It Knocked Me Off My Feet: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, a Review

I recently completed reading Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight. Shoe Dog is a memoir that details Knight's life and the formation of Nike. I really enjoyed learning about all of the challenges and the process that Knight went through to create Nike. As someone with an MBA, the business side was really interesting to me, and I loved reading about how Knight communicated with everyone and built relationships with his employees, partners, and even athletes. Relationship Building is a huge key to any successful business, and it's clear that is something that Knight excelled at. It's hard to believe that the idea for the giant corporation that we know today came from a Graduate School assignment. His "Crazy Idea" was one that he believed in. He worked hard at making it successful, and he never gave up on it...no matter who didn't believe in him or what challenges got in his way.

This is going to be a bit of a different book review from what most of you are used to. You see, I began reading this book at the same time as a friend as we formed our own "book club". As I was reading the book, I would take quick shorthand notes on each year (basically chapters in Shoe Dog) that I wanted to make sure I mentioned when we had our book club discussions. You'll see some quick abbreviations, "haha"s, "lol"s, and even emojis...that's what happens when you keep your notes on your iPhone. When I finished reading the book, I decided why not just share all of my notes in a blog, so here we are!

I have my notes laid out year by year, so let's get started!

Part One

1962

• Crazy how different times were with being able to travel
• How was he able to schedule the meeting with the company that easily without even giving a business name?!
• Why would he not have gone home right after the meeting?

1963

• CPA & MBA? Feel like that’s rare
• Who was the Carter at end of chapter?

1964

• Coaches could practice differently back then haha
• He had a partner?!
• Why did he need $1k when Coach was a partner?
• $6.95-$3.33 = $3.62 profit
• On $3k order, why asking for more cash?! What about what they made & partner??
• Snuck on to military planes
• He stole Sarah from that guy!
• Why did it take so long for the next shipment to arrive?
• It seems like he’s doing a lot of work to have a partner. Getting no help.

1965

• Only making $3.62 a shoe & giving this guy $1.75-$2?!
• Complaining about shoe shipments being late - he should’ve had some kind of better contract or something with them
• Now he mentions Bowerman’s wife paying the initial $500

1966

• His management style of Johnson is wild lol
• Retail store & doesn’t even go?!
• Lying to Onitsuka about east coast locations. Never could happen today with the internet.

1967

• Just moved Johnson to East Coast!
• Hired Woodell. 4 employees now. 2nd retail in Eugene. Almost seems to be expanding too quickly.

1968

• Shouldn’t he have noticed from looking at the books that Parks & Woodell weren’t cashing their checks?
• Parks has rats, a monkey, & goose?!
• After engagement Penny’s mom says, “you SoB” 

1969

• $2 a pair commission but earlier said only making $3.62 per shoe?
• I did not know that Puma & Adidas were run by German brothers

1970

• 3-year deal, doesn't get it vetted by a lawyer?
• New Japanese trading company
• Onitsuka planning to break!

1971

• Kitami blowing up bank loans.
• Stole Kitami document.
• Onitsuka wants to buy Blue Ribbon.
• Why is he worried about non-compete in the contract if Kitami doesn’t care about the contract?
• Can he sue the other companies if it’s a foreign contract?
• Johnson named Nike!!! This guy should be rich.
• Cale bought stock. Is he the guy from Hawaii?
• I did not think Sole was American, but PK says embarrassed Americans.
• Tennis shoe named Wimbledon, no trademark issue?
• Thought couldn’t do track shoes?
• Ladies just stepping over Penny in the bathroom floor?!
• Next to last page - “know chemical releasing agents” sentence does not make sense.

