Game-day thoughts

ATLANTA -- Good morning from the Red Roof Inn Airport.
Hey, it's not as bad as it sounds. This Red Rood is all enclosed, and my biz king room is actually pretty nice. I'm thinking about getting lunch across the way at a Cheers-themed sports bar called Malone's.
As for my reason for being here, it's hard to gauge Auburn's Chick-fil-A Bowl matchup with Clemson tonight.
On the one hand, Clemson has a very balanced offense, and Auburn's defense has struggled against such this season. Then again, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Boston College held Clemson to 89 combined rushing yards, and Clemson lost all three games.
If Clemson does score, Auburn has shown not to a team that can win scoring matches. Then again, Auburn has a new coordinator in Tony Franklin, has apparently installed a fair amount of the new system and can hit Clemson with a lot the Tigers have not seen this season.
Auburn's offensive personnel is the same. Then again, many of them seem rejuvenated by the new system, and Clemson's defensive personnel is different. Off-field issues have cost the Tigers at least two starting linebacker, possible all three.
I expect a lot of surprises tonight. I just don't know what to expect as a final score.
I know that 2007 saw the birth of this blog, and I've enjoyed having this dialog with you. I'm looking forward to 2008 and the first full year of this.
Happy New Year.
(-:
Joe