CLEMSON – Xavier Thomas loves the fact that Clemson will be playing for a National Championship Monday as what he calls “road dogs”, a term of endearment that defensive coordinator Brent Venables uses to describe his group’s mentality in a hostile environment. And make no mistake about it, the Superdome will be a hostile environment for the underdogs.
The title game is supposed to be played at a neutral site, but the Superdome sits just 81 miles from Tiger Stadium and the crowd is expected to lean heavily in favor of the Bayou Tigers.