So we are here. We have the National Stage set. We have College Gameday in town. We have a top 15 ranking. Our opponent has a top 15 ranking. We will be under the lights in the greatest atmosphere you can imagine. We’ll have 90,000 strong trying to weasel their way into the game. We have arguably the biggest game at Death Valley that we’ve had in 20 years… and to top it all off… its homecoming.

Clemson will be jacked up! Georgia Tech will be jacked up! The fans will be jacked up! If you don’t like football even you will be jacked up on Saturday! There’s not a reason in the world that I would miss this game and not a reason in the world why I don’t think we’ll cherish every minute of it.

Clemson will swagger into Death Valley boasting of the nation’s leading scoring offense, #6 total offense, #4 rushing offense, #6 rushing defense, #6 passing efficiency defense, #4 in total defense, #11 in scoring defense, #7 in kickoff returns, #5 in sacks, #10 in tackles for loss, #2 in sacks allowed and 119 in kickoff return yards… oh wait… that’s terrible… worst in the country.

Well, now that you’ve slightly come back down to earth, let me tell you a couple things you might not have known. In the last 5 years following a bye or long week, GT is 8-8. GT also has only scored over 30 points on the road 2 times in the last 4 years (at Duke and Connecticut) before traveling to VT this season and winning 38-27. This game this weekend will also make only the 2nd road game for GT this season.

GT also boasts some good numbers statistically this season as well. Currently the Jackets are ranked 22nd in rushing offense, 7th in rushing defense, 9th in pass efficiency defense, 10th in net punting, 17th in total defense, 24th in scoring defense, T-24th in sacks allowed, T-18th in turnover margin, and 31st in scoring offense. These numbers (like Clemson’s) might be a little skewed in a positive direction thanks to Samford, Troy and UVA but also might be a good indicator when you look at Maryland, VT, and Notre Dame.

However, in the Notre Dame game, they only held the ball for 24:35 in time of possession, while allowing 138 net yards rushing and 246 passing. Also, vs VT, they gave up 339 yards through the air and also lost the time of possession battle but still won the game.

Stats really don’t mean a whole lot when you look at wins and loses but it seems as though GT hasn’t really seen an offensive juggernaut like they will vs. our Tigers on Saturday. They haven’t seen the likes of 4, 5th year SRs and a 4th year JR on an offensive line that is rushing for a (soon to be) team record in rushing. They haven’t seen a healthy James Davis who is arguably the best back in college football but doesn’t have the padded stats of full games like some of the “Heisman” candidates. They haven’t seen the 2 fastest college football players on the planet in CJ Spiller and Jacoby Ford. They haven’t seen a QB who has stepped up to the plate as a proven leader in his Senior year.

This is a Tiger Team that is hungry! This is a defense that has only played 3 full games and dominated when needed and is ready for a full test! This is an offense that can put up huge numbers on the 26th, 22nd, and 11th ranked rushing defenses in the country and is hungry for another test. All 3 of those previous rush defense were in the top 15 or higher before the Tigers ran through them. Oh and guess what… Reggie Merriweather will be healthy again for this one too…

So what do I think? A sure fire blow-out? Hardly. This is a Georgia Tech team that I personally have not seen a victory in person against since 2002 in a monsoon. I have proudly attended all home games since I was a little Shoeless but I haven’t had all that luck vs. the Bees. My record (in person) vs. GT is… 6-6 lifetime with a 1-4 record in the last 5… If I wasn’t so damned stubborn I might purposely miss this game for luck… but I don’t believe in luck. You make your own damned luck! I’m gonna be there screaming my ass off like I did last week in Charlotte, the week before at Wake and every other game this year!

There’s no reason why we shouldn’t win and even cover the spread this weekend but knowing our past history with the Jackets we’ll be in for another classic. If we get a few breaks and can make the right corrections on special teams we should be ok… but we’ll just have to see.

Get there early folks! It’s gonna be a fun one! Clemson will come out fired up and get an early lead, they’ll slow down in the 2nd and 3rd quarter then fall behind then… in the 4th quarter with about 5 mins to go the defense will make a huge stop (and the fans break the ear drums of upstate SC)… the offense will ride the shoulders of James Davis, CJ Spiller, Reggie Merriweather and the best offensive line in the country… and drive down the field to take lead with less than a minute to go to win the game on a 2 yard TD run… and… Shoeless passes out…

Write it down, take a picture, call your momma, eat at Joe’s… The Shoeless Fearless Prediction for this week is:

Clemson 31 Georgia Tech 27

Now let’s recap last weeks games predictions:

I went 22-9 this past week making my overall record 160-42. Sometimes I think I get what I want to happen confused with what I think is going to happen lol. I wanted Florida to beat Auburn, I wanted Michigan to lose, I wanted BC to lose but none of those did and I probably would have guessed right on at least one of those had I not let my “wants” get in the way. Such is life… anyway…

Weekly Records:
Week 1: 28-4
Week 2: 24-4
Week 3: 20-8
Week 4: 25-3
Week 5: 23-5
Week 6: 18-9
Week 7: 22-9

Overall: 160-42 Clemson: 4-2

Let’s take a look at this weekend’s games:

LA Lafayette 10 Florida Atlantic 24
North Carolina 10 Virginia 20
West Virginia 40 Connecticut 35
NC State 35 Maryland 32
Illinois 10 Penn St 17
Louisville 35 Syracuse 10
Rutgers 28 Pittsburg 35
Texas 10 Nebraska 7
Wisconsin 23 Purdue 10
Indiana 10 Ohio St. 48
Mississippi 10 Arkansas 30
Miami (Fl) 17 Duke 14
Miss St. 10 Georgia 39
Kansas St. 10 Missouri 34
Tulane 0 Auburn 55
UCLA 10 Notre Dame 14
South Carolina 10 Vandy 13
Washington 21 California 43
Alabama 10 Tennessee 27
Boston College 10 Florida State 20
Iowa 10 Michigan 20
Oregon 32 Washington St. 3
Boise St. 40 Idaho 9
Texas A&M 37 Oklahoma St. 6
Southern Miss 0 Virginia Tech 30
Colorado 10 Oklahoma 14
Fresno St. 10 LSU 50