My C.J. Spiller Blog

Clemson finished the 2009 season at 9-5, capping things off with a win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl. It's probably bad karma to complain about a nine-win campaign, but 2009 could have been really special. The Tigers should have never lost to Maryland, the worst team in the ACC, and they couldn't hold onto a pair of fourth quarter leads against ACC champion Georgia Tech in two meetings last season.

After getting so close to reaching a BCS bowl the Tigers will enter the 2010 season with some added motivation, but that may not be enough if quarterback Kyle Parker doesn't return. Also a Clemson outfielder, Parker was taken in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. Going in the first round means a big payday, and that may be too much for Parker to pass up.

Offense: Parker showed a lot or promise in his freshman season when he threw for 2,526 yards and 20 touchdowns. If he is back, I expect even more production. If he isn't back, the starting job will be handed to Tajh Boyd. There is no doubting the freshman's arm, but the team would miss the level of experience that Parker brings to the table. The offense will already miss C.J. Spiller. The Clemson standout was arguably the most explosive player in all of college football last season, a threat to go the distance every time he touched the ball. The Tigers will miss his big play ability, but there is reason to believe they can be one of the best running teams in the ACC again. With four of five starting offensive lineman back, running backs Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper should find plenty of holes to run through. In fact, the duo averaged 6.2 yards per carry last season when spelling Spiller. Ellington averaged 7.2 yards per carry himself while rushing for 491 yards and four scores. Keep in mind that Spiller only averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Losing wide receiver Jacoby Ford and tight end Michael Palmer deals a couple pretty big blows to the passing game. Xavier Dye, who caught 14 passes for 236 yards and three scores in 2009, should emerge as Clemson's biggest threat through the air.

Defense: Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele had the opportunity to leave for his alma mater Tennessee, but he decided to stick around. With Steele back, a defense which was among the best in the ACC last season will have a chance to be even better in 2010. The Tigers ranked No. 3 in the ACC (20th nationally) in total defense, allowing only 314.3 yards per game. They also ranked No. 4 (25th nationally) in scoring defense, giving up only 20.4 points per game. It all starts up front with Jarvis Jenkins, Brandon Thompson, Da'Quan Bowers and Andre Branch. All four of these guys are NFL-caliber players. Across the back, DeAndre McDaniel and Rashard Hall form the best safety tandem in the ACC. McDaniel picked off eight passes last season and returned them for 182 yards. The linebacker unit is a bit of a question mark as we near the season.

Prediction: 2nd ACC Atlantic - Returning to the ACC title game largely depends on if Parker will be back under center. But if he isn't back, Clemson should be able to rely on its running game and defense to pull out a second place finish in the Atlantic.

Be sure to check out my 2010 ACC football predictions to see how I have the rest of the league shaping up.

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