1972

• Onitsuka trying to bully Blue Ribbon into selling.
• Did they not inspect the Nikes before the show? Wonder if they were just sent directly there.
• Got Nike used by some Portland Trailblazers quickly.
• Page 204 “and not a drop to drink”? Talking about Neco drinks?
• Bork went to work for Kitami. What a bi-otch.
• Who was Iwano?
• F*** Kitami. I can’t believe he asked for Bowerman.
• What a speech by Knight to the team.
• Who is this Hollister guy now running the store?
• I have never heard of these athletes getting kidnapped at the Olympics in 1972. That is wild.
• Why did Bowerman get in trouble for calling marines?
• The whole Oregon team is wearing Nikes!
• Called OSU the Bucktooths 

1973

• Pre went back to college. This was still when only amateurs were in Olympics, right?
• Switching Johnson. Treats him so poorly lol.
• Losing $57K doesn’t seem *that* terrible
• I like this Strasser guy.
• “Downplayed his intelligence, rather than risk alienating people” I feel like I do that.
• Dick Harter & Dick Enright 
• Pigeon poop falling on Woodell in the office!
• $4.8M sales in 1973. Grew 50%.
• He left Penny in the hospital to go to a game

1974

• How did they find out about Fujimoto (spy)?
• Johnson almost blew it talking about the trial.
• They won!
• I wouldn’t have signed if Kitami didn’t have the check.
• Never thought about how fluctuating exchange rates could change that stuff.
• Moving Johnson back East 
• Connors won in Nikes then backed out on the deal.

1975

• Drained all the money & paid workers in cash.
• Couldn’t pay the $1M & asked for another $1M!
• Fraud?!
• How is Bowerman not in on this fraud meeting.
• Ito paid off the debt & said F off to the bank.

Part Two

1975

• Thought the guy was Shorter? Who is Hayward?

1976

• I didn’t think about how people didn’t wear tennis shoes everywhere back then.
• Change from Blue Ribbon to Nike.
• Shoe cream in a Mao Tai?!
• Cool that he went back to Manila to stay in MacArthur’s Suite
• Bowerman senile?
• Get money back from Shorter since he switched shoes?
• Weight nickname for Woodell.
• Four Factor is a great nickname.
• Page 301 “get shut? of our...”

1977

• Air Soles
• The coach held out for money after saying it was up to the “team”.
• Frank McGuire & South Carolina w a Shoutout!
• Did Lute Olson want money too?
• Didn’t believe in advertising  *eye-roll*
• Page 317. Halfway down. That’s capitalized when shouldn’t be.
• Kept smashing the phone 

1978

• Page 326 - we’re in 1978, but says tracking 1979 sales?
• Hired Nelson with no style & worst dresser to run apparel 

1979

• Told senator Hatfield to "wait" when he asked how to help?!
• Half-ton of upper management 
• How could Chang ask a guy when he's getting out of a wheelchair?

1980

• I don’t understand the American selling price reset. Wouldn’t that make his competitors have to pay?
• Knight goes against advisors & wants $22 per share.
• Went public same week at Apple for same price, $22 per share.
• I don’t understand why Kuhn, Loeb was making an offer.
• Which one was Cale again?
• Knight worth $178 million!!

Night

• Friends with Bill Gates & Warren Buffet.
• What a night for that movie theater with them & Knight.
• Big gap between when he wrote Night chapter & when it came out. Talks about LY sales as 2006 & the book came out in 2016.
• LeBron James giving him a watch is cool.
• Crazy that Phil was so close with the athletes.
• Didn’t know his son Matthew had died
• The basketball arena at the University of Oregon is named after him
• Tiger calling first is pretty cool.
• “It’s never just business”
• Gave their invention to competitors
• I want to go to Johnson’s book place.
• Tried to buy the Clippers but got into it with Sterling 
• Knight ore sunglasses everywhere 
• William Knight was his dad?
• Who was Iwano?

Obviously, there were things lift out of the book, and there were a few loopholes and holes in certain stories that were filled in, but overall, I thought Shoe Dog was a great memoir.

I want to get a big shoutout to my friend, Brett, who started the book club with me, but STILL HASN'T FINISHED THE BOOK!

Sidenote: I read the hardback version of the book, so notes with page numbers or references refer to that version.

Comment and let me know your thoughts on the book, other book recommendations, and what you are reading now!

