FanHouse AlGroh

Much of the credit for Clemson's turnaround this season goes to its offense. Let us count the ways.

During Clemson's current five-game winning streak -- the program's longest in three seasons -- the Tigers have scored at least 38 points in each game, a program first. During that span, Clemson has averaged 42 points per game, 425 total yards per game, 6.87 yards per play and 220 passing yards a game.

No wonder the Tigers, who had lost three of their first five games by a total of 10 points, are positioned to clinch their first trip to the ACC title game with a home victory Saturday against struggling Virginia.

Of course, Clemson's success on offense revolves around all-purpose back and Heisman Trophy hopeful C.J. Spiller. Spiller needs 103 all-purpose yards to break the ACC single-season record of 2,054, held by Virginia's Thomas Jones.

In last Saturday's victory over N.C. State, Spiller had a 16-yard touchdown run, caught a 34-yard scoring pass and threw a 17-yard touchdown to Xavier Dye, becoming the first Clemson player to do all three in one game.

Every Thursday, Pickin' on the Big Ten answers the questions, questions the answers, and looks ahead to Saturday's games.

It's now indisputably late October. The leaves here in Wisconsin went from being Monet-like things of beauty to being a soggy ground-based nuisance in less time than it takes for a new Jim Tressel criticism to appear on the internet. It feels like the season just started but after this weekend it's two-thirds over.

There are so many questions yet to answer, however. I've already explored the various Big Ten title scenarios, so let's look at some of the other burning issues.

Ahmad Brooks. Michael Johnson. Um, Peter Lalich. Do Virginia fans really miss all those days when Al Groh was still that heat in the streets and VIrginia could crack the top 20's of most recruiting rankings? Well, it sure made Signing Day much more fun, as the past couple of years have seen UVA bank solid, if not unexciting classes filled with linemen on both ends and likely a solid tight end prospect.

2009 has been, well, not too much different, however, over the past couple of weeks there had been speculation that mountainous man Morgan Moses, a 6'7", 343 lb. masher from Richmond could be a key pickup for Virginia. On the one hand, you have UVA's reputation as an OL factory, with D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Branden Albert and most likely Eugene Monroe becoming top-15 NFL picks over the past few years. On the other, you have concerns that Moses may not qualify academically for Virginia (especially after the decommittal of Alex Owah, who qualified under NCAA standards, but not UVA's) and a head-to-head competition with the ascendant UNC program.

It was supposed to be so easy (good lookin', Mike Skinner). Heavily recruited out of Danville, VA, J'Courtney Williams was a 4-star prospect set out to cover two needs for the Cavaliers, the first being the heir apparent to brilliant if somewhat foolhardy linebackers like Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham. The other, well, it should be obvious how he could replace D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Well, to paraphrase something Homer Simpson once said, Al Groh would be lying if he said his men weren't committing crimes. Williams only manifested the "foolhardy" portion of the bargain, getting involved in a low-level credit card scam that wasn't particularly bright in planning or execution. According to reports, a student claimed his wallet was stolen at the Virginia's main athletic center, and...okay. Stop right there.

Now, I realize that Virginia students tend to have a reputation as being well-to-do, and maybe I'm just getting old, but it's probably not wise to nab some poor teen's card when a: his parents probably see the bill and b: it's probably not blessed with the sort of credit limit you'd prefer for your jag/spree. Worse yet, Williams couldn't even be bothered to buy anything cool with his ill-gotten goods. Supposedly, he was found out after making 19 purchases at a Tuttle dorm vending... That's not even Treehouse ballin'. Maybe you can help me out in the comments, but I mostly remember Tuttle having a computer lab and I dunno, maybe some snack machines. And an elevator. That was pretty cool. But otherwise, you're gonna risk your college career for that? Then again, maybe the whole snack machine thing relates to his marijuana charges as well.

Groh was swift with the guillotine, and Williams has been dismissed from the program; all things considered between Olu Hall, Parham, Brooks and Williams, I probably shouldn't be so quick to criticize Groh for recruiting seemingly nothing but linebackers and tight ends. It's been mentioned that Louisville, Kentucky and Mississippi State were among the schools Virginia beat out for J'Courtney, and if I were a betting man, I wouldn't count out the one that took a flyer on Willie Williams. No relation?

Although Virginia football has been struggling of late and although there was that mess a while back with losing a third of a recent recruiting class for various reasons, coach Al Groh may just survive to see Virginia football through the next few years.

Writes Virginia fan website The Sabre:

[O]ur AD isn't a fire-first-ask-questions-later type of boss. As we saw with the Pete Gillen, the Virginia athletic department doesn't exactly jump the gun when it comes to firing a coach with a giant buyout clause, which Groh has in his contract. On top of that, at this stage of Groh's coaching stint here, Virginia football is doing quite well financially. (An athletic department doesn't start pushing reseating policies because demand for football tickets are decreasing). [Snip]

So, faced with a monumental buyout and increased football revenue and promises of a young team getting better, do you honestly think Groh is going to get fired next year? No way. It'll take a collapse of monumental proportions.

In other words, Groh's survival may not have much to do with him so much as his fat contract and the amazing fact that Virginia football is making money in spite of a recent decline.

Preseason pundit extraordinaire Phil Steele has the Hoos third in the ACC Coastal division this year and headed back to the postseason. If form holds that should be more than enough to buttress Groh's job security above and beyond the other factors mentioned above.

Now, about that future schedule ...

Virginia quarterback Christian Olsen has but one fleeting season to define his college career. Highly recruited out of Wayne, N.J., Olsen committed to Notre Dame but transferred to Virginia in 2003 when it became apparent Brady Quinn would be Notre Dame's next quarterback.

Since that transfer, he's patiently waited behind Marques Hagans, finally earning a starting opportunity in his final collegiate season. A mediocre 2005 season that saw the Cavaliers go 6-5 and a tumultuous offseason have dampened expectations at UVA, but it's unknown how Olsen will handle his own expectations after all the hype coming out of high school.

Two Sunday articles (link + link) in The Roanoke Times paint Olsen's picture as a jumpy drama major, something worth monitoring as quarterbacks often ruin themselves when they try to do too much on the field.

The word on Olsen is that he's a little bit hyper.

"Maybe that's why we had the conversation," [coach Al] Groh said.

That conversation was about not trying to make up for three years of playing in his one season at the helm.

We obviously won't know how Olsen will handle his own expectations, but he's on a fairly talented team that is flying under the radar after recent tumult and transfers within the program. Olsen's proven he can act, having completed his drama degree. This season we'll see if he can play.