I think it's bigger than that. Clemson has something USC

about when and how USuCk can get on the same level of success as Clemson. My answer was, not anytime soon, for one main reason. Recruiting.

But this isn't your normal, Clemson gets a lot of great kids and USuCk doesn't. It's how Clemson recruits vs the coots and I've seen this first hand.

If you have a great player, you're going to get a ton of visits from college recruiters including the coots and Clemson staff. If you don't have any kids who can play at that level, you will still get visits from college recruiters AND CLEMSON.

That's the difference. USuCk is only going to stop by campus if you have somebody they want or they believe you will have somebody soon.

Clemson stops by whether you will or not to keep that relationship.

Coach Pearman is the best at this. He will stop by and talk even though he knows you don't have anybody just to keep that relationship there.

That's why Clemson is next level in recruiting and the coots can't catch up.

Tiggity®

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Jul 12, 2019, 12:11 PM

has never had, and never will have. A rural setting, and a family atmosphere. Students who are not athletes at all get this. It's a great school. Great town. Great environment. And we attract great players and students, and coaches. Over and over I hear recruits say there's something different about Clemson. And then you see former players like CJ Spiller, Tajh Boyd, etc. saying the same thing, even long after they've left. The place becomes home, plain and simple. Best way to describe it. In fact, for many it becomes BETTER than home.

NONE of this you can get at USC. It's in an urban area. It's setting is not nearly as quiet, peaceful, or friendly. It's in Columbia, and as someone from Columbia I can confirm that it's a drag. USC is a HUGE benefit to the city of Columbia, but the same does not apply in reverse. In Clemson the University is a compliment to the TOWN and the TOWN is a compliment to the university.

At the end of the day, it's people that matter, not facilities or places. Clemson attracts good people. Coaching matters as well because they are the people who shape the football program and the players, who are also people. Tommy Bowden never quite figured this out. His theory is Clemson is a great place, and if I can get nicer facilities, I'll get better recruits, better players, and win more games. A LOT of coaches fall into this mindset. Dabo doesn't. He came in thinking Clemson is great, and how can I make this place greater?

From day one, Dabo put his money where his mouth is. His first priority was recruiting and developing great COACHES at Clemson. That was his first step. He took a pay cut to get the coaches he wanted and to get them paid more. He earned their respect and loyalty. He built a staff, then a team, and then when that paid dividends THEN he built facilities and landed better and better recruits. To this day Dabo recruits the person as much or more than the player, and he's made VERY few bad pics. He is a good judge of character. He thinks different and acts different than most coaches. Everyone thought he was a joke. But in reality he's an innovator, and instead of an anomaly, he's a better example of a success. Dabo is the type of person who would be good at anything he does in life. Selling real estate or coaching, or whatever. He's a perfect fit for what Clemson has always had to offer, and the same applies in reverse.

On the flip side, Spurrier is probably the best coach and will end up with the best record, of any coach to coach at USC. His character and personality fit the school, and the city. Just as Dabo fits in at Clemson, Suprrier was a perfect fit for Columbia. And he took them to the top 10 and some amazing seasons, by their standards. But football in Columbia is a diversion and a social event more than a religion. It's always been an excuse for a party no matter how bad they play. And there's a crowd in urban areas (among fans) at all schools in urban areas that place an undue value on socializing and networking over the game. You have to make an investment to drive to Clemson. You go to watch a football game. Or at least I do. I tailgate, sure, but in 43 years I've never missed the Tigers running down the hill, and never left a game early (until I had kids anyway). Even then, we'd have to be way up and they'd have to have a real problem for me to leave. It's serious in Clemson. It's not a party or a networking opportunity. It's football, in its purest form. No distractions.

Recruiting is overrated. Sure it's important, but it's not nearly as important as the character and chemistry of the coaches and players, and the chemistry between the team and the university and the fans. We're all on the same page at Clemson now. And that's rare and that's what is needed for success. For a while USC and Spurrier were on the same page as well. Just very different books. What we have works for us. It won't work for Alabama or USC or almost anyone else. Just enjoy the ride. Recruiting will take care of itself. They appreciate honesty over salesmanship. They appreciate a Clemson offer because we will not just offer any player with good numbers. He has to be a good person too. Yes, we're different. Very different and in the best possible way.