Tomorrow has to be a win, plain and simple

[Eric15]

No excuses tomorrow. Frank said himself that he's playing on two feet again, that's no longer an excuse. The sanctions are over. And this isn't Clemson's Super Bowl (Duke and UNC are).

We have been flat out soft this season in the Dome, and I'm hoping that the start of conference play will light a fire under these guys and they will hold the fort down at home. We have a TON of games against ranked teams in February, and Clemson is a team that we could potentially be competing with at the end of the year for a bubble spot. I hope the crowd senses the urgency of this game and is loud and involved from start to finish. Standing ovation intensity for defensive stops in the first half is allowed and encouraged.

11-7 is the goal. Tomorrow is extraordinarily important to achieve that. I'm confident we will deliver.

I want to be in the tournament with ROOM TO SPARE.

 

[Brooky03]

I have zero expectations. Wouldn't be surprised with a win or a loss, and I imagine practically every game this season will feel like that.

 

[adk(roc)CUSE]

Couldn't agree more. Add Georgia Tech on Saturday and next weeks games with Pitt and Miami to that list too. But first beat Clemson.

 

[JeremyCuse]

No excuses tomorrow. Frank said himself that he's playing on two feet again, that's no longer an excuse. The sanctions are over. And this isn't Clemson's Super Bowl (Duke and UNC are).

We have been flat out soft this season in the Dome, and I'm hoping that the start of conference play will light a fire under these guys and they will hold the fort down at home. We have a TON of games against ranked teams in February, and Clemson is a team that we could potentially be competing with at the end of the year for a bubble spot. I hope the crowd senses the urgency of this game and is loud and involved from start to finish. Standing ovation intensity for defensive stops in the first half is allowed and encouraged.

11-7 is the goal. Tomorrow is extraordinarily important to achieve that. I'm confident we will deliver.

I want to be in the tournament with ROOM TO SPARE.

Based on what occurred in the OOC portion specifically the Ucant Oregon and ODU games this does feel a lot like a must win. Really three of the next four are: Clemson, Pitt and Ga Tech. Clearly at Duke is a bridge to far at least at this point in the season and the issues we have at the Center spot.

The ACC luckily offers many opportunities to earn an NCAA bid after a mediocore at best OOC showing but it also offers many pitfalls. A win against a team like Duke or UVA is massive but as we saw a few years ago doesn't mean much if you lose to the bottom half of the conference which we did a few times and it ended up costing us a tourney bid. We don't have the cushion/margin for error unfortunately and need every win we can get our hands on. I hope we an find away to win tomorrow especially if the 3 ball isn't falling.

 

[CousCuse]

It's not a gimme. It will be a game.

 

[gbo]

I agree Eric. Clemson has to win tomorrow.

 

[SoBeCuse]

The key is can we run our stuff against better competition now. The last 3 games were against some of the worst defenses we will have faced all year. Clemson will not Zone us. Can we get some separation on drives? Some decent airspace on all the long jumpers we will take? It’s still a very simplistic offense. If not then it will be pass it around the perimeter and/or east-west stuff with a heave from Battle/Hughes/Frank at the end of a shot clock. Better athletes tomorrow. Alvarado on Georgia Tech is going to get up in Frank’s shorts and Banks will be a legit problem for the frontline. Marek is a dead man against Banks if he is forced to play the 5 because of the ineptitude and/or potential foul trouble to Chewy/Sidibe.

 

[creatorsgam]

I agree Eric. Clemson has to win tomorrow.

 

[Eric15]

I agree Eric. Clemson has to win tomorrow.

You just won a national title, just let us have this.

 

[CuseLegacy]

I agree Eric. Clemson has to win tomorrow.

Back to the football forums with you.

 

[bballbeadle]

I agree Eric. Clemson has to win tomorrow.

Hey!

 

[Briancuse]

Want to go to the big dance have to beat a similar Clemson team at home couldn't agree more.

 

[Briancuse]

I agree Eric. Clemson has to win tomorrow.

I'm surprised your sober enough to post.today.

 

[Cusefan0307]

While I agree tomorrow is an extremely important game, I would like to see data on how many times posters said games were a must win and then ended up not being must win.

