Clemsoning

So, Clemson lost to FSU last weekend. And by lost, I mean, was slaughtered. Drubbed. Thrashed. Destroyed. Systematically dismantled. As a Clemson fan, I was embarrassed. As an FSU student, I was quite nearly mortified.

I expected more from the Tigers. I expected them to show up and play a football game. Of course I hoped they would win, but at the very least, I wanted a contest. What I got was a butt-kicking, and it started early and stayed late.

Sure, we started off strong:

Then play began. We began turning the ball over on the first play, followed by a short drive and a touchdown by the Noles. 

At that point, the game began to look a lot like this:

And this:

Tajh Boyd was sacked four times, while FSU's freshman quarterback, Jameis Winston, played like a total superstar. The final score was a humiliating 54-14.

What went wrong? Who knows. There is, unfortunately, a phenomenon known as "Clemsoning," which basically consists of raising expectations to a high level, and then choking. As Clemson eyed the ACC title and a possible national championship, many were looking for this phenomenon to occur, much like the oft-cited Orange Bowl loss to West Virginia in 2012.

The haters got their wish. So what is a true Tiger fan to do? For me, I did the only thing I could do: I wore my Clemson hat on the FSU campus Monday, if not proudly, than at least defiantly. Clemson fans may be crazy, but no one can say we aren't loyal.