Time for Some Football

This is probably the most anticipated football season in Clemson’s history.  Even though Clemson has won two national championships in football, this team, in my mind at least, is the strongest we’ve ever had.  The questions about this team are the kind that any coach would love to have.  “Who to start at quarterback?”  “How to get some of these 4 and 5 star freshmen into the lineup?” “How to get reps for a nine-deep wide receiver group, each of whom would start almost anywhere else?”   “Which of the three solid kickers will play?”  And these questions aren’t about which lineup can we win with; this team can win with multiple lineup options.  With four defensive linemen who could be on professional teams right now coming back, with three very good quarterbacks leaving the team because they knew they would get little to no playing time if they stayed, with a slew of 4 and 5-star recruits coming in who would be starters almost anywhere else in the country, this team on paper stacks up as potentially one of the greatest college teams of all time anywhere.  The operative words here, of course, are “on paper” and “potentially.”  As we’ve seen in the past, it’s easy to stumble, and we’ve got some formidable challenges along the way.

One of the biggest questions about this team concerns the quarterback situation.  A graduate who took the team to the final four last year and is, according to his coaches, a far better player this year looks to take the first snaps against Furman.  The freshman playing behind him is already in the Heisman conversation.  And the third stringer is a 4-star who is also a winner.

We’ll be doing some “hineysight” after games throughout the season to do our part in helping the coaching staff make all the right decisions and learn from their mistakes, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and do a little foresight.  This is not advise I’m giving to Dabo; this is my prediction on a couple of things about the Furman game based on a highly reliable source, my gut.  Clemson will play three deep at virtually every position in this game, to include quarterback.  As a matter of fact, we will see three quarterbacks moving the Tigers in the first half.

Kelly Bryant will start the game and play the first two or three series.  Trevor Lawrence will play the next two or three series, and Chase Brice will play one or two series to close out the first half.  We will see essentially the same rotation in the second half, and will probably see the fourth quarterback wrap up the game with a series or two.  This is no reflection on what I perceive to be the quality of the Furman team.   I think we will see the same rotation, at least in terms of Bryant and Lawrence getting approximately equal playing time, in the Texas A&M game.  In fact, barring injury, I believe we will essentially play a two-quarterback scheme at least  to the playoffs –  and it will be effective.  I just think these two guys are too good to keep either on the sidelines.  I also think this rotation will go a long way toward maintaining harmony in the dressing room; not only harmony among the quarterbacks, but also harmony among the rest of the team who otherwise might start choosing sides.

If I’m wrong about this, I’ll eat crow in “hineysight” and discuss it with Dabo.  But I think he’s a pretty smart man.

GO TIGERS!!!