Okay so I actually think Tech can win

Want to hear something crazy?

I was writing my column last night, cautiously making a case for Tech to beat Clemson on Saturday. I was about four paragraphs in when a transformer on the power line outside my house in Richmond exploded, cutting the power and wifi and not letting me finish the article.

Basically what I'm saying is that god thinks Clemson covers.

BUT, if you want to know why there's a glimmer of hope, it's this:

Last week Tech really destroyed Syracuse offensively with a backup quarterback, two backup running backs and a gimpy left tackle. The most success the Orange had on defense was a string in the first half where Tech:

• Punted on 4th and 1 from the 45 🙄
• Had a drive derailed only by a phantom hold and phantom block in the back 🙄🙄
• Saw Pry completely botch the end of half situation 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

They were MOVING the ball, basically at will. Now, you might say "but Clemson is better than Syracuse!" Okay sure. But Syracuse is tied for 94th in the country in yards-per-rush allowed. Wanna guess who they're tied with?

THAT'S RIGHT. Yooooouuuuurrrr Clemson Fighting Mega Churches.

This needs to be a Tyler Bowen game of all games. Control the ball. Get Tuten (hopefully) going, involve the QB in the run game, throw in a few reverses and weird misdirection plays. It was pretty amazing seeing what Bowen, Brent Davis and the rest of the crew cooked up without having the two best players on the team active. Even if we assume Davis has a firm hand in shaping the attack, this is exactly the kind of growth you dream of for a young coordinator.

Bowen doesn't get it right all the time, but he has gotten consistently better, and showed creative problem solving with wrinkles we hadn't seen before. If you're coming up with creative solutions to the issues ahead and developing a solid game plan, it's about all we can ask for.

Which is in stark contrast to...the other side of the ball for the Hokies.

This is why it needs to be such a big Bowen game. Because we should assume that it will be a repeat of last year's Florida State game otherwise (Clemson uses talent to build lead, let's foot off the gas, but then picks up seven yards a run and puts the game away.)

There's a larger conversation to have about the job a few people are doing. Maybe we'll have it next week.

With that being said, I don't trust Bowen as much as I distrust Marve and god has spoken:

Clemson 38 Hokies 24.

(buuuuuuut if it was 31-21 VT I wouldn't be stunned)