Twitter: @K_Mart10

Instagram: @kmthomas10

TikTok: @K_Mart10

2015 College Football Preseason Top 10

So just in case you guys didn't notice, I've been doing a preseason top 10 countdown on my twitter (@K_Mart10) leading up to the first Saturday of the college football season. Well, I ended that countdown tonight, and I've consolidated the complete list into this blog for your viewing pleasure.

No. 1 Ohio State

·      QBs Barrett & Jones are 2 of the best, doesn't really matter who starts. Elliott is a beast, & OL is big and physical.

·      D-Line is nasty, but IMO Bosa is a little overrated. Miller will have a big year at WR. So tough to repeat, but who's going to beat them?

No. 2 TCU

·   Trevone Boykin is one of my fav players in the country. Reminds me of TB10. Season comes down to ‪@OKLA & vs.BAY in last 2 weeks.

No. 3 Oregon

·      Big fan of the QB Adams and the Ducks' offense as a whole. I think they make the playoff again & might win the whole thing.

No. 4 Baylor

·      Return 1k-yd RB, 2 1k-yd WRs, & all 5 OL. Russell is legit dual-threat QB. DL is top 10 in CFB, & entire secondary is back.

No. 5 Michigan State

·      Very good defense and legit, veteran QB are why I have them so high on my list. Think they lose late ‪@Ohio State.

No. 6 Georgia

·      Chubb is poised for HUGE year. LBs lead Pruitt's improving Def & w/just solid play from QB Ramsey, Dawgs will have 10+ W season.

No. 7 USC

·      Big fan of Sark & QB Kessler. Cravens leads the D, & finishing with @Oregon & vs. UCLA. Trojans could make run to playoff.

No. 8 Alabama

·      Offense has to replace A LOT, so I'm skeptical. Defense will be really good & have best P in the nation. Down yr 4 the Tide.

·     The more I think about it, I really wish I hadn’t had them in this top 10. I think they’re in for a down year.

No. 9 Auburn

·      I'm a believer in new QB Jeremy Johnson & a huge fan of WR Duke Williams. Malzahn's O will thrive w/the better passer Johnson.

·      Johnson is a better passer than Marshall was, but is physical runner also. Several options @ RB 4 the Tigers, but Robinson is a kid I like.

·      Muschamp will definitely help improve the defense. Secondary is still a big questions mark, but D-Line is nasty. Lawson, Adams, Cowart, etc.

·      Not a terrible schedule, LOU to open the season could be tricky, but all comes down to last 4 weeks: @aTm, then vs. UGA, Idaho, & Bama.

·      Could be a special season for the Tigers on the Plains. All rides on Jeremy Johnson's development & Muschamp's improving defense. #No9Auburn

No. 10 Notre Dame

·      The Fighting Irish are big and physical. Zaire is a dual-threat QB that brings an added dimension to the offense.

·      O-Line is solid, and WR is deep. The DT Day, CB Russell, and LB Smith anchor a solid defense. Have a big question mark at safety right now.

·      Schedule is tough w/ GT and USC at home, and Clemson & Stanford on the road. I think Kelly's group takes some Ls this season. #No10NotreDame 

A few sleeper teams: Arizona State, Texas A&M, UCLA, Georgia Tech

As always, you better watch out for my Clemson Tigers!

Follow me on twitter @K_Mart10

College Football Preseason Top 10

I don't know if you guys have noticed, but I have been doing a preseason top 10 countdown on my twitter(@K_Mart10) leading up to the start of the college football season. I decided to consolidate the complete list into one location, so here it is.

