Guide To the Bye Weekend

by Trey Manning - Correspondent - Fri Oct 01 18:19:57 GMT-04:00 2004

There has been much made about the fact that the bye week game at a good time for the team. Also, I will contend this bye week was a perfect for several fans. This may be the biggest weekend of college football. The only week that comes close is next week in which the Tigers also have Saturday off. This weekend could tell a lot about the Tigers fortunes as the season progresses.

The game that first peaks my interest related to Clemson is NC State vs Wake Forest. The NC State's defense is ranked number one in the country in total defense, but the Demon Deacons will be the biggest test they have faced this year. Jason Anderson is a legitimate NFL receiver that could hurt NC State attacking defense. Reggie Herring still loves to blitz every chance he gets. If Cory Randolph has time, he could really expose some weaknesses to State's defense. With the Deacs running game, if they can't throw on the Wolfpack it doesn't set up well for the Tigers.

Next, you can look at Miami playing in Atlanta versus Georgia Tech. This will be Miami's first conference game on the road since joining the ACC. Brock Berlin has played terrible this year, thus leading to Miami not having a receiver with over 100 yards receiving total this year. Georgia Tech is giving up over five yards per attempt on the ground. With Tyrone Moss and Frank Gore, this is not what the Yellow Jackets wanted to see. From a Clemson standpoint, watch to see how the Yellow Jackets fair against Miami's defense. Miami has lived off of turnovers and special teams. It will interesting to see how this team will react if the defense doesn't create turnovers.

On the surface, West Virginia at Virginia Tech doesn't look like it would have a big impact with Clemson. Though the Tigers do not play the Hokies on the field, it could come down to a bowl deciding between the Tigers and the Hokies. A big win over the number six team in the country would not bode well for the Tigers should it come to that. While most of the country will be pulling Virginia Tech to knock West Virginia out of the national title race, Tiger fans need a Mountaineer victory. By the way, UCONN could provide a big challenge for West Virginia later in the year.

Texas A&M shocked most Clemson fans with how dominant they were in their victory over the Tigers. This week the Aggies play host to Kansas State. This could be a big chance for the A&M program to prove that they are back, and that the win over Clemson shouldn't have been such a surprise. Reggie McNeal and Courtney Lewis are an extremely dangerous backfield. However, the Wildcats defense is healthy for the first time this season, along with starting QB Dylan Meier. An Aggie win would not do much for the Clemson team, but would be a little moral boost for the Clemson fans.

And of course the game all Tiger fans will have their eyes kicks off at 6pm. How will the Gamecocks fare in Tuscaloosa. This is the first real road test for this team. Demetrius Summers looks like he will return to action. Watch how South Carolina handles the crowd pressure early in the game. The Gamecocks have never won at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This appears to be the last game that stands in the way of a 6-1 start heading into the bye week. Alabama will be able to run the ball on South Carolina. The Gamecocks' front four is not what people have been saying, especially on the ends. They have just not received the productivity they thought they would have. Against Georgia, South Carolina's only score came on a big play by Troy Williamson. Williamson is the x-factor in this game. He is by far the biggest playmaker in this game. Alabama's defense will look to respond after collapsing late against Arkansas. This was the SEC's #1 defense coming into last week. Marc Guillon will make his second start this weekend, and all signs point to him being more confident and comfortable compared to his preparation against Arkansas.

Though nothing compares to a Saturday in Death Valley, there will be several great games this weekend for Tiger fans to enjoy during the bye.