Sunday Sermon: It comes down to this

Nov 29, 2015, 7:17 PM

There's a terrible irony in considering an undefeated regular season a disappointment.

Yet, for many, that's how things will feel this time next week if the Tigers don't come home from Charlotte with a trophy.

If you believe this, feel free to leave the conversation ... NOW!

And I don't mean a fifth-place ring, "thanks for playing" trophy. I mean the ACC title, the Willy Wonka golden ticket into the magical world of playoffs. And, of course, the pizza party to end all pizza parties (no, we haven't forgotten the promise, Coach!)

It seems so dang strange to think a year with wins over the Capons, Noles, BB Heads, heck, EVERYBODY would feel like a letdown.

But it comes down to this. Win this weekend and everything ... EVERYTHING ... bad anyone ever said about Clemson, about our cheerleader coach, our "never played anybody," our can't win the big one reputation all goes away. Never again will the "C-ing" word mean anything but success.

Forever.

Lose and we're still tied for the most wins in school history, and considered a letdown.

It's not true. And it's certainly not fair. But it comes down to this. The guys are tired. They're dinged up. You can see it out there. There's a little less authority in some of the plays, a little more tendency to arm-tackle than wrap up.

The life of a warrior comes with fatigue and pain. There's 10 weeks of non-stop practice and pounding, blood and bodies poured out on the field each week against people who see Clemson as their potential pelt on the wall, their bowl game, their tale to tell the grandkids around the winter hearth for years to come ... "Did I ever tell y'all about the day we took down No. 1?"

They haven't yet. And as long as we dig deep, deep enough to give everything left in us this weekend, they never will.

I look at North Carolina, and I see trouble. A mobile quarterback, solid skill players, a tank in the backfield. They are motivated and are in the position we like to be ... hungry and ready to knock Clemson off.

And they will ... if we let them. Any sloppy, halfway tackling, and they're gone. Anyone peeking into the backfield rather than covering their wheel route, and they're gone. Anyone thinking an arm tackle or shoulder will stop their runners, and they're gone.

BUT ... a solid game, rolling with the punches that the Heels can and will throw, and Clemson will win. I believe this.

I know this. I EXPECT this. The guys expect this of each other, and if you've watched this team all year, you expect this as well.

We are not a "we can win" team ... Clemson is a "we WILL win" team.

UNC will need luck to win. You can hear in in their bravado. We will not. We need only play the game we are capable of playing on both side of the ball.

They have hope. We have expectation, and the men who will bring expectation to fruition.

We will drive them. We will stick them. We will earn the rest we need to continue our quest for best.

And we will feast.

It has come down to this, Clemson.

Be ready. Be strong.

Be Tigers.