No. 1 Florida State

• Heisman Winner Jameis Winston returns to lead what should be a great FSU team on both sides of the ball.
• The RB Williams is a beast. WR Greene is a big-time playmaker. TE O'Leary is as solid as they come. Oh yeah, they also return 4 OL starters.
• Defense is loaded as well. Edwards, Goldman, Smith, Darby, Williams, Ramsey; the list goes on & on. Hard to find a weakness on this team.
• Schedule sets up well: Clemson, ND, & UF all at home. RB Williams becomes a star & he & Jameis lead this team to a repeat. ‪#No1FloridaState

No. 2 Alabama

• This team has tremendous skill players & a great O-line. The question is at QB. I think Coker should be the guy.
• Yeldon & Henry at RB, & Cooper & Jones at WR are as good as anyone in the country. The Tide need the D to return to what they used to be.
• Guys like the DE Robinson & the S Collins should help with that. I still have a wait & see approach as to how they deal with hurry-up teams.
• Schedule is tough, as always. ‪@OleMiss, ‪@LSU, & home vs. Auburn are the big ones. Think this team loses 1 & still makes playoff. ‪#No2Alabama

No. 3 Oregon

• Heisman frontrunner Marcus Mariota is back at QB, & he will lead one of the nation's best offenses.
• The Ducks' RB Marshall is really explosive, & they have one of the best OLs in the country. However, they need a playmaker to step up at WR.
• The defense is really solid as well. I'm a big fan of their secondary, especially DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu & the freshman safety Tyree Robinson.
• Schedule sets up well. Get MSU & Stanford in Autzen, but ‪@UCLA is scary. I think Mariota leads this team to the playoff. ‪#No3Oregon

No. 4 Oklahoma

• Riding high coming off of their Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, the Sooners return 14 starters, including 8 on defense.
• QB Trevor Knight has tons of potential, but he has to be more consistent. I think he will be & the offense will be able to score a bunch.
• Big fan of the Sooners' defense, especially the LBs Alexander & Striker. On offense, they need a RB to step up & WR Shepard to make plays.
• Schedule is easy, as they get Baylor at home. One game that scares me is ‪@TTU. I think Knight leads this team to the playoff. ‪#No4Oklahoma

No. 5 UCLA

• I love this team, & especially QB Brett Hundley. Their offense is going to be tough, & the team as a whole returns 17 starters.
• Offense will be one of the best in the country. Return QB, top 4 rushers, & 5 of top 6 receivers. Defense gets back 10 of top 14 tacklers.
• They need to find a RB besides Myles Jack, as he also starts at LB. Secondary is really good, but they need some young LBs to step up.
• Schedule sets up well for the Bruins, play Texas in Arlington at AT&T Stadium, but they get Oregon, USC, & Stanford at home.
• I think Heisman Hopeful QB Brett Hundley has a great shot to lead this team to the Pac-12 championship & get them to the playoff. ‪#No5UCLA

No. 6 Auburn

• They have one of the best O-Lines in the country, & QB Nick Marshall will only get better in year 2 of Gus Malzahn's system.
• I really like Sammie Coates on the outside for the Tigers, & WR D'haquille Williams is who to watch out for, a JUCO All-American.
• The D-Line should be above average, but schedule is really, really tough. Think they lose at least 2 & miss the playoff. ‪#No6Auburn

No. 7 Baylor

• QB Bryce Petty, RBs Shock Linwood & Devin Chafin, & WR Antwan Goodley form one of the best offensive units in the country.
• The Bears defense does have some question marks, but they are athletic & I really like the pressure their D-Ends can apply & the LB Hager.
• Schedule isn't bad, matchups vs. Ok State, ‪@Texas, & defacto Big 12 championship ‪@Oklahoma, which is only 1 I think they lose. ‪#No7Baylor

No. 8 Ohio State

• Buckeyes return one of the top 2 or 3 best DL's in the country with Bosa, Spence, Bennett, and Washington. 
• Only 1 returning starter on OL, & who knows how good the new QB Barrett will be. I think he's actually a better passer than Braxton Miller. 
• Need a RB & WR to step up, I like the Fr Samuel. Had them ranked much higher before Miller's injury, but still think they're a good team. 
• Schedule isn't terrible. Get tested week 2 vs. VT, but nothing else until @MSU in Nov. Think Buckeye's lose 1 game this year. #No8OhioState

