Today is the first day of summer, and we all know what that means – at least in this part of the country – there’s only 71 days left until college football season officially starts, with Clemson’s 8 p.m. kickoff against Alabama at the Georgia Dome.

The idea of just how high the Tigers’ expectations should be has already been argued almost ad nauseum, even at this early stage, but one thing is clear – the elusive ACC title that Clemson has been chasing since 1991 is actually a realistic goal this time around.

A sizable portion of both the national and local media, however, has suggested that we’ve been down this road before, only to see Tommy Bowden and company fall short of expectations – finding a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, so to speak – and many of that group have taken an I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-it approach.

While it is true that Tiger fans have probably grown weary of Tommy’s “one play away” refrain – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the Tigers didn’t necessarily underachieve in any of their most recent campaigns. I believe Clemson has more or less finished just about where its talent level has dictated in the Bowden era.

This season is different.

This season, the pieces are in place for the Tigers to be the team to beat for the ACC title and the BCS bowl berth that accompanies it. This season, Tommy’s critics will actually be justified if he falls short of expectations.

So, if we can all agree that the talent on the Tigers’ roster warrants the expectation of winning the conference – or, at the very least, the Atlantic Division – now let’s move on to considering exactly what questions they must answer to bring that goal to fruition.

The most obvious, and in turn the most crucial, question Clemson will have to answer is this: Will the offensive line, counting on three first-time full-time starters, play to a level that will allow the offense’s considerable skill position talent to truly shine?

The Tigers scored 430 points last season, a new school record, which could lead one to the conclusion that the offensive line played very well in ’07. A closer inspection, though, might lead to a different conclusion.

Clemson struggled, at times, to run the ball in short-yardage situations – see the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Auburn – and against defenses capable of putting a good deal of pressure on the quarterback, the line struggled to protect Cullen Harper – see the two losses to schools with Tech in their names.

So, while the Tigers did lose three starters on the O-line, it’s probably wise to consider the level of production they actually lost.

Left tackle Barry Richardson came into the season with many projecting him to be a first- or second-round draft choice in the NFL. After a season that saw Richardson play what can only be described as uninspired and unfocused football, his draft stock plummeted.

Guard Chris McDuffie, who should have provided the Tigers with a power blocker and a measure of toughness in the trenches, battled injuries throughout the season that kept him from being nearly as effective as he could have been.

Right tackle Christian Capote, meanwhile, was something of a transitional starter at the position at best last season, and definitely let the team down by being ruled academically ineligible for the bowl game.

The Tigers will clearly be less experienced on the offensive front entering this season, but there’s reason to believe this year’s unit will be more talented than any in recent memory.

The talk around Tiger camp is that Greenville High product David Smith, a redshirt freshman, shined in spring ball and summer workouts and, having put on nearly 40 pounds since coming to Clemson, appears ready to do a solid job taking over for McDuffie at left guard.

At the other guard position, junior Barry Humphries saw starting time at both center and right guard last season and will probably enter the fall as the projected starter. Don’t be surprised, however, if a pair of redshirt freshmen – Mason Cloy and Wilson Norris – give him a serious push for the job.

Junior Thomas Austin should provide the Tigers stability at the center position and is expected by many to be very good at that spot this season – Athlon’s preseason magazine has slated Austin as a first-team All-ACC player.

The left tackle position, the most important of them all in terms of the passing game, is also the biggest question mark. While former four-star recruit Cory Lambert, another Greenville High product, is the heir apparent at the position, the coaching staff was obviously concerned enough about the spot that they converted senior Jock McKissic from defensive tackle to provide some competition at the position.

Lambert is expected to the starter here come Aug. 30, but it wouldn’t shock me if true freshman Antoine McClain, who isn’t even actually on campus yet, makes a push to take over the spot…which brings me to my next question.

How much of an immediate impact will the Tigers’ much ballyhooed recruiting class have on the upcoming campaign?

I doubt even the coaching staff could provide a definitive response to this question, but my best guess is there will be at least a handful of true freshmen that ultimately are a major factor in whatever success Clemson has this season.

The most obvious newcomer that will play a big role is the crown jewel of the Tigers’ recruiting haul – five-star defensive end Da’Quan Bowers. While Bowers will enter fall camp as the backup to Kevin Alexander on the strongside, Bowers showed enough in the spring game alone to possibly be a truly elite player in the ACC as soon as this season.

Another player that I expect to have an immediate impact is wide receiver Marquan Jones. Jones came in somewhat under the radar – certainly as compared to Bowers – but has already shined in his limited time with the squad. Though he’ll enter the fall third on the depth chart at one receiver slot – behind Jacoby Ford and Nelson Faerber – Tiger fans can expect to see a good deal of Jones this fall.

While James Davis and C.J. Spiller will get the bulk of the work in the backfield, and for good reason, I think we can also expect both Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington to see time this season – particularly Harper, who could provide the Tigers a true power back. At about 230 pounds and with speed to burn, Harper could provide some extra thunder and lightning – pardon the pun – to the Tigers’ backfield.

Other true freshmen we could see make an impact are linebacker Stanley Hunter, McClain, tight end Dwayne Allen and long snapper Matt Skinner.

Hunter, for one, will play a role in answering my next question: How will the Tigers deal with replacing what amounts to all three starting linebackers from last season?

When Courtney Vincent was dismissed from the team recently, it only added to the void that Clemson has at its linebacking spots – with Tramaine Billie and Nick Watkins having completed their eligibility.

Much like the offensive line, the bad news is the Tigers are very inexperienced at linebacker; the good news is they’re probably more talented and athletic. Scotty Cooper, Brandon Maye and Kavell Conner are slated to start – from strongside to weakside – entering the fall, and many believe that Maye in particular could be the headhunter the Tigers have been searching for since the days of Keith ‘The Termite’ Adams and Leroy Hill.

DeAndre McDaniel, though listed as the backup to Michael Hamlin at the CAT safety spot, has also seen some time at strongside backer and could further add to the athleticism in the linebacking corps.

Speed seems to be the name of the game at linebacker these days in college football, and while Clemson is a bit undersized at the position as a whole, it has a good group of impressive athletes – with Maye adding a nice mean streak into the mix. I actually think the Tigers will be just fine here.

My final – and perhaps the most important – question for the upcoming season is this: Will Clemson be able to avoid injuries at key positions?

Injuries certainly took a toll on the Tigers last season, as Cullen Harper was obviously hindered by a shoulder late last season, particularly in the bowl game, and the loss of Jacoby Ford to a broken ankle took a big-time big-play element out of the offense.

James Davis, meanwhile, has been burdened with shoulder problems – whether he’ll admit it or not – throughout his career, and those have been like Kryptonite to this particular ‘Superman.’

Injuries are always a part of football, as the sport itself is pretty much one big injury waiting to happen. And like almost every team east of Southern California, Clemson is only a key injury or two from looking much more average.

All in all, while nearly everybody has the Tigers slated as the preseason favorite for the ACC crown, I think it’s clear that there are plenty of questions to be answered in order to make that happen.

There’s really only one thing I know for sure, Aug. 30 can’t get here soon enough.