Do you think this man on the left has any second thoughts?
So we got Davis leaving…wait….staying. This is a good thing for Clemson and the running attack at Clemson if they choose to stick with it (remember Korn). But there are some bigger issues at clemson and that is not being able to win the big games nor take advantage of a less than stellar ACC…not to mention the loss of Merring; which creates a little more questions on defense and most likely will force CU to mix things up concerning their coverage in 08. Not to mention a depleted linebacking core and you know the heat (rightfully so) for allowing Vincent play in Atlanta (DUI arrest over Christmas) will come up again in the future. Back to Davis for a second….CU was sure quick to take him back in….what about the question if he took money from sports agents’….Oh and what about Willy “the great white hope” Korn? How will this affect Harper and you know that Korn is the fan favorite so Bowden will have to play the kid. But that is not all important and not why I am writing this….
The real issue at Clemson since Bowden has been coaching there is that the team hasn’t been able to move from its good-but-not-great status to a legit Top 25 team. I mean take away “cake” wins against poor ACC foes (i.e Duke) and some weak non-conf team…whatca got?
At the end of a 9-4 season that included an 0-3 record against Top 25 teams, the Tigers have fallen to 7-27 against Top 25 teams since Bowden arrived, which reveals much about the program.
For instance, the 7-27 record is hard evidence that Clemson is not one play or one game away from reaching “the next level” that Bowden so frequently mentions. You don’t identify your program as one of the elites when you win only 20 percent of your games against those teams.
We always hear, as Carolina fans, how Bowden has got them 9 wins this season, etc. Well let the facts speak for themselves. Looking at those 9 wins and winning season after season….it was not until Bowden’s ninth year at Clemson (2007) that he was able to match Holtz’s best two years at SC. Both Holtz and Bowden amassed win totals of 17 in two years. Holtz did it in years two and three at SC and Bowden did not do it until years eight and nine. USC, under Holtz, won two New Year’s Day bowl in those years, while Bowden has lost two bowl games, and has never won an NYD bowl game. So big whoop right? Well, it is not Carolina fans running their mouths about being “almost” ACC champs; we know as Carolina fans that our program has some work to do before we compete year after year.
Let’s be honest hear and that is what we, as Carolina fans, desire – a football program that is consistent in winning against top rated teams not win 6 here then 7 then a splash of 9 but back to 6…..(also see Clemson on this point too)….we want a program that does not have to rely on beating some lousy non-conf foe (or in conf) to be a winner for that season.
BUT it is amazing to me that Clemson has not been able to get over the hump b/c the ACC seems to dip in quality each year. (Sometimes I wish USC had that easy of a road.) Yet Bowden has failed, even when a crown has been virtually laid at his feet (i.e 07). Clemson, even with the talented Davis, was pretty much an under-performing offense, so it lessens the big-game opportunity for Bowden in the future. Yes, there is something to be said for Bowden meeting a level of mediocrity annually in an ever-slipping ACC, but the fact that he has stumbled so visibly when his chance was handed to him.
Oh it is important to look at this fact….. Coach Spurrier has had 7-5, 8-5 and 6-6 records in that order for his first 3 years. Bowden was 6-6, 9-3 and 7-5 his 1st 3 years with an easier schedule I might add. And Clemson fans, love to mention 81 and the ACC championships but what have you done for me lately? Here is a interesting fact –
Clemson’s record against opponents in the ACC since 1992 is:
- FSU 4-12
- GT 8-8
- UVA 5-7
- VT 0-5
- BC 0-3
- Duke 12-3
- Wake 10-5
- NCst 10-6
- UNC 8-5
- Mary 11-5
- Miami 1-1
Overall 69-60
Back out Duke and Wake from the list above and that total is 47-52 against the rest of the league…..also 5-21 against the four “expansion” schools.
At Clemson, a program that has had the same coach for almost a decade, the local Police Department has not made an arrest of a Clemson football players since 2001. Players charged with Driving Under the Influence or pleading guilty to alcohol-related charges, involving a fatality, are allowed to negotiate down the offense, with little media scrutiny, and the players miss little or no playing time. Other serious offenses (a gang-fight) by players are handled by a student court, and scarcely make news, while players remain secure on the football team. And until post-season 2007, player dismissals for academics at Clemson were extremely rare. Thanks to either a cleanly run program (extremely doubtful) or crafty maneuvering of the rules and media (probable) attrition, has not hampered the Tigers in the least. And still the team seems to be no better in Coach Tommy Bowden’s ninth year than it was in his second year.
So do you think Terry is wondering to himself – “why do I keep this guy around?”
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