down with the injury I was not surprised. For all his talent, he looks fragile to me. It will be interesting to see if Clemson has enough good offensive linemen to keep him from going down again this season.

Not wishing the kid bad luck just sharing an observation I had about him last year before he got injured.

 

[Ash]

I am sure I am in the distinct minority here but I firmly believe that if he HAD NOT been injured against Tech, Tech still would have won going away. He was looking a little more shell shocked on each play while he was still in the game, like he was surprised at how hard Tech was hitting. When he went down with the injury I was not surprised. For all his talent, he looks fragile to me. It will be interesting to see if Clemson has enough good offensive linemen to keep him from going down again this season.

Not wishing the kid bad luck just sharing an observation I had about him last year before he got injured.

I hated to see him go down too, but like you I still felt like we would have won the game, or it would have at least been a close contest. Before Watson got hurt I was preparing myself for Miami II.

 

[iceeater1969]

We are not doomed!
Two things.
First - this is the frame of the compliment to TECH - you 2-3* stars are better than we thought and since your conference really sucks this year ( not the SEC) you can be number one in your conference for the first game - then reset.
Second - my wife has been to 4 games ( vt 09' and this year Clemson, fsu and msu) which we won or came very close. This year we have season tickets and ND is on the plan. A new winning spirit has arrived.

We will do very well in preparation for being very doomed in 2016.

Can't wait till toe meets leather .

 

[33jacket]

I hate it when we are picked #1....

you know...you can't be good every year like we want without being picked 1 or 2. We need this program to get used to it.

 

[Declinometer]

CPJ knows how to get the team to perform from the top. When at Ga Southern that's where they stayed.

 

[UgaBlows]

When healthy, he's as good as any QB in the nation. Dude is legit...just needs to stay healthy. Have been a fan of his since his sophomore year in HS. Also a great kid who does things the right way...hard not to root for a kid like that to do well (unless Clemson plays GT).

He will be a first round draft pick if he stays healthy.

I definitely respect your eye for talent, but has he really played enough at the college level to crown him as good as any QB in the nation?

 

[JacketFromUGA]

We will know CPJ has broken thru when he can get and keep an in state kid like Watson to Tech...

I don't see the rationale behind sentiment like this. Expecting every single kid to want to stay in state after high school is unrealistic at best. After high school I wanted almost nothing to do with the state of Georgia and I went all the way to Wisconsin to get away from it. SOme kids don't want to stay in state and setting your expectation thjat every kid should is a bad frame of mind imo.

 

[Skeptic]

I am sure I am in the distinct minority here but I firmly believe that if he HAD NOT been injured against Tech, Tech still would have won going away. He was looking a little more shell shocked on each play while he was still in the game, like he was surprised at how hard Tech was hitting. When he went down with the injury I was not surprised. For all his talent, he looks fragile to me. It will be interesting to see if Clemson has enough good offensive linemen to keep him from going down again this season.

Not wishing the kid bad luck just sharing an observation I had about him last year before he got injured.

I think Tech would have won assuming the defense started staying home on his read-options. Otherwise he would have gashed us. I thought he got pinwheeled but once before the injury, and that wasn't from a hit, but like Snoddy's, planting to make a cut upfield. (Or downfield.) Not sure where the majority would be but if there was a vote for best player in the league, it would come down to Thomas and Watson, and I have my biases. But a win for Tech, yes, but not tough at the end. (Thomas's gift to win late is the big reason I am so high on the '15 season.)

 

[Techster]

I definitely respect your eye for talent, but has he really played enough at the college level to crown him as good as any QB in the nation?

I agree that he needs to stay on the field to warrant all this attention. But it's hard to argue when he's actually playing, he's a special talent. I think it's what we saw the half season he was playing that has the media excited.

 

[Techster]

He has talent. But:
http://m.espn.go.com/ncf/playergamelog?playerId=3122840
Nearly half of his TDs were against UNC. He didn't play in 6 games at all and only played in parts of Louisville and Tech. He can do things, but will he be as explosive after the ACL? Can he play a full year? How good of a situation is having co-coordinators on offense, with the QB guru at SMU? The last duo at coordinator I remember was Tenuta at ND. It worked out well.
With Morris gone and all their losses on D, Clemson could be in for a rough year.

Did you watch him against FSU and UGA? His only problem in those games were Dabo wanted to platoon him with Cole Stoudt...which was idiotic. Clemson wins the FSU game and maybe the UGA game if Dabo doesn't do that.

As for missing half the season, that's just injury. No arguments from me that he needs to stay healthy. As for Chad Morris...dude is overrated. Look at all the talent he had in 2012 and 2013, and when he didn't have Watson in 2014, Clemson really didn't do much with Stoudt. I think he will be exposed at SMU.

Watson will be fine without Chad Morris.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

I left all superstition behind on 9/20/2014 in Blacksburg, VA.

History may have changed.

 

[Skeptic]

He has talent. But:
http://m.espn.go.com/ncf/playergamelog?playerId=3122840
Nearly half of his TDs were against UNC. He didn't play in 6 games at all and only played in parts of Louisville and Tech. He can do things, but will he be as explosive after the ACL? Can he play a full year? How good of a situation is having co-coordinators on offense, with the QB guru at SMU? The last duo at coordinator I remember was Tenuta at ND. It worked out well.
With Morris gone and all their losses on D, Clemson could be in for a rough year.

The dual coordinator thing is overstated. Forget their names but both will prepare the game plan, but only one runs the O game on Saturday, and he will it to satisfy Swinney, who considers the offense his, anyway. Everything Morris put in place will stay in place as a result. Who knows if the fellow will be as good with play selection? Your other questions are good ones and a couple of them can be applied to Snoddy as well.

 

[Skeptic]

Did you watch him against FSU and UGA? His only problem in those games were Dabo wanted to platoon him with Cole Stoudt...which was idiotic. Clemson wins the FSU game and maybe the UGA game if Dabo doesn't do that.

As for missing half the season, that's just injury. No arguments from me that he needs to stay healthy. As for Chad Morris...dude is overrated. Look at all the talent he had in 2012 and 2013, and when he didn't have Watson in 2014, Clemson really didn't do much with Stoudt. I think he will be exposed at SMU.

Watson will be fine without Chad Morris.

If Swinney needs a defense, and I don't think he does, he's always been careful with injuries, particularly to his blue chippers, and from what I gather, particularly this one, who still has three years on the clock. A lot of people were surprised that he let Watson come back for the SC game, despite the rivalry. But I think the Lee-Thomas roles in '13 are comparable to Stoudt-Watson '14, made more complicated because Watson had a pretty serious wrist break in the spring and it cost him reps in the offense as a freshman. It followed him into the season. And as we saw in our game, Stoudt had a very fragile ego going in and two picks didn't help him. Swinney might have done his best coaching putting him back together for the bowl game. As for Morris, I don't pretend to be a scout but folks at Clemson say he is the real deal who only left because it was back in Texas at a big time school where almost any improvement will be worthy of canonization. Otherwise he would have waited another year with Watson. Supposedly his offense though looking complicated is a very simple read pattern. On Golden's 85-yard return, Stoudt had only two receivers, and the ball was supposed to be "come out" almost immediately. He kept looking, kept waiting, and ...

 

[Skeptic]

We will know CPJ has broken thru when he can get and keep an in state kid like Watson to Tech...

Nick Saban will have broken through when he can get and keep an in-state kid like Thomas ... Watson went to Clemson because he liked the offense, particularly the shotgun snap, the OC, and the curriculum. Some folks keep moving the boundary stakes on Johnson when there's a rumor of gold one field over, and there is always another litmus test.