Clemson

"Keep Your Head Up" by "J-Dawg" Jarrett Whaley

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Despite some tough losses, this is a good Clemson team.

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"Freshmen Make Impact for Tigers" by Joe Johnson

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   Clemson has 14 freshmen and redshirt freshmen who are making a difference.
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"Just forget about it" by Drew Smith

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Tigers need to forget overtime losses

• Whitehurst has the right stuff
• Clemson will rebound

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"Tigers Up Against the Wall" by Joe Johnson

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   Clemson's run of close games ended against Miami but the Tigers still have some magic left. But now they're going to have to use it all to get to Jacksonville for the title game.
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"No rest for the Tigers" by Drew Smith

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Talk about a rough schedule!

• Beat up, but hard to beat
• Charlie's the man

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"Tigers Impressive So Far" by Drew Smith

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Fast start is about to end

• Ya Gotta love Whitehurst
• They know how to win, but...

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"Road to Success Paved with Ranked Teams" by Joe Johnson

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   Success against ranked teams will spell Clemson's fortunes this season. It's good for the Tigers that games against four -- three remaining -- opponents are in Death Valley. Home cooking never hurt a team and with the way Tommy Bowden has his team clicking, it will be hard for any  team, much less a ranked team to beat the Tigers after they have rubbed Howard's Rock.
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Prediction: Clemson 27, Maryland 13 by Drew Smith

This one makes so much sense, it scares me. Clemson should win going away, but the Tigers have had problems in College Park during the Tommy Bowden era. Still, Clemson is the far superior team and they've got confidence while the Terps needed a final minute touchdown to beat Navy.

I'm also a big fan of Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, and I don't see Maryland's defense stopping his passing game. You also have to like Clemson, with its strong kicking game and that can be crucial in a road game like this.

Prediction: Clemson 27, Maryland 13

Prediction: Clemson 17, Maryland 20 by Rick Fields

It's early in the year and you never know with the ACC but right now, you've got to admit that momentum is with Clemson.  Many had written the Tigers off before the season even started especially with a beginning stretch that looked horribly brutal but after Tommy Bowden's resurgent squad took out Franchione's 17^th ranked Aggies, new respect was earned and a solidified belief level has emerged among the Clemson team and faithful.

But you can never count the Fridge out and Maryland even in years of great success has started slow.  The Terps struggled last week against Navy and all indications point to the Terps declining in the ACC power structure.

But we're in the whacky ACC and with most people believing that the Terps are already down for the count, the setting is ripe for an upset.

Prediction: Clemson 17, Maryland 20

Prediction: Clemson 24, Maryland 17 by Joe Johnson

Tommy Bowden's got this team turned around. The Tigers have won six of their last seven games and they will win again on Saturday because they have a better quarterback. Yeah, Charlie Whitehurst got knocked out of Clemson's win over Texas A&M but he still was 14 of 19 for 185 before going out.

History has been on the side of the Tigers in the series with Clemson holding a

28-23 advantage. When the game is played in College Park, it is all knotted at 11 -11. There has been one tie.

Maryland struggled to beat Navy, a lesser opponent. The Terps had to pull it out with a touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Hollenbach to Drew Weatherly with just over a minute left. Mario Merrills did rush for a career-high 149 yards against Navy, but the Midshipmen's defense isn't nearly as good as Clemson's.

Clemson raised its game and beat a ranked team. The Tigers did surrender the lead late in the fourth quarter to Texas A&M but they were able to put that behind them and drive for the winning field goal. A strategic blunder by the Aggies not to go for two left the door open for Clemson and the Tigers stormed through it.

Prediction: Clemson 24, Maryland 17