No. 9 Michigan St

• Spartans are always tough on defense. Led this year by DE Shilique Calhoun. Replace 6 starters, but still should be good.
• Spartan's offense finally has a QB w/ some skills in Cook, 22 TDS/6 Ints last season. Langford is one of most underrated RBs in the country.
• We’ll see what Sparty's made of early @Oregon. I think they lose, but still like their chances for the playoff if play well. #No9MichiganSt 

No. 10 Stanford

• The Cardinals defense is stacked, especially the secondary led by Richards & Carter. Anderson is an anchor on D-Line.
• Replacing 4 O-linemen, but always have good guys up front. QB Hogan has some real playmakers at WR in Montgomery & Cajuste.
• Need Barry Sanders to step up at RB, he's the X-Factor. Kid has moves like dad. Special teams unit will be one of the best in the country.
• Schedule is TOUGH. ‪@Wash, ‪@ND, ‪@ASU, ‪@Ore, ‪@Cal, & ‪@UCLA. Only tough game ‪@home is USC. I think Shaw & Co. lose 2 or 3. ‪#No10Stanford

A few teams that just missed the cut: Georgia, LSU, Clemson, South Carolina, USC, Wisconsin.

A sleeper team that I really like: Washington with new head coach Chris Petersen.

Follow me on twitter @K_Mart10

As Spring Practice Ends, Questions Loom

As the Clemson Tigers finished up spring practice with the annual Orange and White Spring Game, several questions remained unanswered regarding the upcoming season. Now let's get this straight, I'm not claiming to have the answers to these questions, but I can give my opinions on them for sure. Here's a few in particular that I am wondering about:

Stoudt practices as Watson looks on

1. What is the QB situation?
This was somewhat cleared up recently when Cole Stoudt was named the starter after the departure of Chad "Swag" Kelly. However, questions still remain, such as are we looking at a 2-QB system this season, with heralded freshman Deshaun Watson getting some snaps? Personally, I think both Stoudt & Watson will play against Georgia, & there will be packages for Watson when he comes in. Watson is too talented to keep off of the field, and if you're not going to redshirt him you have to play him some.

2. How hurt is Watson?
We know that Deshaun had to miss the last week of practice and the Spring Game due to a cracked collarbone. What everyone wants to know is how long he will be out. There hasn't been a consensus timeline yet, but I believe he will be back for summer workouts. 

3. How good is Mackenzie Alexander?
This guy was supposed to be the Tigers' savior in the secondary last year, but instead, injuries forced the trash-talking, lockdown, defensive back to redshirt. Mack seems to be back at full-strength & has been getting rave reviews from the coaches. I believe the new #2 will be a starter and a big-time corner this fall. 

4. Starting safety?
Last season saw Jayron Kearse come on strong thorough out the season and people had him penciled in to start. However, Jadar Johnson was slated as first team in a recent depth chart. Basically, these two are the opposite of one another: Kearse is the big-hitter and better against the run, while Johnson is better in coverage and against the pass. I see Kearse eventually taking over the position, as he has too much talent to not be on the field.

5. What's going to happen at RB?

Brooks hauls in a touchdown against Georgia

Well, who knows. D.J. Howard and Zac Brooks are the veterans, Tyshon Dye is possibly the most talented but can't stay healthy, C.J. Davidson is a former track guy and walk-on, Wayne Gallman is possibly the best combo of runner, blocker, and pass-cather, and who knows what you'll get from the freshmen Adam Choice, Jaelon Oglesby, and C.J. Fuller who are yet to get on campus. I think Howard is garbage, but Dabo will probably play him because he's a veteran and from Alabama. I like Brooks and am a big fan of his pass catching ability, but he can't stay healthy. I don't think Dye will be a huge factor coming off of the achilles injury. I really hope that we can give a bulk of the carries to Gallman and Brooks, with some Davidson mixed in as well. That way we can redshirt all of the freshmen and they can bulk up for next season.

