There's Nothing Wrong With The Art Of Deception

I’m always fascinated by the ground swell of hype we see each college football season. Obviously, Clemson was at the center of it heading into this year, not only among its fans base but also nationally as well.

There are reasons to think the Tigers will still have a solid season and may just win their first ACC title since 1991.

But there was a clear conviction among the bulk of the fan base heading into Saturday night that Alabama would be a only a small obstacle at the start. It was a 180 from that.

There are questions about a lack of toughness shown on both sides of the line. I would think that would be the toughest thing you can get a team to improve on. Either you’re tough, or you’re not. I would equate it with speed. They say you can’t coach it. So, other than yelling at a guy repeatedly I really don’t know if you’re going to change a player’s ability to hold-up against those of equal size or talent.

What I do find a little odd about Clemson’s offense is that with all of the creativity we see and hear about from its coordinator Rob Spence is that there’s not a significant option component to it.

I know that in the year 2008 that term may be a little taboo but consider: he has a quarterback who ran the option in high school, he has the perfect dive back in James Davis, the perfect pitch back in C.J. Spiller, and you could work in Jacoby Ford and others if you went to a wing-T or wishbone look. Teams that find themselves overmatched either physically or in terms of speed use the option to keep their foes off balance.

Saturday night, Clemson needed to be that team.

As bad as its offensive line performed, the defense was equally poor as Alabama running backs seemingly fell forward for at least four or five yards every time they touched the ball. If nothing else, Clemson’s offense needed to chew up clock just to keep Alabama’s off the field. Having the aforementioned fallback plan might have achieved that. It may have taken some pressure of that young offensive line against what was a ferocious front seven of the Crimson Tide.

When you’re an athletic team, there is a feeling that you ability to be vertical enables you to score on every play.

But when the other team is as athletic as and, apparently, more physical than you are, keeping them off balance should be a viable Plan B.