Pressure back on Tigers’ Bowden after opening debacle

By Marc Hudgens  |   Sunday, August 31, 2008  |  Comments( 11 )

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After ninth-ranked Clemson's 34-10 loss to freshman-laden Alabama on Saturday, one couldn’t help but sigh and shake his head at yet another Tommy Bowden-coached debacle. Once again, the so-called class of the Atlantic Coast Conference got blasted by what's supposed to be a middle-of-the-road Southeastern Conference team.

To those who know Clemson and its erratic ways, its loss to No. 24 Alabama wasn't much of a surprise. As the Tigers have shown consistently under Bowden, they've struggled mightily against SEC competition and in Atlanta (where the game was held), and they disappoint when expectations are high.

In the end, the Tigers got 188 passing yards from Cullen Harper -- who many feel is the best quarterback in the ACC -- and zero yards (you read that right) from one of the nation’s top running back tandems in C.J. Spiller and James Davis, both of whom are Doak Walker Award nominees. Moreover, Clemson was just 1-of-9 on third down, allowed four sacks and held the ball for under 19 minutes in a one-hour game. All that explains why the Tigers' offense amassed zero points. (Their special teams recorded the 10.)

While this loss has no impact on the Tigers’ quest for a conference title, which is the ultimate goal, it still doesn't bode well for a club that's become prone to letting down its followers. Entering Clemson's prime-time contest against the Tide, the ACC’s image had already taken a couple of hits when East Carolina beat Virginia Tech and South Carolina clobbered North Carolina State; well, consider the Tigers' embarrassing defeat the ACC's opening-weekend knockout blow.

Regardless of where Clemson goes from here in 2008, one thing’s for sure: The pressure is squarely back on Bowden, where it belongs.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He ...
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CommentsComments: 11  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
RazzMaTazz		03:32 PM
09/01/2008
Bowden has a $4M buyout (decreasing by $500k/year). There is no way that Clemson will fire Bowden in the next couple years. ...
No.2
NB		10:33 AM
09/02/2008
WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, DANNY FORD? I must admit, after watching this Labor Day weekend massacre at the Georgia Dome, It hurt as a ...
No.3
cdr4tigers		03:29 PM
09/02/2008
If we don't win the Atlatic Division, Razz, I think they just might have to bit the bullet and pull the trigger anyway. I don't ...
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