Pressure back on Tigers’ Bowden after opening debacle

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, September 01, 2008  |  Comments( 11 )

 Clemson Tigers
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...
What's the buzz about?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

CommentsComments: 11
 No.1
RazzMaTazz		 06:32 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. Bowden is feeling no pressure, other than the embarassment of looking like he doesn't belong in the big leagues (which he doesn't). His seat is as cold as ice.

If Clemson plays like that the rest of the season, Clemson will not win the ACC, and they'll lose to SoCar. I'd guess that the chances of a turnaround are about 50-50.

Go Tigers! Go away Bowden!
 No.2
NB		 01:33 PM
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 Clemson fan and it angered me, but it angered me more. This was not only a shame and a humiliating embrassment to the university, the fans and the
athletic department there, it was a DISGRACE to the game of football. I don't know what the TV audience saw out there Saturday night, but it wasn't football. Clemson seemed to havbe a bunch of DEAD bodies in orange uniforms impersonating football players. They were mauled by a group
of freshman players who litterally slapped them around all night. Alabama was the schoolyard bully who took the Tigers lunch money. There was a time (the 80s) when Clemson was THE bully of the ACC. Those halycon days are long gone, and it was evidenced by the sad, yet comical display of pretenders we saw a few nights ago. This is the secong time in two seasons where Clemson was hit in the mouth by a physical team on National TV(Va. Tech last year). The image of Clemson football is surely one of a soft, putrid, marshmallow
style, and it will indeed take another MAN at the helm to bring back "toughness" to the program. that being said, I have to say I noticed 4 BIG problems other than Tommy Bowden that exists
on this team, and these four issues have to be eradicated if Tommy is to survive at Clemson. Firstly, the O-line. Brad Scott is probably the worst O-line coach in Div I. without question. 14 total yards rushing with two of the best backs as a combination in America....no excuses there. That offensive line alllowed Bama to sack Harper numerous times, and as a unit, they looked like a pop warner group. In fact, since TB has been at Clemson, the O-line has been at the most a below-average bunch. Brad Scott must be fired. Secondly, The play calling.
You don't run three consective bubble screens when the 1st two failed. There simply wasn't any true inprovisation of any kind by Mr. Spence when Bama blitzed or stunted. This was Offensive coordinating at it's worst, and this isn't the first time Rob Spence has stunk up the joint with his lack of creative playcalling. Therefore, he must be given his "pink" slip.
Thirdly, the D-line coach, Chris Rumph. The way the young Alabama team stuffed the ball down the throat of that defensive front, it was clear that a kid out of junior high could have done a better job of preparation and adjustments. I think Bowers might want to re-think his decision in picking Clemson after Saturday night. There was NO intensity or desire in that D-line. Mr. Rumph should be banned from the campus. Fourthly,
The Defensive Coordinator/DB coach, Vic Koenning. There were no stunts or blitzes called worth any note during the game, and
that defense as a whole made John Parker Wilson, a very average QB, look like an All-American. This guy has struggles for the last TWO seasons as Bama's signal caller, and yet the Tigers never sacked him once. The Tide punted only one or two times the entire game. The DB's who are coached by Mr. Koenning, looked totally cinfuced throughout the game. Give him
fast, hard BOOT in the you-know what outta here. Tommy Bodwen is at best, an AVERAGE head coach. He will never be a great coach, nor a better than average one. He is not his dad, nor will ever be. That's just the hard, brutal truth, but when he surrounds himself with assistants who aren't even as good as he is, then you really have problems. The core of this coaching is below average to unsatisfactory, and this is why tiger fans have had to suffer 10 years of underacheivement and letdowns over and over again. It is said that a head coach is as good as his assistants, and let's face it: after witnessing the carnage of
"the Georgia Dome massacre" it became clear to me that unless there is a massive "housecleaning within Clemson's staff,
things will remain the same for a long time, and it will lead to Bowden's dismissal eventually. Bowden should take a page out of Tommy Tuberville's handbook on firing bad staff. He was under great pressure at Auburn, so he took it out on them. to make a long story short, he has brought Auburn back to nat'l respectability. Yes, the days of hard-nosed football at Clemson are indeed a memory, but the mantle of Danny Ford has dropped upon some young coach out there, waiting to fill the shoes of a woeful coaching crew of the present, and when he does emerge, the Clemson faithful will laud his quest to bring back glory to the program.
 No.3
cdr4tigers		 06:29 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 claim to know, but I've heard numerous times that the money is available for the buyout, now, if needed.
Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.