SIOC checks out the crown jewel of South Carolina

By Andrew Reed

Throughout the season, SIOC will travel to different schools and grade the tailgate scene in 10 categories. Today's stop: Clemson, for a Labor Day matchup against Florida State.

Setting

Sundresses and orange tops with denim skirts is the look of choice for most Clemson girls. Photo by Andrew Reed

RELATED • Tailgate Report Card: Notre Dame

Clemson fans love to say, "There's something in these hills," and it definitely applies to the tailgate scene. Nearly every available inch of grass on campus holds a tent and a table, many within view of the stadium. Aside from an isolated incident involving a foul-mouthed 12-year-old boy (the less said, the better), everyone was extremely welcoming of other fans. The sense of community almost reminds you of a county fair.
Grade: A

Eye Candy

Clemson girls aim for classy and cute, and they pull it off. Many women donned orange tops and denim skirts, while others opted for sun dresses. Couple that with the fact that they were friendly and knew their Clemson football and a guy could easily get a stiff neck from all the head-swiveling.
Grade: A

Knowledge of Fans

Fan knowledge was somewhat hit or miss, but generally on point. The boys from Danny Ford Is God regaled me with all kinds of Clemson history, tales, and facts. In general, most Tiger fans knew the Clemson lore really well. But when it came to other schools, there were often misconceptions. For instance, one fan claimed that there are 60,000 students at Penn State (actual enrollment: 83,000).
Grade: B

Drinks

Early risers enjoyed screwdrivers with breakfast, but then it was mostly Yuengling, Natty light and Bud Light. With an 8 p.m. kickoff, it was a marathon day so water showed heavily in the mix.
Grade: C+

Eats

Barbecue was the most popular meal among Clemson tailgaters, but one group of fans enjoyed a more eloquent setup. Photo by Andrew Reed

I felt like a goose in foie gras training. "Have some barbecue" was probably the most oft-heard phrase on the day. Saying hello to a tailgate meant that I was going to eat. Barbecue was ubiquitous, though I believe it alternated between beef and pork. Either way, it tasted great and many tailgates featured homemade sauce. Fried chicken was also a popular item. Aside from the occasional cole slaw, veggies were not invited to the party.
Grade: B

Yard Games

A surprising number of beer pong tables appeared and got a lot of use. They complemented the modest amount of cornhole and ladder golf. I also came across four different tailgates with Nintendo Wiis. Whether that counts as a yard game is up for debate.
Grade: B-

Cheers and songs

"C-L-E-M-S-O-N! Fight, Tigers, Fight, Tigers, Fight Fight Fight!" This was yelled with increasing frequency and intensity as the day wore on. Stereos primarily pumped out classic rock. The most frequently blared track was of course Survivor's Eye of the Tiger.
Grade: B

Superfans

Clemson fans are required to wear orange. They refer to the collective crowd as "Solid Orange" and everybody gets into it. But there were few painted faces and even fewer tiger outfits -- though with the heat, a mascot head would likely have been unbearable.
Grade: C-

Best Tailgate

Prior to the game, fans enjoyed a Led Zeppelin cover band. Photo by Andrew Reed

I'm tempted to go with the RV painted in Clemson colors replete with huge paw prints. But because their spread looked like it could have been served at a wedding reception (assuming the happy couple were Clemson fans), I'm choosing with the Holiday family's festive table.
Grade: B+

X-factor

Rather than owning houses off campus, most of the fraternities live together in a big quad. They had a collective gameday party which they referred to as a tailgate, though no one could drive a car up there. They had a full afternoon's entertainment provided by a spot-on Led Zeppelin cover band. The parties started as separate entities, but there was clearly a lot of commingling to the point where it became a gigantic, rockin' fraternity party.
Grade: B-

Affability carried the day at each and every tailgate. People implored me to sit down and have some food and drink with them. It was southern hospitality all the way. The worst aspect of tailgating at Clemson was getting out of there. Perhaps the problem was exacerbated because the Monday night game meant everyone had to leave at once because they had work and school the next day. It took me well over an hour to drive two miles to the highway. Cars simply were not moving. But that would be my only quibble on a beautiful labor day where I ate more than my share and encountered countless friendly faces.

To read more of Andrew Reed's tailgate reports, check out his Road Gamesblog.