The importance of beating USC
posted by LW, Friday, May 08, 2009
Morris penned a column whose premise is essentially that the USC-Clemson rivalry means more to Dabo Swinney than to Steve Spurrier.
Not sure I totally agree with this position.
I don't doubt that Clemson fans' patience for losses to South Carolina is much thinner than vice-versa. And I don't doubt that Tommy Bowden's 7-2 record against the Gamecocks was instrumental in keeping him around that long.
Without the 63-17 drubbing of the Gamecocks in 2003, Bowden might not have lasted another week. Same deal with the 2004 trouncing in Death Valley. Same deal in 2007 with the last-second win in Columbia. Those wins were enormous.
But I get the feeling the standards are a bit different for Swinney, and it's more about expectations at this point in time than the man coaching. Clemson fans are absolutely starved for an ACC title. And the longer the Tigers go without one -- it's 17 seasons and counting, by the way -- the more challenging for one and winning one takes precedence over maintaining the dominance over the Gamecocks.
The Tigers' first goal is getting to the ACC title game. Since the game's inception, they've watched three different teams go (FSU in 2005, Wake Forest in 2006, and Boston College in 2007 and 2008).
Seeing the Demon Deacons go ahead of their Tigers (and win the whole thing, by the way) was something Clemson fans still can't accept. And it was almost as bad seeing Boston College traipse into the game the past two seasons.
Let's say Clemson wins the Atlantic Division this year, loses a close one at South Carolina in the regular-season finale, then upsets Virginia Tech in the ACC title game.
Would fans be grumbling about Swinney? I don't think so.
The one caveat, of course, is avoiding sustained losing to South Carolina. The standard has long since been set at Clemson that you simply do not lose to the Gamecocks on a consistent basis. So regardless of what happens in the ACC picture, Swinney could indeed be on shaky footing if he turns around and loses three straight to the Gamecocks ... or two out of three ... or anything that's a dramatic downgrade from what the Tigers are used to experiencing.
And just a quick thought on Spurrier ... I get the feeling the love fest for the Evil Genius is waning in Gamecock Land, and an undeniable contributor to that is his poor record against Clemson (and particularly last year's 31-14 pasting).
What would the frame of mind down there be right now if Spurrier were 3-1 against Clemson instead of 1-3? A helluva lot rosier, I'd submit.
In Spurrier's first three years, Gamecock fans could be heartened by actual progress in the rivalry. After the ugliness in 2003 and 2004, the Gamecocks lost at the wire twice (2005 and 2007) and won in Death Valley in 2006.
Last year was a return to the smackings of the Holtz era, and I can't imagine USC fans have patience for much more of that. If the Tigers go down to Columbia in November and lay another whipping on the Gamecocks, you darn well better believe some fans will be ready to run him out of there.
The point is, the standards of recent and distant history at both schools don't necessarily apply exclusively when we're talking about the present.
That's my take, anyway.
In terms of involvement in athletics, Florida State's T.K. Wetherell is the most hands-on college president I've ever seen. That's evidenced yet again in this Q&A with Tallahassee Democrat writer Steve Ellis.
Among other things, Wetherell calls out Lawrence Dawsey for the transgressions of Seminoles' receivers:
“The bottom line is the kids shouldn’t have been there (regarding the November on-campus fight which resulted in five receivers being suspended a game and two of those being arrested on misdemeanor battery charges).
"If they just wouldn’t have been there, that would have solved that problem.
“That’s the only discouraging part of the whole year so far.
“We need (receivers coach Lawrence) Dawsey to step up. He’s been a great coach on the field, great recruiter. But he’s going to have to get a little bit of a Leonard Hamilton school of coaching."
Is this guy quickly becoming the Jerry Jones of college athletics? Gotta love the guy's candor, but it really seems like he thinks he's the AD ... and the head coach.
The more he babbles, the more he seems like a clown.
This attorney from Utah says he'll pursue a suit against the BCS regardless of what the boobs in Congress end up doing. Sounds like this could get fun.
In his mailbag, Olin Buchanan of Rivals addresses a great question: Who's the best college running back of all time?
Gimme Herschel ... all day.
The ACC announces its bowl partnerships for 2009.
Heather Dinich tells us what she learned of ACC football during the spring, plus much more in her chat wrap.
Paul Strelow of The State has a piece on new leadoff man Chris Epps, whose Tigers play host to UNC-Wilmington this weekend.
Travis Sawchick of The Post and Courier has an update on the Tigers' regional hosting chances.
Nice story on Jeff Schaus from Bill Hass in the ACC office.
And pieces in the Greenville News and Independent-Mail on the women's tennis team, which plays host to its sixth straight NCAA Regional.
Happy Friday, everyone.
LW
For questions or comments on this blog entry, please visit The West Zone message board.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
The booster-club tour took Dabo Swinney to Lexington yesterday, and The State's Ron Morris was there.
