Clemson Football:The More Things Change…
“The same thing wins that always won. We just have a bunch of different excuses when we lose.” — Paul W. Bryant
Thirty years since Clemson’s lone National Championship, Tiger fans are watching history unfold before their eyes. Never before at Clemson or in the Atlantic Coast Conference has a program accomplished so much so early. Yet, the natives continue to be apprehensive. Travis Sawchik’s lead paragraph in today’s The Post and Courier reads, “Despite Clemson’s No. 8 ranking, despite accomplishing an Atlantic Coast Conference first with wins versus three straight opponents ranked in The Associated Press poll, there is still hesitancy in the fan base to believe this year and this team are different.”
This apprehension was never more apparent when, amidst a rout of a very physical Boston College, The Tiger’s star quarterback, Taj Boyd, buckled and folded like a cheap lawn chair after a nasty hit in the third quarter Saturday.
I was right there and watched our hero go down. You could’ve heard a pin drop as 60,oo0 out of 80,000 heads collectively dropped. Not in prayer. This is 2011 folks: Anyone who was even pseudo-savvy in social media was checking their Twitter Feeds to see if the injury was Season-ending. Dream Ending. Championship ending. After all, wasn’t it just a matter of time before the other shoe fell on Clemson’s “if- it- seems- too- good- to- be- true- it- probably- isn’t ” Season this Year? Let’s get back to the History lesson.
Since coach Danny Ford left in 1989, the problem with Clemson has been Clemson, forgetting the example set by Frank Howard and reestablished by Ford in 1979. Howard carved out a football tradition in the Upstate with lessons learned from playing for former Alabama coach Wallace Wade, starting at guard for the 1930 National Champs.
Per Wikipedia, “The 1930 Tide was so good that Wade’s ‘starters’ didn’t even need to start. Wade, for psychological effect, routinely started games with his second team. The backups never allowed a point, and the first team didn’t allow very many as the Tide sailed to a 9-0 record. Only the Vanderbilt game was close, as the Commodores scored a fourth-quarter TD to cut Alabama’s lead to five and then drove to the Tide 27-yard-line before stalling out and never threatening again. Bama beat Vandy 12-7; all other wins were by double-digit margins. Vanderbilt’s touchdown and a touchdown scored by Tennessee accounted for 13 points and all of the scoring by Alabama’s opponents in 1930.”
From 1979 to 1989, Clemson compiled a record of 95-29-4, four double-digit-win seasons, five bowl wins, five ACC titles and the ‘81 National Championship. When the university administration made Ford the NCAA violations scapegoat and brought in Ken Hatfield, the train had left the tracks. Hatfield wasn’t Ford, so the devout Christian caught mortal hell from his first day on the job — “after Hatfield met with the players, the threatened boycott for the 1990 season was called off. Saturday, players said that if Ford was not reinstated or an assistant wasn’t promoted, they would sit out next season.”
Hatfield went 32-13-1 with a conference title in three years, but had enough and quit, saying he and his wife, “leave behind much disappointment. Disappointment in the so-called fans who did not support their team. We’re also disappointed in several people who work here at Clemson who worked hard against us.”
Tommy West, on the other hand, had been an assistant coach for Ford, so he had five years to post one less win than Hatfield did in three. And then there was Tommy Bowden, who had a knack for never doing better than 9-3 in nine-plus seasons during his reign of Clemson’s Era of Malaise.
His third year, the 20th anniversary of Clemson’s 1981 championship season, should have been a warning. An AP story from Nov. 1 of that year revealed a program in neutral. Dan Benish, a starting defensive tackle on the ‘81 team, said of their success, “it might actually be a detriment sometimes because people hold those standards.” Former safety Terry Kinard said of modern players, “They don’t see what’s so great about it. They don’t realize what it takes to come together like we did. It’s been 20 years, and they have not come close to one since.”
Head coach Dabo Swinney, needless to say, has put an end to that sort of thinking. Offensive lineman Landon Walker said, “The last few years I think we thought we could just beat teams by showing up, and that is something this team doesn’t do. This year, we’ve done a good job of playing our best game every time we’ve played. It’s a different team, a different year.”
But were all those hopes and dreams evaporating from Frank Howard Field as a courageous Taj Boyd forced “thumbs-up” to the crowds in-between inescapable grimaces of pain as he was wheeled away? ESPN and their kin would surely have you think Clemson was heading the way of the quarterback-crippled Great State of Florida! Really? Is that what they think?
