All-In [30467]

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ouch

May 31, 2007, 8:36 AM

For some reason outside of common sense, there are some Clemson fans who believe the team is ''this close'' to winning an ACC championship.

Then again, they were ''close'' in both 2000 and 2003.

After the humiliating implosion that was the 2006 regular season and before heading into Nashville to lose to Kentucky in the Music City Bowl, Coach Tommy Bowden held a press conference and stated, "Two straight years we are just one point away. Now, on the other end, I do think that shows signs that we are close."

Right.

It's true that if Clemson had just one more conference win, the team would have represented the Atlantic Division and played in the ACC title game against Georgia Tech. But Bowden's "one point away" excuse is little more than, well, an excuse.

Fact is, Clemson perennially ends up around sixth in the conference when all is said and done, period. For the past bunch of years, the Tigers have always had a total collapse somewhere in the season that lasts between three and five games and ends up costing them their shot at the conference title. It has certainly been this way throughout most of Bowden's tenure.

Forget Bowden's "one point away" theory and consider Clemson's overall ACC standing since he took the reins. The following rankings have been re-weighted to take into consideration head-to-head wins and losses, which apparently wasn't done years ago:

2006 FINAL ACC STANDINGS
1. Wake Forest 6-2
2. Georgia Tech 7-1
3. Virginia Tech 6-2
4. Boston College 5-3
5. Maryland 5-3
6. Clemson 5-3
7. Virginia 4-4
8. Florida State 3-5
9. Miami (FL) 3-5
10. North Carolina 2-6
11. North Carolina State 2-6
12. Duke 0-8

2005 FINAL ACC STANDINGS
1. Florida State 5-3
2. Virginia Tech 7-1
3. Miami (FL) 6-2
4. Boston College 5-3
5. Georgia Tech 5-3
6. Clemson 4-4
7. North Carolina 4-4
8. North Carolina State 3-5
9. Maryland 3-5
10. Wake Forest 3-5
11. Virginia 3-5
12. Duke 0-8

2004 FINAL ACC STANDINGS
1. Virginia Tech 7-1
2. Florida State 6-2
3. Miami (FL) 5-3
4. Virginia 5-3
5. North Carolina 5-3
6. Georgia Tech 4-4
7. Clemson 4-4
8. North Carolina State 3-5
9. Maryland 3-5
10. Wake Forest 1-7
11. Duke 1-7

2003 FINAL ACC STANDINGS
1. Florida State 7-1
2. Maryland 6-2
3. Clemson 5-3
4. Virginia 4-4
5. North Carolina State 4-4
6. Georgia Tech 4-4
7. Wake Forest 3-5
8. Duke 2-6
9. North Carolina 1-7

2002 FINAL ACC STANDINGS
1. Florida State 7-1
2. Maryland 6-2
3. Virginia 6-2
4. North Carolina State 5-3
5. Georgia Tech 4-4
6. Clemson 4-4
7. Wake Forest 3-5
8. North Carolina 1-7
9. Duke 0-8

2001 FINAL ACC STANDINGS
1. Maryland 7-1
2. Florida State 5-2
3. North Carolina 5-3
4. Georgia Tech 4-3
5. North Carolina State 4-4
6. Clemson 3-4
7. Wake Forest 3-5
8. Virginia 3-5
9. Duke 0-7

2000 FINAL ACC STANDINGS
1. Florida State 8-0
2. Georgia Tech 6-2
3. Clemson 6-2
4. Virginia 5-3
5. North Carolina State 4-4
6. North Carolina 3-5
7. Maryland 3-5
8. Wake Forest 1-7
9. Duke 0-8

1999 FINAL ACC STANDINGS
1. Florida State 8-0
2. Georgia Tech 5-3
3. Clemson 5-3
4. Virginia 5-3
5. North Carolina State 3-5
6. Duke 3-5
7. Wake Forest 3-5
8. Maryland 2-6
9. North Carolina 2-6

As you can see, the absolute highest Clemson has risen in the ACC was No. 3, done on three separate occasions. But even in third place, to put it in baseball terms, in 1999 Clemson was four games out from being the champ, and three in both 2000, and 2003. That's not exactly one game away.

Bowden's teams have ranked sixth four times, third three times and seventh once. But the addition of three new teams since 2004 impact these numbers because -- although ACC teams still play eight conference opponents each year -- there are now more conference teams to outrank from an overall standpoint. So to mathematically adjust the earlier years to mimic a 12-team conference, Bowden's teams are looking at an adjusted ranking of:

'06: sixth
'05: sixth
'04: sixth
'03: fourth
'02: eighth
'01: eighth
'00: fourth
'99: fourth

Recalculated with these adjusted rankings, the team's average conference ranking throughout Bowden's Clemson career is 5.95 out of 12 (let's just say sixth). In terms of conference record, that's just under .500 and is clearly mediocre, below average, ho-hum, and so forth.