6. Who's the #1 WR?
With the departure of Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant to the NFL, a lot of people think Mike Williams or Adam Humpries may step into that role. However, they're forgetting about Charone Peake coming back from injury. Peake was poised for a big season last year before tearing his ACL in practice. For people who don't remember, Peake was rated higher than BOTH Bryant and
Watkins coming out of high school, and both of those guys are about to get paid. I think Peake will have a big season at wideout for the Tigers. Another guy I like is the freshman Artavis Scott. He's explosive and quick and I think he'll be a major factor this fall.

Steward forces a fumble on a sack

7. Is Tony Steward ready?
You guys remember Tony, the former 5 star prospect who has torn both of his ACLs over the last 3 years. He'll be stepping into a starting this role this season, and Clemson will need some big plays from him, similar to the one that he made against Boston College this past year where he sacked the QB and forced a fumble that led to a Vic Beasley scoop and score. I think Tony is finally ready to breakout, and he'll have an outstanding season. I think he'll be a guy who will be getting drafted in 2015 for sure.


8. With Cat-Man gone, who's next?
For the past 4 seasons, Clemson's field goal kicking has been extremely solid (a big change from previous seasons), and that was due to Chandler Catanzaro. He made several big kicks and game-winners over his career (LSU, Wake Forest) and will be sorely missed. So who's going to take his spot: the easy money is on Ammon Lakip, who's a veteran guy. The other option will be freshman Alex Spence. I think Lakip will have the job coming out of fall camp, but I don't expect him to be the next Cat-man by any means.

That's just a few of the questions that I currently have, but there are many more and I'm sure you guys have some of your own. If there's a question you have, feel free to post it in the comment section.

Follow me on twitter @K_Mart10

Battle for the Hardee's Trophy

Precursor: I'm sorry guys, it is just so hard for me to write about this game. My brain is just frazzled and I can't focus on anything so I know this blog is kind of all over the place. I'm so excited. I do hope I gave you guys some good information though. I hope you all have a good weekend, and if you head up to the game I hope you stay warm, safe, and have a great time.

It's Rivalry Week. One of the best weekends of the year in college football. Michigan-Ohio State, Oregon State-Oregon, Florida-Florida State, Alabama-Auburn, etc., and of course the one that means the most in my home state, Clemson vs. South Carolina. I've tried to stay somewhat reserved this week, getting too jacked up probably wouldn't have gone over too well with Thanksgiving and family coming into town, but man oh man this is a big game. I mean, this is the first time ever both teams have been ranked in the top-10 when they meet. The Gamecocks have won 17 straight at home. Connor Shaw has NEVER lost a game he started in Williams-Brice Stadium. The Tigers are playing for a spot in a BCS game. The past two years, I've felt supremely confident that Clemson was going to beat South Carolina, and everyone knows how that ended up. This season, I don't feel as confident in the Tigers, maybe that's a good sign for Clemson, maybe it's a good sign for the Gamecocks, who knows? It's gonna be a hell of a ballgame. Two top-ten teams, why wouldn't it be? The Vegas power polls have these two teams very close as well. I've seen them at 5 & 7, 6 & 10, 12 & 15, and 10 & 12. About a month ago, I thought that USC was going to win for sure. But now, slowly but surely, I've started to feel a little better about Clemson's chances.

The Breakdown

•               The key to this game comes down to the line of scrimmage, and whether or not Clemson can block South Carolina's front seven. The past few years, the Gamecocks have dominated up front. The Tigers seem to be better prepared to hold their own this season, however. The insertion of Isaiah Battle into the starting lineup the past two games has made a huge difference and really improved the right side of the O-Line, especially at right tackle. Battle has the potential to be a an NFL tackle one day and he'll have to play very well this weekend. He will have his hands full with Chaz Sutton, and I also believe the 'Cocks will move Jadeveon Clowney to that side to give him some snaps against Battle. Clowney dominated the game last season, totaling 4.5 sacks. Brandon Thomas will have to be on his game to somewhat contain No. 7. The guy on the SC D-line who really scares me however, is Kelcy Quarles at defensive tackle. He has had a great season and is a big player in the middle of the line. Last season, the Tigers tried to single block Clowney way too often, and I expect them to give Thomas some more help this season and chip him some with a TE, H-Back, or RB. Stanton Seckinger, Sam Cooper, Darrell Smith, and Roderick McDowell have to be up to the task. The Tigers have to run the ball effectively with quarterback Tajh Boyd, and call more designed runs for him. Clemson also has to utilize the screen game to the running backs and the tight ends. These two things will help contain the USC pass rush.

