November 12, 2016 started exactly as all gamedays start in Clemson. Excitement was obvious as clemson fans and students alike wore their orange and purple, accompanied by huge grins on their faces.
My day started with balloons at 11:30 for Central Spirit. This entails getting into the stadium before the game to blow up the balloons which are released before kickoff.
After balloons, I went with other Central Spirit members to the union to get painted up for the game. Once we all had our paint on, we were ready for the game. Although we knew that we were likely going to feel as if we were freezing, it was worth it as we were determined that the game was going to result in another Tiger win.
The energy of the game was intense; fans cheered as loudly as they possibly could, and the tigers were off to a great start. Up until the end of the last quarter, things were looking good for the tigers. Until, with six seconds left of the game, Pittsburgh kicked a last minute field goal, bringing the score from 42-40 with Clemson winning, to 43-42 with Pittsburgh winning.
As soon as the field goal was kicked, the stadium went entirely silent. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as both tiger fans and students watched the ending of the game with distress, Looking around, I noticed several of my fellow students crying, shaking their fists in the air, and some even praying. That night, the walk back to my dorm from the stadium was almost completely silent. Everyone that I saw for the rest of the weekend, was determined that we were completely out of the top four rankings.
Once the rankings were released on Tuesday and it was announced that we are ranked number four. All that I can say to my fellow tigers, is to stay faithful of our amazing football team and to remember that one loss does not necessarily entail the end of a successful season. Go Tigers!