Far from being "close."

Bowden has proven that he is incapable of bringing an ACC crown to Clemson, and excuses make him look desperate.

From the looks of things, it appears that the number of fans who want Bowden out and an elite replacement hired are growing. They view him as the one constant in the Tigers' era of mediocrity, because for the past eight years there have been changes in players, assistant coaches and even athletic directors. Not coach, though.

Original Clemson Tigers insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com.

Message was edited by: STERLING®

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Some people just don't want ayone to be successful. For all you Bowden Haters who continually put down his abilities let me shed some light on a few things.

First of all look at the recruiting classes of Coach Bowden since he was named head coach. We have improved drastically in this area. 10 years ago we could not sign the CJ Spillers and the James Davis'. And we currently as of right now have more rivals top 100 players looking very hard at Clemson than we have ever had.

Secondly, No one can argue that the facilities upgrades we have gone though in the past 8 years have been enormous. Both Concourses have been renovated, the feild has had the crown taken out of it, the addition of the West Endzone and the new Scoreboard. Currently they are working on Phase two for the WEZ as well.
This is something Coach Danny Ford tried to get the University to do for many years and failed.

This program has made huge strides in the last eight years to try and catch up to other elite programs. None of this would have been possible if it were not for Tommy Bowden. People seem to forget that during the Ken Hatfield/ Tommy West era other universities advanced there programs, while ours seemed to dwindle where it was. Fact: 23 universities made major renovations or additions to their stadiums before Clemson did; including Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Florida State. These are some of the teams that are mentioned as finishing ahead of us in the ACC standings for the past five years. Is it so hard to believe that this is because recruits saw these universities getting behind the football program and how do you compete when your university is doing nothing. We are competitive now in recruiting. We are doing the things that entice major recruits to come to Tigertown.

Coach Bowden has not been the problem. Sure a couple of close games. A few meltdowns and you are willing to throw him under the bus. Rediculous. You would be willing to set our program back another 5 years to get someone new who will put forth the same effort just to be ridiculed by the same detractors. Become part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Why would any recruit want to come to CLemson when they see that the coachs' job is in jeoperdy 24/7. I wouldn't.

Go Tigers.

ouch

is "clemson nation" ready to pay two to three times bowden's

ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY***

are there not divisions now? we were 1, yes 1, game away

Bitter Bitter Bitter***

so does anyone think our 2000 team was better than the last

Re: so does anyone think our 2000 team was better than the last

What if Bowden left and Rodriguez was promoted?

not so sure about that...Rich Rod plays in a weak conference

Big East is getting better and they upgraded when they got

Would he coach up our boys better? Maybe. Would he

LOL..."elite replacement hired "

"they ran him out of NC because he was a loser" ?!?!?!

I reacted the same way to that comment. Hilarious

Other than his first two seasons at UNC....

and I stand corrected about Brown

UNC did'nt run Mack Brown away cause is was a loser

realfootball365.com.....hack journalism at it's finest***

Paging Tooka.***

Don't you mean "Shaking the #### Cheese" ??

Funny how you can spin numbers to prove just about any

Reminds me of this quote from our current RB coach.....

Hope you had a ball in Memphis!

Ruh roh!***

Re: ouch

Mine? LOL!***

Yes your bull #### adjustments at the bottom that assume

Sterling forgot to site his sources***

Yes, and he needs to clear that up b/c it looks like its his***

so, since this guy went back and readjusted for the new

What a waste of time...

Considering

easy with the facts***

Bowden's days are numbered, and he knows it.

Fact has it.. he won't be able to

Re: ouch

I heard Lou Holtz is looking for a job...

for all Bowden haters!!!!

Who is elite in the ACC?? The ACC is the 6th best conf now

with out a doubt that is the dumbest post I have ever

I suppose you could complain if you wanted to...

or perhaps you could site your sources the first time***

OH boo flippin who it's on the front dad gum page.***

not everyone reads the front page...and its hoo. not who

maybe I was being more specific than 'hoo'

and it's cite...not site

write me a tigernet citation then***

For meritorious service to Tigernet, I hearby award you

I guess you can play the "one point away" argument is

That guy's opinion really skewers me....LOL***

For those who view "1 game away" as a positive...

I'm still scratching my head losing to sub par MD

Re: I'm still scratching my head losing to sub par MD

I could not agree more...

Progress in facilities and recruiting, but not in results.***

Well I disagree with that. Our results are CONSIDERABLY

Recommend you change your picture

Bottom Line is this...

Dear Mr. Elite Replacement,

although I like seeing you rerank and moving CU down,

TigerBoard POTD