•               Clemson's offense has been somewhat vanilla since the Georgia game. In their other big game, Florida State, they were out of it before they had the chance to roll any new wrinkles out there. The Tigers have pretty much blown everyone else out, so they haven't need to break out a whole lot of new stuff. I expect they have some new things to throw at South Carolina this Saturday night.

•               One of these wrinkles could be Sammy Watkins running some wildcat. It was rumored that Clemson worked on it a lot the week before FSU, but got behind so quickly they never broke it out. 

•               Clemson has to run the ball effectively, and stick with it. A year ago, offensive coordinator Chad Morris went away from the run way too early, and it allowed the South Carolina defensive line to pin their ears back and go after Boyd.

•               Keeping Tajh upright is huge. If he can have time, he will be able to complete passes downfield on what I feel is a not a great secondary for the Gamecocks. Hampton is solid, but who knows how healthy Brison Williams will be and the other safety Chaz Elder is a freshman. With the emergence of Martavis Bryant over the last few games, teams won't be able to focus on Sammy Watkins as much. Watkins is due for a big game against the Gamecocks by the way, only totaling eight catches for 76 yards in his two career games against his rival. Both of these guys have the ability to have big games, and the Tigers will need them to do so.

•               Defensively, Clemson is much improved from a year ago. I think the question of how South Carolina will block Clemson is just as important as the other way around. Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett and crew have had a great season pressuring the quarterback, and they have over 100 tackles for loss. 

•               Clemson has to stop Mike Davis, have to. If he gets going, it will be a long night. They have shown the ability to do so though, as they contained 2,000-yard rusher Andre Williams to just 70-something yards. 

•               Two years ago, Connor Shaw killed the Tigers with his legs. He doesn't run as well as he used to, and the Clemson defense has improved against mobile quarterbacks.

•               The Tigers have to get off the field on third down. They're one of the best in the country (3rd, I believe) doing so this season, and they have to be able to do that and get their offense back on the field.

•               TE Busta Anderson is a baller for SC. He's tall and fast, and the Tigers have to make sure they have someone on him at all times.

•               Also, I totally expect Spurrier to call one of those play-action deep passes on the first drive of the game to either Shaq Roland or Damiere Byrd.

THE Game Prediction

Five years. Five longgggg years. Four in a row for the first time ever. South Carolina expects to win, and quite frankly I'm not sure if their players respect Clemson. 

“I can tell Tajh Boyd is scared back there. He ain’t no sitting duck, but you can see it in his eyes. He’s scared of our D line. We know that, coming into the game, we’ve got him shook already. Just get a couple hits on him, and it changes the whole game. He’s scared every time we play him.” - Jadeveon Clowney stated during SEC Media Days this summer. 

"@TajhB10 u kno u have never completed a pass on me are u gone change tht this yr?" - Victor Hampton tweeted at Tajh Boyd this past June. Tajh is pissed. Dabo Swinney is especially pissed. My sources tell me that Dabo was VERY pissed last year when D.J. Swearinger yelled/pointed at him on the sideline during the game. Dabo devoted extra film time to this game this past summer, and he will have this team ready to play. The key is for them to not be too uptight.  

