OPINION

By Tom Dienhart

updated 12:28 p.m. ET Sept. 10, 2006

Tom Dienhart

BOSTON - I'll admit it. I felt sorry for Clemson boss Tommy Bowden as Boston College kicker Ryan Ohliger's extra point sealed a 34-33 double overtime win over the No. 18-ranked Tigers.

It was a classic heartbreaker for Clemson. Again.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Nope. You see, this was gonna be Clemson's year. The "Year of the Tiger," and all that jazz. That offense. The promising defense. Yep, Clemson was gonna win its first ACC title since 1991.

Now, it's probably not gonna happen. What the heck, I'll go out on a limb and say it WON'T happen. I'll even bet any face-painting Clemson fan 10 pounds of boiled peanuts that it won't. That's how serious I am.

All offseason, I had Clemson's first two road tilts circled as key games: at Boston College and at Florida State. Sweep them, and the Tigers could start getting sized for rings. Split them, and the Tigers' ACC dreams were alive. Lose to BC, and — well — the Tigers were toast. Anyone up for another trip to the "Who Gives A Crap Bowl?"

Another season wadded up and thrown on the floor. Just put in on the pile with the others.

The last time Clemson opened a season ranked in the AP Top 25 (2001), the Tigers (what else?) flopped, finishing unranked with a 7-5 record. Heck, recent Clemson carnage should have told me what was about to unfold before my eyes on this balmy Boston afternoon. In 2004, the Tigers opened with an overtime win over Wake Forest before promptly losing four in a row. Last year, Clemson opened 2-0 before dropping three in a row. One of those was, ironically, a 16-13 overtime loss to Boston College.

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This was an unranked Boston College team that was begging to get beat as darkness draped Alumni Stadium. The Tigers raced to an early 10-0 lead and held a 17-10 halftime edge. The offense could do little wrong despite the fact quarterback Will Proctor was making the first road start of his career. The defense stifled the physical BC ground game and generally muted gimpy Eagles quarterback Matt Ryan. That stat sheet in front of me said Clemson won. Look at it! So, why did Clemson lose?

Oh, it's simple: special teams.

BC speed demon Jeff Smith returned five kickoffs for 213 yards. The biggie was a 96-yarder for a score that opened the second half. He also ran one back 45 yards in the first quarter that helped set up BC's first touchdown. In the second quarter, Smith returned a kickoff 39 yards that helped produce a field goal. Oh, and in the fourth quarter, he ran one back 29 yards that led to a touchdown.

That's four big kickoff returns that led to 24 huge points. All from a true freshman kick returner who won't be paying for dinner tonight.

And just think: Smith mishandled his first kickoff return of the game, which resulted in the Eagles starting their second drive of the contest on their own 8-yard line.

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Clemson's special teams also played a starring role in the game. After field goals were exchanged in the first overtime, Clemson started the second stanza with a touchdown. But -- and there's always a 'but' in sad songs like this -- Tigers kicker Jad Dean had his extra point blocked. That meant BC could steal victory with a touchdown and extra point. And, after L.V. Whitworth plunged into the end zone from 6 yards out, Ohliger delivered a double-overtime dose of delirium with a successful PAT. Just like that, Ohliger went from boob to beloved after missing a 36-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that may have given BC the win in regulation.

What's it all mean?

Boston College can keep dreaming big. The Eagles came close to winning the ACC's Atlantic Division in their first run through the conference last year. In fact, BC tied Florida State for the division crown but lost out on going to the league title game on a tiebreaker to the Seminoles. (How dang good of a coach is Tom O'Brien?) Expect the Eagles to win their next three games (BYU, at NC State, Maine) before a two-game October skein that will define their season: Virginia Tech and at Florida State.

Clemson? I have nothing left to say.

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