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ACC Championship: Clemson Gets By North Carolina
Clemson takes the ACC championship by hanging on - and getting some help - against North Carolina
December 6, 2015
E-mail Rich Cirminiello Follow me … @RichCirminiello
Faced with its toughest defensive challenge of the year, Carolina just couldn’t solve the Clemson D
Sure, the box score looked like anything but a defensive struggle, 45-37 and all. But this wasn’t the same Heel team that spit out explosive plays all year like it was the ACC’s Baylor. Carolina couldn’t unleash RB Elijah Hood on the ground, and QB Marquise Williams had an inaccurate night through the air reminiscent of his last one at Bank of America Stadium, the opening day loss to South Carolina.
Clemson was sloppy, hardly befitting a No. 1 team. And a phantom offside penalty on a successfully executed Carolina onside kick with just over a minute left was an absolute gift for the Tigers. Some official needs to be reprimanded for that head-scratching call. But when Clemson needed to make stops tonight, it did. When it had to have clutch plays from QB Deshaun Watson, he delivered them. Sans the style points, the Tigers are now two wins from a national championship, and likely to start the playoff as the top seed.
E-mail Phil Harrison Follow me … @PhilHarrisonCFB
That was easy
So much for all the chaos. In a season with more drama than your local PTA meeting, Clemson took care of business to wrap up a night of chalk doing the talk. The Tigers are now off to the College Football Playoff and likely the No. 1 seed, but the last couple of games have shown some warts.
DeShaun Watson is going to do his thing, and the defense can set the tempo at times, but there have been a lack of focus and discipline that has allowed South Carolina and now North Carolina hang around. That’s not going to cut it against one of the top four.
It’s been a wild year in college football this year, and although Clemson is the only remaining undefeated team, this whole playoff thing is going to be more wide open than a barn door during harvest. But give the Clemson Tigers credit for making the walk unblemished. If it were easy to go 13-0, we’d be seeing it more often than we do. The works not done, but Dabo Swinney has brought the Clemson program to the brink. They’ll have to be sure to BYOG to the CFP.