(I want to see us get out to a 9-3 to 10-2 start in league play so I basically agree with the op, just some thoughts I’ve had after seeing these posts year after year)

 

[gbo]

 

[Eric15]

While I agree tomorrow is an extremely important game, I would like to see data on how many times posters said games were a must win and then ended up not being must win.

A must-win implies that if you lose, you're either mathematically eliminated or virtually eliminated. Obviously that doesn't apply here as we're only in early January.

I'm just saying that based on the hole that we dug ourselves in the past two months, losing this game would a major hit to our overall resume.

 

[Newhouser]

Clemson is going to be fighting with us for one of the last bubble spots IMHO. tonight needs to be a W. David Skara for the Tigers is one of my favorite guys to watch play. Not overly skilled but physical, tough, not scared, doesn't need shots to impact the game, and is a little dirty. The times I"ve watched Clemson for a guy who doesn't score he seems to be in the mix of action.

 

[Cusefan0307]

A must-win implies that if you lose, you're either mathematically eliminated or virtually eliminated. Obviously that doesn't apply here as we're only in early January.

I'm just saying that based on the hole that we dug ourselves in the past two months, losing this game would a major hit to our overall resume.

I overall agree with you for the most part, but posters use must win way to much around here.

 

[obliterata]

It's not a must win, it's an important game. We want to win as many conference games as possible especially home games against teams we should beat.

If we go 0-4 versus Duke, UNC, and Virginia and also lose at NC State and at VaTech - hopefully we don't but it's at least a possibility that we have to take into consideration - then the other 12 games are really really important.

 

[Cusefan0307]

It's not a must win, it's an important game. We want to win as many conference games as possible especially home games against teams we should beat.

If we go 0-4 versus Duke, UNC, and Virginia and also lose at NC State and at VaTech - hopefully we don't but it's at least a possibility that we have to take into consideration - then the other 12 games are really really important.

Things never work out that way. We will probably lose to a garbage team or two and beat an elite team or two.

 

[kirbivore]

Back to the football forums with you.

 

[IthacaMatt]

While I agree tomorrow is an extremely important game, I would like to see data on how many times posters said games were a must win and then ended up not being must win.

(I want to see us get out to a 9-3 to 10-2 start in league play so I basically agree with the op, just some thoughts I’ve had after seeing these posts year after year)

While you are technically correct, the reality is that we have to replace this win (if we don't get it) with beating an opponent with a better record.

So, sure, we don't have to beat Clemson, Georgia Tech or Pitt, statistically speaking. But for every one of those games we DON'T win, we have to beat someone else who is probably a tougher opponent.

 

[Cusefan0307]

While you are technically correct, the reality is that we have to replace this win (if we don't get it) with beating an opponent with a better record.

So, sure, we don't have to beat Clemson, Georgia Tech or Pitt, statistically speaking. But for every one of those games we DON'T win, we have to beat someone else who is probably a tougher opponent.

Yeah to my point above. I remember everyone thinking BC was a must win last year and then we beat top 20 Clemson at home. Chances are we beat teams better than us and lose to teams worse.

 

[CaptainJ]

While you are technically correct, the reality is that we have to replace this win (if we don't get it) with beating an opponent with a better record.

So, sure, we don't have to beat Clemson, Georgia Tech or Pitt, statistically speaking. But for every one of those games we DON'T win, we have to beat someone else who is probably a tougher opponent.

+1. It's difficult to call anything this early in the season a "must" win, but as you said, if they dont win this one, theyre going to need to do some improbable things later in the season. Whether or not they could handle that pressure, it's not something I'd want to feel as a fan. But who knows what motivates this particular squad...maybe being behind the 8 ball could light a fire in them. At times they have looked like they have lacked the motivation to win, and it's sometimes difficult to understand the butterfly effect anything can cause in relationt to motivation with anyone/group, and this one in particular has puzzled me at times.

Either way, I'm rooting for a win. I gave the Clemson fan a like, for being the most clever post Ive seen since logging on today, not because I want the Cuse to lose, regardless of what butterfly effect it may have. I wanted to explain that so I dont add any more members to my destractors. (I"m pretty sleep deprived, so my posts might seem a bit labored until I come off the wagon in a bit)

 

[GooseMutt]

If our centers show up we’ll be ok. Good news is I think Hughes now understands that the offense is reliant on him and he won’t hesitate to launch away repeatedly. Tyus will play at the level he decides to. It’s weird.