Morris penned a column whose premise is essentially that the USC-Clemson rivalry means more to Dabo Swinney than to Steve Spurrier.
Not sure I totally agree with this position.
I don't doubt that Clemson fans' patience for losses to South Carolina is much thinner than vice-versa. And I don't doubt that Tommy Bowden's 7-2 record against the Gamecocks was instrumental in keeping him around that long.
Without the 63-17 drubbing of the Gamecocks in 2003, Bowden might not have lasted another week. Same deal with the 2004 trouncing in Death Valley. Same deal in 2007 with the last-second win in Columbia. Those wins were enormous.
But I get the feeling the standards are a bit different for Swinney, and it's more about expectations at this point in time than the man coaching. Clemson fans are absolutely starved for an ACC title. And the longer the Tigers go without one -- it's 17 seasons and counting, by the way -- the more challenging for one and winning one takes precedence over maintaining the dominance over the Gamecocks.
The Tigers' first goal is getting to the ACC title game. Since the game's inception, they've watched three different teams go (FSU in 2005, Wake Forest in 2006, and Boston College in 2007 and 2008).
Seeing the Demon Deacons go ahead of their Tigers (and win the whole thing, by the way) was something Clemson fans still can't accept. And it was almost as bad seeing Boston College traipse into the game the past two seasons.
Let's say Clemson wins the Atlantic Division this year, loses a close one at South Carolina in the regular-season finale, then upsets Virginia Tech in the ACC title game.
Would fans be grumbling about Swinney? I don't think so.
The one caveat, of course, is avoiding sustained losing to South Carolina. The standard has long since been set at Clemson that you simply do not lose to the Gamecocks on a consistent basis. So regardless of what happens in the ACC picture, Swinney could indeed be on shaky footing if he turns around and loses three straight to the Gamecocks ... or two out of three ... or anything that's a dramatic downgrade from what the Tigers are used to experiencing.
And just a quick thought on Spurrier ... I get the feeling the love fest for the Evil Genius is waning in Gamecock Land, and an undeniable contributor to that is his poor record against Clemson (and particularly last year's 31-14 pasting).
What would the frame of mind down there be right now if Spurrier were 3-1 against Clemson instead of 1-3? A helluva lot rosier, I'd submit.
In Spurrier's first three years, Gamecock fans could be heartened by actual progress in the rivalry. After the ugliness in 2003 and 2004, the Gamecocks lost at the wire twice (2005 and 2007) and won in Death Valley in 2006.
Last year was a return to the smackings of the Holtz era, and I can't imagine USC fans have patience for much more of that. If the Tigers go down to Columbia in November and lay another whipping on the Gamecocks, you darn well better believe some fans will be ready to run him out of there.
The point is, the standards of recent and distant history at both schools don't necessarily apply exclusively when we're talking about the present.
That's my take, anyway.
In terms of involvement in athletics, Florida State's T.K. Wetherell is the most hands-on college president I've ever seen. That's evidenced yet again in this Q&A with Tallahassee Democrat writer Steve Ellis.
Among other things, Wetherell calls out Lawrence Dawsey for the transgressions of Seminoles' receivers:
“The bottom line is the kids shouldn’t have been there (regarding the November on-campus fight which resulted in five receivers being suspended a game and two of those being arrested on misdemeanor battery charges).
"If they just wouldn’t have been there, that would have solved that problem.
“That’s the only discouraging part of the whole year so far.
“We need (receivers coach Lawrence) Dawsey to step up. He’s been a great coach on the field, great recruiter. But he’s going to have to get a little bit of a Leonard Hamilton school of coaching."
Is this guy quickly becoming the Jerry Jones of college athletics? Gotta love the guy's candor, but it really seems like he thinks he's the AD ... and the head coach.
The more he babbles, the more he seems like a clown.
This attorney from Utah says he'll pursue a suit against the BCS regardless of what the boobs in Congress end up doing. Sounds like this could get fun.
In his mailbag, Olin Buchanan of Rivals addresses a great question: Who's the best college running back of all time?
Gimme Herschel ... all day.
The ACC announces its bowl partnerships for 2009.
Heather Dinich tells us what she learned of ACC football during the spring, plus much more in her chat wrap.
Paul Strelow of The State has a piece on new leadoff man Chris Epps, whose Tigers play host to UNC-Wilmington this weekend.
Travis Sawchick of The Post and Courier has an update on the Tigers' regional hosting chances.
Nice story on Jeff Schaus from Bill Hass in the ACC office.
And pieces in the Greenville News and Independent-Mail on the women's tennis team, which plays host to its sixth straight NCAA Regional.
Happy Friday, everyone.
LW
For questions or comments on this blog entry, please visit The West Zone message board.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
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