UPDATE: Think Again. A few of those collectively bowed heads MUST have been praying–I know MINE was– because Mr. Boyd, after a negative X-Ray and MRI report, is to report to practice Tuesday. Can you say HALLELUJAH?
Clemson is back to playing “Clemson football” at long last. The team goal this season isn’t winning the division, or the ACC. It’s a trip to New Orleans and the BCS National Championship Game. After all, if you don’t want to be No. 1, you shouldn’t take the field.
by J.L. Mann Cromer, Jr , an Attorney licensed to practice in South Carolina, California &The District of Columbia. He received his BA in 1985 from Clemson University and his JD in 1988 from the University of South Carolina School of Law
with Wes Wolfe. He’s written for 11 publications in five states, and is the proprietor of The Five Points Flood.
Another excellent post Bubba! These Tigers are for real. Dabo and company are gonna have a great season!
Bubba, leave the time machine behind! Clemson’s glory days went the way of Danny. I am glad Tajh is ok, and that hurts me to say it. There are no more Bear Bryants left in coaching and players like Clemson’s 81 team are rare. Look south to old Cola town baby and a brotha named Marcus!
Thirty years later is just how history repeats itself!!
I was in the corner of the endzone at the Orange Bowl as Tuttle
Caught our National Championship Ball!!!!
Dabo has our boys focused on the right mindset and
praying together !! It does make a difference and it shows!!
Orange Bowl Here We Come!!
NEXT YEAR IS HERE!!!!!!!!!
Go TIGERS!!!!!!FIGHT!!!!
Tell him Polly. I couldn’t have said it better.
I smell a BCS bid! Who will be our Perry Tuttle?
Anyone what’a lick my pecan pie?
I also feel a BCS bid may finally be in the Tiger’s grasp. After the Tigers win over Auburn, all I heard from our chicken-flickin’ friends was “Oh Auburn’s got nothing this year” or “Y’all didn’t beat a good SEC team”. A couple of weeks later the naysayers were strangely quiet.
The thing I like about the Tigers this year is that there is talent all over the field! Not one running back, or a single defensive player, but an entire squad seemingly hungry to win. I was relieved as well to hear that Boyd was not out for the season, but I gotta admit that even if that were the case, I’d still put my money on the Tigers! Roll on CU! Roll on!
One game at a time, I would say.
As long as they pull together as a team they can do it. They proved to themselves, while Boyd is a huge driving force behind the team, the teampulled together without him and got the job done. Teamwork is what it takes
According to Clemsontigers.com (http://www.clemsontigers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100911aaa.html), Boyd should be ready to play against Maryland.
I think it’s important that this 2011 football team does not need to compare themselves to the 1981 team or Tiger football teams from previous years to be successful. I often feel that Tiger fans are too quick to hope that this year will be 1981 all over again. This is still a very young team. Let’s give this team a chance to be themselves and play well against Maryland. Georgia Tech and South Carolina on the road will be two games that will measure how well the Tigers can handle success as well as the media spotlight. Winning the ACC Championship game would be a major step for the program, and I hope that happens.
I agree! It’s just SO HARD to keep the enthusiasm at a healthy level when we are playing so well. REGARDLESS… I am so proud of their success this year if they lose every game left. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I think we’d be 6-0 with the brutal hurdles we have had to clear in the first half of the season.
But JOSEPH MAXBERRY I agree with your remarks 100%! Thank you.
What a wonderfully written article Jamie-Bubba Cromer!
I thorougly enjoyed reading your blog . So glad our QB is up and running again -WHEW!
I have faith in this Tiger Team and Mr Dabo- He is “yabbbo Dabo- do”!!
They really have their mojo working!
I watched most of that game. Very impressed with Clemson. They are a force to be reckoned with.
It’s too early to tell if this team has the “right stuff”; but there is a quiet confidence growing there. Go Tigers…keep rolling.
Before this season I didn’t know what to expect because there were too many unknowns.Halfway through the season the train has left the station and The Tiger Express is rolling towards an ACC title and a BCS bowl.However it’s still a half a season to go and a lot can happen.Three games have my attention right now,GT,Wake,and South Carolina.I think the boys in Cola aren’t out of the picture yet.It should make for an interesting game in Nov.However I do like our chances with what I’ve seen from the Fighten Dabos.This group of coaches have the young players ,the veteran players and me believing that greatness still lives in those Hills! Go Tigers ,Roll On!
