#13 Clemson Tigers: College Football 77 in 77

Welcome to The Sports Bank 77 in 77. We’re previewing one team a day everyday as the college football season approaches. And we’re doing it in rapid fire sequence. Today, the Clemson Tigers

2011 was: a banner year in school history. However, they fell BADLY in their BCS game. Starting 8-0 led to 2-4 down the stretch, including a 70 point gashing by WV in the Orange Bowl. They also lost for the fourth time in a row to South Carolina.

2012 will go smoothly if: the triplets on offense bring it again. Clemson is one of just two schools that return a 3000 yard passer in QB Tajh Boyd, a 1000 yard rusher in Andre Ellington and a 1000 yard receiver in Sammy Watkins. There isn’t much starting experience returning at offensive line. But the D was 81st in scoring in last season. So they’ll need to make major improvements on defense, or win shootouts again.

2012 will be rough if: there’s more questions than answers, especially on D, and Brent Venables doesn’t earn his $800,000 salary. He was brought over from Oklahoma to replace the train wreck that was Kevin Steele at the defensive coordinator position.

BMOC: all the dudes I mentioned plus CB Martin Jenkins, LB Corico Hawkins, DE Mallician Goodman

All Name team: CB Bashaud Breeeland, OLB Quandon Christian, Lateek Townsend

Bottom Line: 8-10 wins looks likely. They might be deserving of more, but it all depends on if they stay healthy at the positions where they have little depth. There’s going to be a step down from last year, probably. How much? depends on how well the youngsters on offense grow up in a hurry. Still might be the favorite in the ACC Atlantic division though. If not Florida State

All the 77s

#14 Wisconsin

#15 Virginia Tech

#16 TCU

#17 Nebraska

#18 Boise State

#19 Oklahoma State

#20 Ohio State

#21 Texas

#22 Texas A&M

#23 Michigan State

#24 Louisville

#25 Stanford

#31 Virginia

#32 Notre Dame

#33 NC State

#34 Iowa

#35 BYU

#36 UCF

#37 Washington

#38 Tennessee

#39 Rutgers

#40 Penn State

#45 Mississippi State

#46 North Carolina

#47 Northwestern

#48 Miami, FL

#49 California

#50 SMU

#51 South Florida

#52 UConn

#53 UCLA

#54 Illinois

#55 Vanderbilt

#56 Washington St.

#59 Purdue

#62 Arizona State

#63 Boston College

#64 Ohio

#65 Marshall

#66 Arizona

#67 Southern Miss

#72 Colorado

#73 Kansas

#74 Maryland

#75 Duke

#76 Minnesota

#77 Indiana

Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Chicago Tribune.com, Fox Sports, Walter Football and Yardbarker

A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too

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