What a difference a decade makes:

May 22, 2006, 5:53 AM

I'll have to admit it. I get keyed up every year about this time. I try to contain myself and approach each year with a "cautious optimism". But when you look at the team we are going to put on the field this year, it's hard to hold back.

We are getting hyped by most if not all of the pre-season publications. ESPN's Ivan Maisel has us at #11. Athlon Sports has us at #12. Lindy's has us at #18. Most have us picked to win 10 games, the ACC, and maybe even go to BCS bowl.

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day about the similarities of this team to the teams we fielded in the late 80's. Those teams were defined first and foremost by a dominating defense, followed by a great backfield. We never had explosive offenses that threw the ball - we mostly ran the ball and relied on our defense to keep us in the game, giving us good field position.

Is that not exactly what we have now? The best part of this year's team should be the defense and we will run the ball a whole lot. With our offensive line combined with Davis, Spiller, and Merriweather, we should be able to control the game.

One thing that I remember about the teams in the late 80's was that no matter WHO we played that week - I always felt like we were going to win. Then came the Hatfield/West years where you would just look at the schedule and automatically mark down the FSU game as a loss. We went from beating them in '89 in Tallahassee to the game becoming a "laugher" under Hatfield/West - just hoping to keep it respectable. In less than 4 years we went from winning at FSU to losing by more than 50. It became painfully obvious how far ahead of us they had gone in just a very short time. Now we have beaten them 2 out the last 3 years, we beat Miami in their house, and we beat the 6th ranked Vols in the Peach Bowl - 3 top 10 wins in as many years.

It has taken us over ten years to get back to the point where once again I feel that we can win every game. I am not going to sit here and predict an ACC championship, BCS bowl, undefeated season, or a national title. But I feel a realistic goal this year is 10 wins.

Thank you Tommy Bowden for bringing us back to that point.

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I know everybody always says they have an "inside source" or whatever - But here's what I know about what went down in 2003

I have an uncle who is a retired from Clemson - he was the Dean of a Major Dept - you know the Clemson license plates that everybody has -this dude has one that is single digit and lives on the Walker course.

Anyway - I saw him one night in Nov 2003 at a basketball game after we had beaten FSU, Duke, and SC to close out the season. He said that before the FSU game Tommy's lawyers were already in negotiations with TDP about a buyout. Said Bowden went from a man who was certain to be gone to a man who was calling the shots. It was a great story.

I'll admit that after the Wake loss I was ready to help him pack myself - and that was the ONLY time I have faltered in my support for TB. I am glad things have workd out the way they did.

What a difference a decade makes:

Well said.********

"Good coaches win right away".. ;^)***

when they have the talent they do -

A loss would ruin my weekend growing up - Hatfield cured me***

I get giddy just thinking about it!!!***

I'm very happy that Clemson, and TDP, did the smart thing

I was very surprissed knowing the wt TAC carries.***

me too - and this is interesting

Listen I am not disputing your word or anything but I

true -all heresay anyway -I'm just glad he's still the coach***

Except for Gamescocks. They're still 5-6 or 6-5.***

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