Start today at Clemson. Our men's team goes into the event as the favorites with FSU being the biggest challenger followed by UNC and Virginia. Last year we had a slight edge on paper but got dominated by FSUs sprinters and jumpers and finished a distant second. Indoor Track & Field is especially hard to project due to the variability in facilities ("fast" tracks vs. "slow" tracks), some athletes opting to redshirt, injuries and teams hiding some performers (they don't participate in any prior meets). Additionally, it is never certain what events certain runners may enter. For example, a top runner in the 800 and mile will typically only run one of those events due to the timing of the events.

Tonight is highlighted by the Distance Medley Relay, an event in which we typically do well and are the number one seed. Our team is deep with the possibility of scoring in every event. As usual, we should score well in the 400m where Jacory Patterson is the heavy favorite, the 800m, the mile and the pole vault. We also have a chance to score significant points in the 200 with 3 ranked sprinters plus Jacory Patterson who is slated to run the event for the first time this season, the 3K depending upon who runs, the shot put where we are a solid second seed, the 4 x 400 relay where we are also the top seed. We may pick up some unexpected points in tonight's 5K with Lopez-Segura running the event for the first time this season.

FSU will score big in the 60m (they will probably go 1-2-3), 200m, 60m hurdles, and both the triple and long jumps. As usual, they are our biggest contender for the men's title. With the exception of one year, FSU or Virginia Tech has won every title for the past 18 years.

The early good news is the UVa's defending champion in the heptathlon is effectively eliminated after two of the seven events and FSU's number one seed in the 5K is not running. All things considered, this should be another team championship for the Hokies.