Clemson-South Carolina Football: No. 15 Tigers Manhandled in Columbia

Clemson is still going to the ACC championship. That's the good news. The bad news is the Tigers got beat in every way by a very mediocre South Carolina team.

After C.J. Spiller returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Gamecocks scored 24 straight points in a 34-17 victory. The most frustrating part of the game was hearing the ESECPN announcers fall all over each other discussing the SEC's perceived speed advantage over the ACC.

Frankly, that had absolutely nothing to do with the result. This had everything to do with one team being heaped with praise for several weeks and the other having enough of it. Credit Steve Spurrier and South Carolina for playing harder and more physical than Clemson. The Tigers just couldn't match Carolina's level of intensity.

What does this mean for Clemson's ACC title hopes? I still have to see how Georgia Tech plays against Georgia. If the Jackets lose today, the result for Clemson may be a wash. The ACC's best teams losing to middling SEC teams. That's not good for the conference's perception.

If the Jackets do win, what should worry Clemson's fans is that Kevin Steele's defense is not playing its best football at the end of the year. Virginia had some success running the ball last week, and South Carolina is a poor running team but had 224 running yards today. Certainly Georgia Tech's formidable rushing attack has taken notice.

Clemson recovered nicely after a bad performance against Maryland; let's see how the Tigers come back after this ugly effort.

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