2011-2012 Football Previews – Atlantic Coast Conference – Clemson Tigers
Clemson football has developed a deep-seated reputation for under-performance. The Tigers routinely have elite athletes that are funneled to the professional ranks, yet it never seems to translate in the win column.
ACC 2011-12 Football Previews: Clemson Tigers
Coach: Dabo Swinney
2010 Record: 6-7
Clemson Gambling Odds from Sportsbook.com to win BCS: +10000
Clemson Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2011 Schedule –>
Last year’s 6-7 finish was no aberration.
Last year Clemson played well against tough competition (including eventual National Champ Auburn, whom they led at half and lost to in OT) and some of the gut-wrenching losses didn’t show up in the win-loss ledger.
Still, if Coach Swinney can’t get his talent to compute into victories, he could go the same way Tommy Bowden before him went – out the door under “fired.”
There is skill among both the upperclassmen and the underclassmen at Clemson in 2011; other than Florida State, the Tigers have the most well-endowed depth chart in the ACC Atlantic division.
It is time for all the good recruiting classes to start reaping some benefits.
Team Strengths
The receiver corps is young and talented at Clemson, which should ease the transition for a new starter under center. Among starters Bryce McNeal, DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins, no one is older than a sophomore, yet there is tons of speed and explosiveness to go round.
They’ll look to eat up yards along with returning RB Andre Ellington, who had 10 TDs a year ago and has the tools to be special.
The offensive line returns four of its starters from 2010, including C Dalton Freeman who should be first-team All-ACC.
Clemson’s defense does not return many starters, but years of crack recruiting efforts have littered the two-deep with touted players. Look out especially for DE Malliciah Goodman and freshmen linebackers Tony Steward and Stephone Anthony.
Senior P Dawson Zimmerman is also a stud.
Team Weaknesses
Kyle Parker, who had a great debut at QB two years ago but was disappointing last season, has taken his skill set to Major League Baseball. In steps Tajh Boyd, who could play well given that Clemson pivots tend to have a strong first season (think Charlie Whitehurst, Cullen Harper and Parker in ’09). [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The front seven loses DT Jarvis Jenkins to the NFL, who was a beefy 315 lbs and a presence on the interior.
His replacement is only 270 lbs, so there may be some hiccups in stuffing the run. The secondary also breaks in two new starters, which means there will be a net loss in both run-plugging and pass coverage.
This can obviously be potentially back-breaking for a defense.
2011-12 Clemson Football Prediction: 9-4
The crazy fans in Death Valley have a team with the talent to really make some noise in the ACC, but we’ve heard that before. Coach Dabo Swinney struck me as a southern gentleman who was the perfect fit for the Tigers, but sensibilities are out the window if you can’t lock down “Ws”.
If Boyd can have a strong first season, they will be far better than if he suffers through a learning curve. If Boyd passes well, he can tap the potential of that athletic crop of wideouts. There is also further good news: Clemson draws Auburn in a down year and gets FSU at home.
The Tigers must play in-state nemesis South Carolina on the road, but if Clemson pulls some upsets, a double-digit win season isn’t inconceivable.
The Tigers haven’t looked great in big games to this point, however.
2011 Clemson Tigers Schedule
9/3/11 3:30 PM ET TROY
9/10/11 3:30 PM ET WOFF
9/17/11 12:00 PM ET AUB
9/24/11 12:00 PM ET FSU
10/1/11 12:00 PM ET @VATCH
10/8/11 12:00 PM ET BCOLL
10/15/11 12:00 PM ET @MD
10/22/11 12:00 PM ET NCAR
10/29/11 12:00 PM ET @GATCH
11/12/11 12:00 PM ET WFRST
11/19/11 12:00 PM ET @NCST
11/26/11 12:00 PM ET @SOCAR
One reply on “2011 Clemson Tigers Gambling Odds | Predictions”
Does Clemson have a 9 win season in em folks? Hit us back we want to hear from you!