2006 football schedule announced

Clemson blog The Sporting Gnomes had it first -- "per the rumor mill," as they said in their post. Then CU Sporting News found out. And finally, Tigernet and the official site posted the football schedule. But a Tigernetter with some computer-graphics skills did it real justice. Check it out. And, if you click it, it grows!


Fancy, huh?

How do I feel about the schedule? After mulling it over, I'm starting to like it. We'll start the season with some positive momentum after what should be a certain W again Florida Atlantic, and we have other very winnable games at home against Louisiana Tech and on the road at Temple (?). The Tar Heels are back on the schedule, and that's a game I'm already planning to attend. Georgia Tech, our toughest foe over the past few seasons, has to visit the Valley. We don't have to play Miami, either.

The downside is that we have 11 consecutive contests before an off week prior to the annual tilt with the Gamecocks. Included in that stretch is a Thursday night game at Virginia Tech. (Yikes.) No, it's not like the schedules Danny Ford was dealt when he was takin' names and kickin' rear ends in the 1980s, but this is life in the new ACC. There are very few gimmes anymore.

* Nice digs: Something called Southern Pigskin has written some very nice things about Death Valley. (Via Tigernet.)

* Tiger signs with Denver: Former Clemson defensive standout Khaleed Vaughn has signed with the Denver Broncos.

* "Do the Hokies have large talons?" OK, I'm not much of an N.C. State fan. But this Napoleon Dynamite-meets-Chuck Amato clip looks pretty sweet. It looks awesome. That clip, it's ... it's incredible. (Found on Tigernet's message board.)

* Great rant: And finally, go read this. Hokie blogger Jim Alderson eviscerates a silly Raleigh News & Observer column that claims the ACC is no longer the premier basketball conference because of EEEVIL football-driven expansion. As a Clemson fan, I can certainly identify with Jim's disgust at the Triangle-centric arrogance of so many sportswriters in the Atlantic Coast region. Welcome to the league, Jim. We've been dealing with this crap for 50 years.