He's been named an All-American by The Associated Press and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Brown shared his thoughts on the bowl game and Spiller Monday before the Cats left for Nashville for their final game preparations.
Question: Has not going to a different bowl like some of your players indicated they wanted to do at midseason hindered preparations for Clemson at all?
Brown: "I would have never thought at Kentucky that we would be worried about which bowl we would be going to. I just never thought that would be a problem. Prior to us coming here, we just wanted to get to a bowl. We are in a good bowl. I asked the guys on defense how many had been in championship games and they all raised their hands. I asked how many had lost a championship game. I said we are not going down there (Nashville) to lose. We are not resting on our glory that we made it to a bowl. We don't want fans to forget our year's accomplishments based on losing a bowl. We are going there to win."
Question: When you think of Clemson's offense, you think of running back C.J. Spiller. But does Clemson pass the ball better than many realize?
Brown: "They are a very well balanced offense. Their second leading receiver is a tight end, the third is a running back and the first is a wide receiver. They run the ball well and have two or three backs that can run extremely well. The quarterback has the ability to scramble and keep the (first down) chains moving if the pass protection breaks down. They are a very, very solid offensive unit. The offensive line is big and athletic.
"They do some good things schematically and force the defensive coaches, especially in a situation when you have the whole year to look at and you are trying to stop everything and that is probably preposterous. But you don't want to leave any stone uncovered. We are trying to look at everything they might do and put our players in best position to succeed."
Question: Is Spiller as good as any back you have faced this year?
Brown: "He certainly is. He is extremely talented because he can do a number of things. He is a great returner, he catches ball well, he can break tackles and if he gets a crease running the ball he scores. He is a guy who is a really good player. We are talking about a Heisman Trophy candidate and one of the top six or seven players in college football."
Question: How do you replace injured linebacker Sam Maxwell, your second leading tackler and top interceptor?
Brown: "It's like the year. We have had situations where (cornerback) Trevard Lindley, who is a valuable member of our defense, was not in there. We have had guys step up to the plate. Micah Johnson has been out. We have had linemen out. It is just a matter of Jacob Dufrene or Ridge Wilson coming in and playing their hearts out, knowing what to do and attacking.
"The hard thing you miss with Sam is that he was such a smart football player that he helped get people lined up and communicated through instinct and what seen on film what the offense might do. Plus he has a great personality not only with players, but with the coaches. The other guys just have to step up.
"This is kind of an audition for Dufrene and Wilson. I hope they pass it with flying colors because that will give us a much greater chance to win the bowl game if one or both of them play well."
Question: How much have the extra December practices helped your younger players?
Brown: "It means a lot of technique work and basically what you are adding is another spring practice. It allows us to really develop young players and sharpen up older guys. It is really beneficial. It is like having another summer of classes so you can get your degree early. It is like adding another spring practice four years in a row. It's impossible to say just how big it is."
