Stakes high for Clemson trip

Throughout the season, talk about the football team's success has centered on Boston College's strong senior class. Every time Matt Ryan or Jo-Lonn Dunbar is interviewed, they seem to praise their fellow classmen- and for good reason. The Eagles start 12 seniors, six on offense and six on defense, each of whom has seen the highs and lows of the program in the past four years.

Three seasons ago, when they were all freshmen, these players witnessed BC's cruelest collapse. The Eagles entered their final regular-season game with an 8-2 record, playing at home against a struggling, 5-5, Syracuse team. What should have been a monumental win for the school turned into an embarrassing loss, as BC blew its opportunity to win the Big East and go to a BCS bowl.

Last season, BC had another opportunity to win a conference championship - albeit this time in the ACC. With a potential championship game berth on the line, BC laid another egg, losing to a reeling, 5-6 Miami team. The Eagles, who entered the contest with a 9-2 record, saw their BCS hopes once again crumble, and they were sent to the Tire Bowl.

Which brings us to this season. Once again, BC has just two losses. And once again, the team has an opportunity to win a conference championship. This time, however, the team controls its own destiny. A win on Saturday and BC will play in the ACC championship. But unlike Tom O'Brien's grand finale last season, BC faces a foe that also has a championship berth at stake.

That formidable opponent is Clemson, fresh off four consecutive blowout wins, including last Saturday's 44-10 thriller against Wake Forest. The Tigers, who many consider the most talented team in the ACC, will host BC under the lights on Saturday in Death Valley; a place Ryan calls "one of the greatest venues for college football."

Over 80,000 fans will welcome a BC squad that appears ready for the challenge.

Despite the Tigers' staunch defense, which has allowed just 15.1 points per game, Ryan remains confident.

"We know what's at stake," the quarterback said. "You have to stay in the moment and keep focus."

Keeping focus is important for a quarterback that admits he "needs to start playing better." Although no major changes are expected in offensive coordinator Steve Logan's game plan, the team is well aware of the talent that it will face off against.

The Tigers start several nationally acclaimed players on defense, including two ball-hawking junior safeties in Chris Clemons and Michael Hamlin. The two, who have combined for six interceptions this season, feature outstanding speed, a prerequisite in defensive coordinator Vic Koenning's aggressive schemes.

Alongside Clemons and Hamlin, cornerbacks Chris Chancellor and Crezdon Butler have fared well in their first seasons as starters.

Ryan's ability to throw will depend on how well the line picks up the Tigers' pass rush. Talented defensive ends Phillip Merling and Ricky Sapp have performed well of late. Sapp, one of the country's top recruits in 2006, has stepped in for former All-American Gaines Adams and has not missed a beat.

While Ryan and the offense face a tough task against an underrated Clemson defense, BC's Achilles Heel lately has been the defense. After allowing 472 yards and five touchdowns against Maryland, coordinator Frank Spaziani's defense looks to rebound against the Tigers.

That job will not be easy, particularly if senior linebackers Dunbar and Tyronne Pruitt remain sidelined with injuries.

Clemson features the two best running backs in the league with junior James Davis and sophomore C.J. Spiller.

Thunder and Lightning, as the duo self-titled itself, have heated up lately.

They have combined for nearly 700 yards on the ground in the past four games. Spiller even returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown against Wake Forest.

Ignited by Clemson's dynamic tailbacks, quarterback Cullen Harper has thrown for 26 touchdowns and just four interceptions. While his numbers have been exceptional throughout the season, the poised junior will simply look to manage the game against the Eagles.

Clemson's pure athleticism and talent provides BC with its toughest late-season test on paper in years.

But it also means that the Eagles will not overlook the opponent.

Every player knows what's at stake, from Ryan to receiver Kevin Challenger.

"Basically all my five years being here comes down to this," Challenger said.