2012 Wrap Up.

A little late on the post here, but it's about time I got back into the groove of things.  So for football season and the beginning of basketball season and all other topics relevant here is my 2012 wrap up.

1. Clemson's win over LSU is an enormous victory for the program.
No, Clemson didn't beat South Carolina or Alabama, or any of the rest of the SEC besides LSU.  However, Clemson did find their way over a hump that they have been attempting to overcome since Dabo Swinney became the leader of the program.  It's no secret that the Tigers have struggled against the likes of the SEC in recent years, which is why this win proves so important.  LSU was a team that was one defensive stop away from playing for a National Championship.  Do I think they should have? Of course not.  Their offense is too inconsistent to play for a title, but regardless, had they beat Bama and proceeded to win the SEC they would've been in.  Tajh Boyd took part in 79 of Clemson's 102 plays.  I saw a boy grow into a man in a span of three hours.  Combined with his receiveing counterpart DeAndre Hopkins the Tigers handled the LSU secondary.

Two other notable factors in this game are 1. How the Tigers handled adversity and 2. The edge Clemson played with.

               A.  On the second play of the game Clemson WR Sammy Watkins fumbled, injured his ankle and was immediately ruled out for the game.  The Tigers continued on as if he was never in the game plan.  Clemson trailed early and often against LSU, who scored on their first possession of each half.  Entering the 4th quarter, the Tigers trailed by 11.  The resiliency that Clemson showed to claw their way back into this game was one that the fans were not used to, but delightfully pleased with.

              B.  Whether the word be resilient, tough, edgy or a synonym of your choice, Clemson was it.  They had come to play.  The Clemson Tigers were even a bit over the edge at times, drawing a 15 yard penalty here and there.  It was great to see this Tiger team finally make a stand for themselves.

Clemson finished with 445 total yards to LSU's 219, 32 first downs to LSU's 9 and a 25-24 win.

Click here to view other stats from the game.

2.  The ACC came to play, and brought some unexpected friends.
The ACC finished their bowl season with 4 wins (Clemson, FSU, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech) and 2 losses (Duke and NC State).  As opposed to in the past, the ACC actually showed up to play football.  Along with the 4 wins future ACC member Louisville handed Florida a 33-23 defeat in the Sugar Bowl.  Impressive Bowl Season for the ACC.

3.  Johny Manziel
At this point Johny Manziel is the most popular player in college football and maybe the most popular player in the world.  Since he was awarded the Heisman he has been spotted courtside at a Mavericks Spurs game, in pictures with the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and James Harden.  He posted a picture of himself on twitter in a casino with wads of cash in his hand, which was quickly removed.  Alongside that he has played golf with the Jonas Brothers.  What Johny Manziel or "Johny Football" did this year was nothing short of impossible.  As a Freshman he led the SEC in rushing (as a quarterback I might add) and was the first ever Freshman to win the Heisman trophy (See Manziels Stats).  He returns a steady offensive line next year despite the loss of OL Luke Joeckel and Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.  The sky is the limit for Johny Manziel.

5.  I Love Gonzaga
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are a team I pointed out at the beginning of the year to make an impact this year.  Ranked #9 in the nation the Zags have done just that.  Posting a 16-1 record with their only loss coming to a good Illinois team, the Bulldogs are a matchup nightmare.  The Bulldogs have depth, with 6 players averaging over 7 points a game.  Guard Kevin Pangos has the green light to shoot whenever he wants, which has proven to be deadly in games such as Baylor where he finished with 31 points (21 from beyond the arc).  Freshman 7-footer Kevin Olynyk is evolving into a monster in the post.  Olynyk is the team's leading scorer and has scored 30+ in their last two outings.  David Stockton only averages 3 points per game but is crucial in making the offense flow.  He averages 3.3 assists per game.  Sophomore Gary Bell is another 3 point threat and 7-foot 305 pound center Przemek Karnowski is nothing short of a walking house on a basketball court.  if you ever wandered what JJ Watt might look like playing basketball, check out this large man.  The key for Gonzaga will be the play and motivation of Elias Harris.  When motivated Harris plays at the level of a first round NBA draft pick, but there are times when he mentally checks out and his teammates are forced to pick up the slack.  If Harris can keep the checkouts to a minimum, look for Gonzaga to make a deep run come tournament time.

6.  Duke is THAT GOOD.  
Despite losing at NC State in a very close ballgame yesterday, Duke is still the best team in the nation and has gone above and beyond expectations so far this year.  Mason Plumlee (Averaging 17.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game) is playing like a man possessed.  Ryan Kelly has emerged into a versatile offensive presence that the Blue Devils so desperately needed.  Seth Curry has been consistent as usual and Quinn Cook has provided a very efficient fourth outlet for scoring.  Not to mention standout Freshman Rasheed Sulaimon has been known to fill it up at times.  Duke's downfall for this year could come down to health issues.  In the past week Ryan Kelly injured his foot and Seth Curry reinjured his leg.  But when healthy, Duke is nearly unbeatable.

That's it for my yearly wrap up.  Hope you enjoyed, post questions, opinions and comments below.  Follow me @KFISH0 on twitter.  Thanks.

K-FISH Heisman Watch

#1. Geno Smith-Ever since steamrolling the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl last year the Mountaineers and their fearless leader Geno Smith have showed no signs of changing their ways.  Geno Smith has completed 81.4% of his passes, has thrown for over 1,000 yards and for 12 touchdowns.  he has also rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown.  Folks, were only 4 games into the season.  Watch out for a record breaking year from Smith and maybe even the Mountaineers as they eye a National Title.

#2 Collin Klein-Collin Klein is 3rd on the list.  Klein is a dual threat quarterback whose physique and playing style resembles that of NFL QB Tim Tebow.  Klein is a very good leader and showed that during the Kansas State WIldcats win at Oklahoma last week.  Klein is almost as good on the ground statistically as he is in the air.  Klein has completed 70% of his passes, thrown for 758 yards and 5 touchdowns, while rushing for 289 yards and 5 touchdowns.  If Kansas State makes a run, Klein well definitely be the talk of the town.  Collin Klein is on the rise.

#3 E.J. Manuel-Manuel cemented himself as a contender amongst Heisman candidates this week with his performance against Clemson.  His poise, leadership and playmaking ability tore the Tigers apart in the second half.  On the season, Manuel has completed 73.4% of his passes, thrown for 905 yards and 8 touchdowns.  He also has 188 rushing yards and a touchdown

#4 De'Anthony Thomas-The most explosive player on the most dangerous offense in the nation.  Thomas has 276 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns, while accumulating 165 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.

#5 Aaron Murray-The Bulldogs are living up to expectations this year, and Aaron Murray is showing flashes of brilliance.  The BUlldogs are 4-0 on the year, 2 of those being conference wins.  Murray has completed 66.3% of his passes, thrown for 1,092 yards, and 10 touchdowns.  Keep an eye out for Murray

Dark Horse: AJ McCareon
AJ is 51/81 for 819 yards and 10 touchdowns.  If you think about it the Heisman winner more foten than not comes from the best team in the country and Alabama looks to be just that at the moment.