5 Clemson Storylines for Christmas Week

Clemson enters the second week of preparation for the Dec. 29 Cheez-It Bowl, but it'll be a short practice window with Christmas coming up.

The Tigers will have to split getting ready for Iowa State with visiting family before the holiday and then traveling to Orlando on Thursday. They'll spend Christmas together as a team.

Here are five storylines to keep an eye on at Clemson this week:

1. Opponent prep: Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney typically likes to have his entire game plan installed before leaving Tiger Town. That might not be feasible this year with a short time left before traveling. But things got easier for the defense with the news Saturday that star Iowa State running back Breece Hall, one of the best offensive weapons in the country, isn't playing in the bowl game and is headed to the NFL. The Tigers still have to prepare for quarterback Brock Purdy, and we'll see if Clemson adds some new wrinkles with new staff involved.

2. Who's playing?: There won't be much to update in terms of the overall health of the team as players and coaches won't be talking to the media again until later in the week, but there will be more clarity on how everyone feels. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is still wearing a brace on his sprained knee, but the time off was good for him. Receiver Joseph Ngata practiced last week with a green jersey, but his status won't be known until Orlando. Is E.J. Williams close to 100 percent? Will Nolan Turner be available after missing practice with a foot injury? There's been a lot to answer all season, and the bowl game will be no different.

3. Players on coordinators: We've heard Swinney rave about his revamped staff, and the new coordinators themselves have talked to the media, but the perspective of the players has yet to be told. Swinney said the team was excited about Wesley Goodwin taking over the defense for Brent Venables. Promoted from quarterback coach to OC, Brandon Streeter is a familiar voice that Uiagalelei and running back Will Shipley are used to, but how do they feel about the direction of the offense? And what's the other side of the ball like without the loud voice of Venables?

4. Analysis and evalution: With all the big news and staff changes seemingly out of the way, this week on All Clemson will be more about how the Tigers match up with Iowa State. There will be big-picture takes on the Clemson program and more ways to get to know new coaches and what they'll bring to the team this year and beyond. Plus, there's still plenty of recruiting nuggets and class evalutions to go over.

5. Big week for men's basketball: Brad Brownell and the Tigers turn the page this week to a critical point in the season. The non-conference slate came to an end Saturday with an easy win over rival South Carolina. The team sits 8-4 on the season and has played one conference game, a loss at Miami. This week, it's all about ACC play with a trip to Charlottsville on Wednesday. The Cavaliers (7-4, 1-0) aren't off to the kind of start they've seen in previous years, so it's a winnable game for Clemson, which will then get a week off for Christmas.

Want to join in on the discussion? 100% FREE! Interact with fellow Tiger fans and hear directly from publisher Zach Lentz, deputy editor Brad Senkiw, recruiting analyst Jason Priester and staff writer Will Vandervort on any subject. Click here to become a member of the ALL CLEMSON message board community today!

Add us as a preferred source on Google