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Clemson Needs a Change
Clemson was once a proud and respected program and can be again
Time to Bring Sanity Back to Clemson
9-29-08
Matt Barber
Clemson Football has become a joke of sorts among national sports media and national sports fan. Here's a program that in many years is hyped as having a breakout season, but hasn't had that type season in 20 years. It's a program that has the ACC's best and most rabid fanbase that deserves a championship program. Tommy Bowden has had 10 seasons to produce a championship program at Clemson, but has not, and now it's time for him to go.
Bowden certainly has improved the program and should be credited for that. When he took over at Clemson the program had just finished a 3-8 season under now current Memphis coach Tommy West. Bowden came to Clemson with plenty of hype. The son of a legend, Bowden had just come off a 12-0 season at Tulane and a top ten finish. The QB play of Shaun King led many across the country to believe that Tommy was the man behind an innovative spread offense that would bring Clemson the kind of success that Florida State achieved under Bobby Bowden.
Season number one under Bowden was a success at Clemson. He only won six games, but it was a three game improvement and Clemson went bowling. The Clemson program was heading in the right direction. In 2000 the Tigers started out with 8 straight wins averaging 43 points a game and even reached a top 10 ranking at this point. Excitement like that hadn't been seen since the Ford era in Pickens County and it seemed as if the Clemson program was about to take off. Unfortunately for Tiger fans, it never really did.
Rich Rodriguez would leave after the 2000 season and that kind of offensive production hasn't been seen since. Sure Clemson has had its moments of glory. For example, in 2003 the Tigers won four straight games to end the season that included a 26-10 win over Florida State, a 63-17 win over rival South Carolina, and a 27-14 Peach Bowl win over Tennessee. This stretch gave Bowden a big extension, and plenty of hype for the 2004 season. Much like this season, the 04 season was supposed to be special for Clemson, but instead Bowden dissapointed. The Tigers finsihed the year 6-5 and missed out on a bowl due to a brawl against South Carolina.
That special season for Clemson just hasn't happened under Bowden. Since he's been there programs like Maryland and Wake Forest have won ACC Championships. Even Georgia Tech and Boston College have appeared in the ACC Championship game. None of those four programs can match Clemson's fanbase, stadium atmosphere, or tradition(besides maybe GT with tradition). NC State has had an 11 win season since Bowden arrived at Clemson. Bowden was hired in 1998 and since 98 only Virginia, Clemson, UNC, and Duke have failed to win 10+ games in a season.
Is this what Tiger fans want? Are they happy with 7-9 win seasons each year? I can't imagine fans of a program that was number 5 in winning pct in the entire decade of the 80s are happy right now. Tommy keeps on with the excuses, but it's hard to excuse a 9-10 record in the last 19 games you were favored to win. He keeps comparing his losses to other programs who have suffered upset losses, but some of those programs he compares his to are programs like Southern Cal who has won championships. Bowden has won 62% of his games, not awful numbers. That is unless you consider that Clemson fans ran off Ken Hatfield for winning 71% of his games. Yes, Tiger fans want more and can get more.
Those that support Bowden will be quick to point to his 7-2 record against rival South Carolina. This domination of the Gamecocks really shouldn't impress anyone. Clemson has always dominated South Carolina. From 1976-1998 the Gamecocks owned only six wins over the Tigers, this is not a program that struggles with its instate rival.
The other thing Bowden supporters will point to is his ethics and graduation rate. Shouldn't this be expected of every coach though? There are plenty of great Christians that can get kids in classrooms, but the key is finding the guys that can do this and win championships.
The final group of fans that don't want Bowden gone are those that ask the question "Who can we get any better?". This is typically the response of a loser afraid to take a risk. This is also the response of someone that is totally clueless about how good of a job Clemson is. Only about 20 programs in the country can put 80,000 butts in the seats each game, Clemson is one of them. On gameday few will ever match the atmosphere of Death Valley. Everyone dressed in orange, Howard's Rock, The Esso Club, The Hill, Lake Hartwell, the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, and of course Tiger Rag make this a special place for college football. The State of South Carolina is home to some great football talent being a top 15 producer of NFL talent. Clemson also is near recruiting hotbeds of Atlanta, Charlotte, and Western North Carolina. Bowden has proven recruiting isn't an issue, now Clemson just needs someone who can coach that talent.
What is the Next Step?
I've established why its time for a change, but where do the Tigers go from here? Danny Ford won at Clemson with a powerful running game, a great defense, and good special teams. That formula is what will work again as Clemson has been beaten up by more physical teams under Bowden. Clemson, like much of the Palmetto State, is made up of blue collar people. A tough, blue collar football team would work with fans at Clemson. Bowden is a nice guy who worked his way into coaching with the help of his father, he is seen as weak(been known to publicly cry) and his football teams show it. The solution to this problem isn't far away either, all you have to do is look in the ACC to find the answer. His name, Bud Foster.
Foster is considered by most to be the best defensive coordinator in college football and he has the stats to back up those claims. In 2005 and in 2006 Foster's defenses ranked number one nationally in total defense. Foster is a three time winner of the Broyles Award(99, 01, and 06), which is given to the nation's top assistant coach each year. In 129 games as a defensive coordinator Foster's Hokies have held opponents to an average of 102.7 yards rushing and has given up only 15.6 points per game!
The "Lunch Pail" defense represents the blue collar attitude of the defense. The group follows Foster's Philosophy of "W-I-N, What's Important Now: To make change; to influence; to use this moment to be better than the last; to achieve greatness in all aspects of your life; WIN at home. WIN at school. WIN at business. WIN at life". It is this mentality that has made the Hokies the best defensive unit in college football over the last decade.
Yes, the spread offenses of the world are the what's sexy in college football right now. Teams like Texas Tech put together exciting systems that create insane offensive statistics, but its physical teams with great defenses that win championships. Don't believe in physical football? Well, if you are a Clemson fan you should after what Saban did to the Tigers in week one. Physical football is what led LSU to the national championship last season and it will produce the national champion again this year.
Foster also understands the importance of special teams. There isn't a program in college football that has won more ball games with great special team play than Virginia Tech over the last 15 years. The Hokies are constantly blocking kicks and creating turnovers in the kicking game. The great Clemson teams of the 80s also had good special teams play. Donald Igwebuike, David Treadwell, and Chris Gardocki all were great kickers for the Tigers during the Ford era.
In the end it will be up to Terry Don Phillips and James Barker. Will they make a change that is needed or will they continue the insanity and hope things will change? One thing is for certain, Bowden will again lose a game he shouldn't and things will only get uglier with fans. A tradition rich program with great fans deserve better. Foster would bring sanity back to Death Valley.
