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Sugar Bowl: #3 Ohio State 49, #2 Clemson 28, Jan 1 in New Orleans

First I want to say I love the build up to this game it is going to be INCREDIBLY intense.

Trevor is playing better than ever but its a different passing offense mainly throwing to the slot, TE and RBs as opposed to the Higgins/Ross or Bryant/Watkins offenses that you've seen before. We mostly throw between the hashmarks or to the flats.

Although with a healthy Frank Ladson and emerging freshman EJ Williams (80 yards in the ACC Championship) who knows? We could see Trevor throw outside more than he has all year.
I know early in the year, there were issues with WR drops. Is that still an issue?

OSU's secondary is very different from last year. Losing two 1st round corners hurts, but they miss their captain and good NFL starter Jordan Fuller even more (the fumble return that was cancelled). They also went most of two classes without quality CB recruits (1 year a pair of not-retained assistants didn't recruit a single one), and they lost Clark Phillips and Jordan Battle to recruiting flips.

In many ways, this defense is the opposite of last year.

'20 - position - '19
eh - DE - amazing (albeit just Chase)
elite - DT - solid/good
very good - LB - okay
weak - CB - amazing
eh - S - very good

How is the interior of the clemson OL? Etienne is a special athlete, but has been surprisingly average on the ground many games this year, to the point where the media has started listing his return yardage in his weekly yard totals to hide how mediocre his season was (which I attribute to the line)

It will be interesting to see how OSU deploys their personnel against Clemson. Their LBs are playing much better than last year as a unit, including throwback Tuf Borland, but he's overmatched against athletic RBs let alone a weapon like Etienne. OSU also has a good hybrid S/LB in Werner, but they may need him to slowdown Galloway.
I just hope there are no stupid targeting penalties called on either side. Its a god awful rule that is slowly but surely ruining football for no good reason since 99% of the time they are unavoidable plays that are fundamental to the game since its inception. Even the name targeting is devoid of any realism.
Meanwhile there is still not an ounce of protection for defenders.

A ball carrier can take their head off (via facemask or targeting as a defender pulls up near the sideline). You can even blindside kill a defender on an INT return. Just don't do the targeting while blocking :roll1:
 
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I know early in the year, there were issues with WR drops. Is that still an issue?

OSU's secondary is very different from last year. Losing two 1st round corners hurts, but they miss their captain and good NFL starter Jordan Fuller even more (the fumble return that was cancelled). They also went most of two classes without quality CB recruits (1 year a pair of not-retained assistants didn't recruit a single one), and they lost Clark Phillips and Jordan Battle to recruiting flips.

In many ways, this defense is the opposite of last year.

'20 - position - '19
eh - DE - amazing (albeit just Chase)
elite - DT - solid/good
very good - LB - okay
weak - CB - amazing
eh - S - very good

How is the interior of the clemson OL? Etienne is a special athlete, but has been surprisingly average on the ground many games this year, to the point where the media has started listing his return yardage in his weekly yard totals to hide how mediocre his season was (which I attribute to the line)

It will be interesting to see how OSU deploys their personnel against Clemson. Their LBs are playing much better than last year as a unit, including throwback Tuf Borland, but he's overmatched against athletic RBs let alone a weapon like Etienne. OSU also has a good hybrid S/LB in Werner, but they may need him to slowdown Galloway.
Meanwhile there is still not an ounce of protection for defenders.

A ball carrier can take their head off (via facemask or targeting as a defender pulls up near the sideline). You can even blindside kill a defender on an INT return. Just don't do the targeting while blocking :roll1:


Honestly, I think their best matchup in regards to linebacker, assuming everyone is healthy, is to run with Werner, Browning and Hilliard. I like Borland but he’s just not quick enough against elite athletes.
 
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How is the interior of the clemson OL? Etienne is a special athlete, but has been surprisingly average on the ground many games this year, to the point where the media has started listing his return yardage in his weekly yard totals to hide how mediocre his season was (which I attribute to the line)
I watched the ACC championship game and was surprised how heavily Clemson relied on QB runs and option plays in the run game—I agree with your assessment that this is likely due to an underperforming OL that replaced four starters from last season.

I hope Ohio State’s DTs can take advantage and be disruptive all day.
 
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Honestly, I think their best matchup in regards to linebacker, assuming everyone is healthy, is to run with Werner, Browning and Hilliard. I like Borland but he’s just not quick enough against elite athletes.
I agree. I think it would push the LB unit to "elite" on this list from very good. Playmakers abound in this unit and we'll need several huge ones to win in the playoffs
 
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I came here to post that... listened to it live and thought he was taking a dig at that too.

Paraphrasing Ryan said "Venables does a great job and he always seems to know what plays to call to counter play calls and has a knack for knowing exactly what's coming to run plays right into it." Then goes with the why that is who knows.

I want to know why we can't just signal in through Justin's helmet?
 
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Two of my favorite games I ever called for my daughter when she was a HS pitcher was 1) when I realized the opponents 1B coach was stealing my signs. We played cat and mouse with me trying to shield the signs for a couple innings - we didn't change anything that game. We were a clearly better team, and even knowing what was coming, she was overpowering against their skill level. After that, my daughter, her catcher and I had a meeting about how we'd address that in the future. So, 2) it's a game against their rival HS. And my kid says to me after the 2nd inning "They're stealing signs" (I hadn't noticed). I said "Who?" She said "Watch the girl on the bucket" Sure enough, she was signaling the batter. So, we implemented "plan B" It was fucking great. The look on "Bucket girl's" face.... when she realized she had no fucking clue what I just signaled in. Won the game by run rule. 15 after 5.
 
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I came here to post that... listened to it live and thought he was taking a dig at that too.

Paraphrasing Ryan said "Venables does a great job and he always seems to know what plays to call to counter play calls and has a knack for knowing exactly what's coming to run plays right into it." Then goes with the why that is who knows.

I want to know why we can't just signal in through Justin's helmet?
Because he's not playing in the NFL, would be my guess.
 
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The Director of their strength and conditioning program was my strength coach in college. He had roid rages regularly in the weight room. He was an A-1 asshat obsessed with weights. He entered numerous body building contests for "clean" contestants and he was doing roids the whole damn time.
Batson has been at Clemson for 35 years. Prior to that he was at Furman. Before that he was a Clemson Grad Assistant. So either you have him confused with someone else, you went to Furman or Clemson, or are lying. So, which is it?
 
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It make sense ... venables was getting torched left and right I n the B12... all the sudden he’s a master DC in the ACC... lance armstrong sucked until he started doping

As a Clemson fan I was not happy with the Venables hire because of his Big 12 days. Over the years at Clemson I have watched him change his defense multiple times to fit where his best talent was. Something I never saw him do at OU. Dabo said one of the selling points for Venables was complete control of the defense. That makes me wonder if part of the issue was him being micromanaged by Stoops. Maybe Stoops wanted to run the defense a certain way and Venables was limited in what he was allowed to do. I asked OU fans about this a few times and most think that is a possibility.
 
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