Clemson midseason review: it’s over

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, October 13, 2008  |  Comments( 15 )

Clemson Tigers
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At this point, there’s no way to argue that Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden should be retained until the end of the season -- he needs to be shown the door now. Last week's 12-7 loss to Wake Forest and the subsequent move to replace quarterback Cullen Harper with Willy Korn are more rotten cherries on top of this decade of undeniable inconsistency.

Yes, folks, it’s exactly that bad.

The Tigers, who entered this season the ACC favorites with a No. 9 ranking in the AP poll, are now demoralized because of an inexcusable 3-3 overall mark (1-2 ACC) at the midpoint; worse, they are now staring down the barrel of upcoming opponents Georgia Tech, Boston College and Florida State, all of which boast the conference’s top three defenses.

Given their current struggles, coupled with the upcoming schedule, there's little doubt the Tigers will once again fail in their quest to win an ACC title. But chronic underachievement is nothing new under Bowden, which is precisely why fans are calling for his head more than ever.

The longtime coach has lost the fans, the team (specifically Harper) and purportedly some top recruits. He’s even endured scorching public criticism from former Clemson greats, something never before seen. Had Bowden not switched from Harper to fan favorite Korn, it’s highly unlikely many loyalists would be turning out at Death Valley this Saturday for the Georgia Tech game, which would’ve only furthered Bowden’s end. Yes, this knee-jerk quarterback switch is driven more by politics and less by team interests. Furthermore, the university won't save a ton of money by waiting, as Bowden’s buyout drops by $500,000 -- a measly amount when you consider the athletic department’s supposed “rainy day fund." There’s not a lot more he can lose and nothing big for the university to gain by keeping Bowden.

Take Auburn’s recent firing. Head coach Tommy Tuberville dropped offensive coordinator Tony Franklin last Wednesday, just days after a loss Vanderbilt. They say that the Franklin firing set the table for Clemson; for the Tigers, though, firing offensive coordinator Rob Spence is not enough. Relieving Spence (and/or offensive line coach Brad Scott) would only be a diversion, a stalling by Bowden to save his job. You can't end 10 years of mediocrity by simply changing assistants or quarterbacks. Besides, Bowden’s changed assistants and quarterbacks several times before and it still never led to greatness.

Severing ties with Bowden now is the only solution for Clemson, which probably should have let the coach go years back. Will it happen? Probably not. But it ought to.
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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: 15  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
NB		11:36 AM
10/13/2008
The tailspin continues, as it will for the next several games. The WF loss sucked a LOAD of confidence away from the Tigers. The...
No.2
NB		02:31 PM
10/13/2008
All I can say after the news flash is INCREDIBLE!!! I did predict that this would be Tommy Bowden's last season at Clemson a week...
No.3
RazzMaTazz		03:40 PM
10/13/2008
I'm going to say something that has never before been said on a college football blog. Are you ready? I was WRONG! I never...
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