Great article Bubba! Sorry we missed seeing you this weekend. Had to set out early to climb all the way up to the upper deck of the stadium with my kids. I’m getting old and got a little winded from the thin air at that high altitude…Great vantage point to watch our Tigers! Still believing for an undefeated Tiger season…Go Tigers!!! We believe…
Great post Bubba. I believe the Tigers are going to go far this year. I love to hear the interviews of the players and the coaches. If you listen, I think you will hear humbleness yet confidence in themselves, their team, and their coaches. I think this Tiger team has strength that some of the teams in the past seem to have lacked. I was also at the game on Saturday. Did you notice how the team rallied after Tajh went out? From that point on, our defense had had enough! The crowd was also louder and their was no way BC was going to be allowed to have a miracle come back. It was sweet to see the “All In” team effort.
Danny Ford was great, you all messed up firing him! I am glad Boyd is not hurt because I’d prefer there be no excuses when the GAMECOCKS whip you all in November!!!
As George Michael said “Gotta have faith”! Glad Taj is ok and not seriously hurt…. GO T-I-G-E-aura-S!!!
Good post Bubba.
Praise the Spaghetti Monster that Boyd is going to be okay.
GO CITADEL BULLDOGS!!! (We play Michele and Marcus Bachmann this Saturday!!!)
Bubba – an entertaining vehicle to follow the Tigers from south FLA. Keep up the great work and look forward to seeing you and all the SAE’s in the coming year! Rick and Pam Sartory
Great job and by the way a great weekend with the “Coach”and his boys.Whether championship dreams come true or not-Dabo and the boys have laid down a marker-Big Time football at the Valley is back- and it will be that way not just for the rest of this year but for the foreseeable future.Go Tigers!!
Well said Bubba. Dabo and his new set of starry-eyed players have hopefully created a new and quite formidable foe in the Valley this year. Lets hope we dont overlook Maryland or any other worthy opponents until November. GO TIGERS
GO TIGERS! Keep up the all of the hard work…..it is paying off!
You really don’t want my comments, having worked for Clempson Graduates for 20 years at Allied Signal.
Two words: Connor Shaw…… it’s good to play good football in August and September… but October and November is when it counts…..
nice article Bubba
I’m glad my early reports were wrong on Boyd
I was wondering if Conner Shaw is the same kid who stunk it up vs. ECU or did they get another one
Thanks for chiming in Spivey! And any second hand comments credited to me bashing “Drunken Horry County Naysayers” should be disregarded in their entiriety!
I’ve been telling all of the people that I work with, “This smells like 1981!!!” Just like back then our Tigers will have to earn the respect of the national sports media.
Well done Bubba, you be have journalist tallents. As to conference, league, national championships, whatever; they pale in comaprison to the game at the chicken coop come November: End the game with the chickens gutted, plucked, on a spit and roasted and THE Tigers will have had an outstanding season. In the interest of full disclosure, I wrote this with the assistance of the shade of Col. Harland Sanders.
I finally believe!
Ok, so Clemson has had some good times in 1981, but i still say, GO GAMECOCKS!!!!!
These cluck cluck fans love to crow over the collapses of Clemson’s past. Should we remind them of there mighty black magic campaign that ended in a loss to Navy? Besides every college program has let its head get bigger than it rear a few times. I am enjoying this season and hope this teams can keep the focus week to week. Breaking the BCS juggernaut will not be easy. Alabama and LSU must play so one must fall, Oklahoma and OSU must play so one must fall, Add Stanford to the mix and the title game may be decided regardless of Clemson remaining undefeated. This could be like the undefeated teams in Coach Howard’s day. Great team but no national title because one of the medias “boys” were also undefeated that season. Lets be honest would USC baseball have it’s two National Titles without the CWS? Football needs a stage to crown a real champion finally. I am afraid to say this year will be another SEC-Big12 title game. With that said history means more than accomplishment in college football when it come down to the final poll.
November 5 will tell you all you need to know about your season. The Gamecocks play the Hogs in Fayetteville that day. That game will tell if the Gamecocks are actually good or a flash in the pan. If the Hogs pop them good that day I’d say Clemson can handle them just fine and you may have your glory season.
Great article Bubba! It’s so fun having the excitement and energy back around Clemson football. Catherine is a freshman this year and she texted me during the Auburn game, “this is the best day of my life!” Lol I’m glad she has a great team to root for. Love Dabo! Clemson is lucky to have him. He’s a great fit. Can’t wait to see how the rest of the season goes. Go Tigers!
Hope they go all the way…Go Tiger’s!!!!
Great article Bubba, So glad Boyd will not be out for the season.
Love the blog and comments. Love to see something other than UF, FSU, UM in the news! Keep it going, Big Bubba Cromer!