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Recruit [98]
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Anyone Remember 2016? I Do.
Sep 23, 2018, 8:18 PM
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We started the 2016 season ranked #2 - just like this year.
After two shaky games against Auburn (which came down to batting down a Hail Mary) and Troy (which we had to hold on for dear life against), we were dropped to #5 in the polls. "What's wrong with Clemson?" "That offense just isn't clicking" "Is Deshaun & Co. already looking ahead to the NFL?"
Just like this year.
An easy win against SCST followed, then a fourth game of the year we got some of our mojo back against GT with a 26-7 win that wasn't as close as the score indicated. (sound familiar?)
A nail biter against Louisville that helped us grow, and a quick trip up to BC for a 56-10 beatdown instilled some confidence in the voters and we were back to #3. Then we didn't handle NCST like we were expected to, and we still owe their kicker for allowing us to get to OT and win. Back to #4 we go.
Tough win on the road against FSU, and a manhandling of Syracuse, and we're immediately back to #3. Then the unstoppable, All-World University of Pittsburgh showed up at our doorstep. I won't go into detail about this one. Panic ensued. "Clemson can't possibly recover from a bad loss like this to make the playoff - it's November!" But the football gods smiled on us that day, and three of the top four teams lost that weekend.
You all know the rest, and how Orange Crush will forever be cemented in our history, but what you might not have known is this:
The AP poll only had us ranked at #2 for four weeks the entire season - the first two weeks, the playoff semifinal, and the national championship. Another team led the rankings wire-to-wire at #1 the entire season, that is, until the dust settled on 2016 and a new champion was crowned. Can you guess who?
There are a couple points to all this:
1. Rankings don't mean anything until a group of football minds sits down in a room and lets us know on October 30. Even then, as long as you're in the top 4 it's mostly about what color jersey you have on and how much we'll all be spending on plane tickets and hotels.
2. Don't worry about our coaching staff or our guys. They'll be ready. Will you?
TLDR; we won a national championship against the "best college football team of all time" after getting off to a shaky start to the season that year AND losing a game to a bad team. Had way too many close calls and games we deserved to lose, but you don't win titles without talent, adversity, and a little bit of luck along the way.
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Head Coach [793]
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Re: Anyone Remember 2016? I Do.
Sep 23, 2018, 8:32 PM
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Good stuff. You made some good points. GO TIGERS
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All-TigerNet [11092]
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if memory serves, we also
Sep 23, 2018, 8:45 PM
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got the benefit of the #3,#4,#5 ranked teams lost the night of the Pitt game as well.
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CU Medallion [58175]
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that was nice of them.***
Sep 23, 2018, 8:57 PM
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110%er [8439]
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Re: Anyone Remember 2016? I Do.
Sep 23, 2018, 8:47 PM
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We need a shorter word for restating the obvious pedantic treatise. But TU away.
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All-Conference [445]
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Re: Anyone Remember 2016? I Do.
Sep 23, 2018, 9:19 PM
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Valid points, but how many times will outside circumstances like what happened that weekend fall in your favor? If you take care of your business, whether other teams win or lose is irrelevant.
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Recruit [98]
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Re: Anyone Remember 2016? I Do.
Sep 24, 2018, 2:00 AM
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First off, wonderful username. Respect.
Secondly, my intent was not to say we can afford to drop a game this season. I’m of the belief that we cannot, because the conference is way too weak this season as a whole.
I was simply pointing these things out to note that just because we don’t win every game by 70 and put up the style points, and people have a meltdown because we don’t run a deep post on every play, doesn’t mean that we’re not as good as expected. The same questions, concerns, and criticisms came up in 2016, and that turned out pretty well for us.
Go Tigers!
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All-Conference [424]
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Re: Anyone Remember 2016? I Do.
Sep 24, 2018, 3:04 AM
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There is a big difference between this years Alabama team and the 2016 Bama team. That years team had an exceptional defense, but fairly average defense. The successful Clemson strategy was to run so many plays on offense that the Bama defense became exhausted. It worked very well with Jalen Hurts as the Bama QB...Bama could not sustain drives on offense after Bo Scarbrough was injured. Alabama this year still has a very good defense, but has probably their best offense ever with a legitimate quarterback. This years Bama team is the most complete team I've ever seen them have. If we have any chance, it will have to be with Trevor Lawrence, and the 2016 strategy will not work now with Tua as their QB.
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