However, this attitude doesn't just extend to South Carolina players. Their fans' thoughts on the game have totally changed. I was sitting at my little brother's basketball game the other night, and their were some young kids sitting a couple of rows in front of me. They were maybe 10-12 years old. An old man beside me leaned down and asked them who was going to win this weekend. Without hesitation, they said "the Gamecocks of course, Clemson's no good." This really hit home to me. All these kids know of is South Carolina winning four in a row over Clemson. I mean, they may not have even been born for 63-17! They don't realize they're down 65-41-4 in the all-time series, they use to lose all the time. We have to change that mentality back. Like my dad said to me a month or so ago, "I'm 55 years old, I've never had to put up with this. I've never seen them win four in a row, hell, barely even three in a row." My dad's tired of it. I'm tired of it. Clemson fans everyone are tired of it. Dabo's tired of it. Tajh is tired of it. Sammy is tired of it. The whole team is tired of it. 

South Carolina is just not as good as they have been the past few years. Their depth on defense isn't as vast as it has been, and the Tigers are going to take advantage. The offensive line will come to play. Watkins and Bryant have huge games. Vic Beasley goes off. Tajh Boyd has a game that cements him as the best quarterback in Tiger history, and gets his jersey retired. It's time to make the world right again and change things back to how they're supposed to be. We get another tombstone. The streak ends Saturday.

Clemson - 31

South Carolina - 24

It's about damn time.

Follow me on twitter @K_Mart10

THE CLEMSON MEGA-BOWL. #TURNUP

College GameDay. No. 3 vs. No. 5. 8:00 Primetime on ABC. Top 5 Showdown. The two schools with the most ACC Championships. Man, is it going to be a huge weekend in Clemson or what? I don't know about you guys, but I've been jacked up all week. I mean, I cannot wait until Saturday night. This is probably the biggest game I have ever been to, and it's going to be wild. I've been tweeting, making vines, everything. Here's a few of my vines so far, you guys should watch them and give me a follow, there are more to come: Vine 1 Vine 2

I'm not going to give you guys a complete breakdown of the game because I've already done it on my podcast. Here's the link, you guys should be sure to check it out: The OT with KT. My buddy Brett Hester and myself broke down the FSU Offense against the Clemson Defense, the Clemson Offense against the FSU Defense, and then gave picks on the game. There's lots of good stuff in there, stats and what not. Vegas has Florida State as a 3-point favorite on the road, and if you're listening to the media, you'd think the 'Noles are just going to trounce the Tigers. But hey guys, let me tell you a secret, WE CAN WIN THIS. Here are just a few main thoughts for you: Look for Tajh to run more for this game, and on defense the key is the Tigers front four getting pressure.

A Few Other Stats/Comments I Don't Know Where To Put

• College GameDay from 9-12 on Bowman Field. Rumor is the guest picker may be Brian Dawkins
• Nissan Heisman House also on Bowman from 12-8. Michael Dean Perry, Woody Dantzler, and Neil Everett, and a real Heisman Trophy will all be there.
• Official kickoff time is 8:22pm. ABC will be covering the team's entrance again.
• 20% chance of rain at this time.
• FSU is bringing their Spirit Drum.
• FSU has deemed this a "sod game."
• 1st game of 2 top-5 games in the state of South Carolina's history.
• FSU hasn't won in Clemson since 2001. Jameis Winston (Famous Jameis, Jameis Christ) was 7.
• Dabo is 8-0 in home games against ACC teams he lost to the previous year on the road.
• First time since '07 GameDay has gone to the same location twice in a season, & the first time they ever have in the first 7 weeks of the season.
• Clemson may break out the orange pants.
• Some Vegas Power Rankings have Clemson 14th and FSU 3rd.
• Clemson's opponent 3rd down percentage conversion rate: 20.25%, #1 in the country.
• CU opponent 3rd down conversions per game: 3.2, #5 in the country.
• CU opponent yards per play: 5.1, #37 in the country.
• Tigers also lead the nation in sacks and tackles for loss.
• Everyone has a plan until they're punched in the mouth.

My Prediction

Clemson is at home. We have the better defense. We have the three best players in the game.

Tigers-38

Seminoles-34

We Too Deep

Follow me on twitter @K_Mart10