Assorted Friday thoughts

A few scattered thoughts on a Friday morning:

-- You might say it's time for the ACC to step up. Since Florida State beat Virginia Tech for the BCS title at the end of the 1999 season, ACC teams are 1-32 against Top 5 teams.

I'm sure most other conferences don't have glistening records against Top 5 opposition. But without looking it up -- yeah, I'm lazy like that -- the assumption here is that the ACC's margin of defeat in those games is significantly greater than in some other conferences.

-- I've been down on Florida State's chances of beating Oklahoma for a while now. But when you hear that Oklahoma has lost five of its last nine road games, you start to reconsider just a tad.

-- Some people think tomorrow's game against Auburn doesn't mean much to Clemson because it will have no impact on Clemson's pursuit of an Atlantic Division title. Maybe no direct impact, but don't tell me it can't inflict an indirect impact.

Remember when Clemson beat Texas A&M to open the 2005 season? I believe that win helped that team psychologically over the rest of the season. It got their minds right after they entered a season with new coordinators on both sides of the ball, and coming off a miserable season in 2004.

Remember the 2008 opener against Alabama? That beatdown in Atlanta inflicted a hangover that lasted weeks.

Clemson won't win the ACC championship tomorrow, and the Tigers won't lose it. But it's a huge game for this program's psyche.

-- There is no team that has looked more physically imposing over the last six or seven seasons than LSU. Goodness gracious, they look like an NFL team.

I remember Billy Napier telling me he went to the Chick-fil-A Bowl a few years back to watch LSU strafe Miami 40-3. He watched LSU in warm-ups and said it was the best looking team he'd ever seen.

Amazing what can happen when you own an entire state in recruiting and are able to venture over to Texas and do some cherry-picking.

-- Was on a radio show yesterday morning in Alabama talking Auburn-Clemson, and I made the observation that Mississippi State has a high-precision offense that's enormously difficult to stop

The radio host had this response: "Well that's going to change tonight, because their inability to throw downfield is going to get exposed."

Smart man, that radio guy.

-- So Mississippi State's offense ran 57 plays last night, and nine of those plays were on the final drive.

Three-and-outs aren't good for any offense, but they're kryptonite for an up-tempo offense. Mississippi State had 57 yards on its second possession and 54 yards on its third possession, but after that the Bulldogs were shut down.

LSU had the ball for 37 minutes. That's the kind of stuff these up-tempo gurus have nightmares about.

-- Clemson's interior offensive line really needs to develop a little depth, and that's probably why you're hearing about Brandon Thomas getting looks at left guard lately.

Florida State rotates six experienced guys on its interior defensive line.

-- Craig James said this last night: "You have to play four quarters in the SEC."

Thanks for that, Mr. Phony Express. I'm still waiting to hear him say: "Man, that was just an SEC extra point right there."

-- Les Miles is clownish. But he's good for college football. We need people who like to mix it up and make things interesting. If the game were coached by nothing but a bunch of Gene Chiziks, it wouldn't be fun.

-- If any of you like good impersonations, you need to listen to WCCP-FM's William Qualkinbush on Mickey Plyler's show from 6-9 a.m. The dude does some dead-solid-perfect renditions.

On today's show, he regaled us with the soothing strains of Mike Hogewood and Ron Jaworski. Superb.

-- That's it for now. Gotta hit the road here in a few minutes if I want to get to Death Valley in time for kickoff.



LW