NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Clemson Loses Starting LB Vincenthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/05/19/clemson-loses-starting-lb-vincent/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/05/19/clemson-loses-starting-lb-vincent/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/05/19/clemson-loses-starting-lb-vincent/#commentsFiled under:

You. Out. Now.

Cortney Vincent, a twelve-game starter a year ago, was suspended for the ever-popular undisclosed violation of team rules. His suspension is now permanent:
Suspended Clemson linebacker Cortney Vincent will not return for the 2008 season. ... Coach Tommy Bowden said in a news release Monday that Vincent would have been academically eligible to compete in the fall, but did not meet goals set by the team for the spring.
Sound like Vincent was given a my-way-or-the-highway by Bowden after repeated minor violations (read: crunkin') and chose the highway. Que sera.

Is it worth noting Bowden specifically assuring the public that Vincent would have been eligible to play in he fall? Seems to be a small indicator that APR is always on coaches' minds these days. I wonder if more kids are given the chance to redeem themselves until the winter semester is over -- and their precious, qualifying grades are in -- before getting the heave-ho.

Clemson Loses Starting LB Vincent originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 19 May 2008 23:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>tommy bowdenTommyBowdenBrian CookMon, 19 May 2008 23:27:00 EST Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #1: 1978 Gator Bowlhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/05/12/worst-moments-in-big-ten-football-history-1-1978-gator-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/05/12/worst-moments-in-big-ten-football-history-1-1978-gator-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/05/12/worst-moments-in-big-ten-football-history-1-1978-gator-bowl/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten weirdest moments in the history of Big Ten football.

With the ten best moments accounted for, it's time to move on to the ten worst. There will be some silly moments on this list, and some moments which can best be described as "stupid," but there's only one moment which qualifies as senseless, and it's the closing moments of the 1978 Gator Bowl.

To set the stage: The Clemson Tigers were facing off against Woody Hayes' Ohio State Buckeyes. Late in the fourth quarter, OSU was trailing, 17-15. Quarterback Art Schlichter had to know the famous axiom attributed to Hayes, "There are three things that can happen when you throw the football, and two of them are bad." But the situation called for a pass, and Schlichter (a true freshman) tossed it where Clemson defender Charlie Bauman could catch it. Which he did. Bauman ran towards the near sideline, knowing that the Tigers just needed to run out the clock to lock up the victory. Unfortunately for Bauman, the near sideline was not his own.

He was met by Woody Hayes, a man in whom there was not an ounce of quit. If Hayes couldn't win this game (and he couldn't), he could at least let everybody know he wasn't happy about the outcome. Now, nobody would've blamed Hayes for being upset, or even for letting it show. The problem was in how he chose to display his anger: by punching Bauman in the chest, right there on the field, in front of thousands of people and ABC's cameras.

You'd have to be triple-distilled stupid to think that Woody Hayes was a bad coach. It's probably a close call between him and Michigan's Fielding Yost as to who was the greatest Big Ten football coach of all time. Hayes was at least the equal, if not the superior, of his contemporaries, legends like Bear Bryant, Bud Wilkinson, and Bob Devaney. It's unfair that the public memory of Hayes portrays him less as a coaching great and more like the Tasmanian Devil. However, even Hayes himself acknowledged that he had a rather short fuse. This was far from Hayes' first on-the-field incident, though his rage was usually targeted at camera operators and referees.

This, however, was a new low, even for Hayes, and it would have set a dangerous precedent if OSU had done nothing. Shortly after the team returned to Columbus, Hayes was fired.

While it wasn't a popular move in Columbus, what choice did they have? Woody spun his firing by noting, "Nobody despises to lose more than I do. That's got me into trouble over the years, but it also made a man of mediocre ability into a pretty good coach." Some of that was false humility, however. Hayes' abilities were far beyond mediocre, and he knew it. Likewise, there's a world of difference between hating to lose and displaying poor sportsmanship. We can admire Hayes' tenacity, but who among us would teach our kids to imitate his example?

And that's what's so senseless about the Gator Bowl incident. Woody Hayes didn't need to be a loose cannon to be a great football coach. It's unfair that his punching Charlie Bauman has become the lasting image of his 25-year tenure in Columbus. Unfair, but fitting, because he crossed a line he knew he shouldn't have crossed.

Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #1: 1978 Gator Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 12 May 2008 12:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>wmibthMark HastyMon, 12 May 2008 12:28:00 EST Kenneth Page Has Several Thousand Dollars, Severe Distrust of Banks, Poor Judgementhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/27/kenneth-page-has-several-thousand-dollars-severe-distrust-of-ba/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/27/kenneth-page-has-several-thousand-dollars-severe-distrust-of-ba/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/27/kenneth-page-has-several-thousand-dollars-severe-distrust-of-ba/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Steve Spurrier's probably feeling down right now, what with his hot prospect quarterback in trouble for the seventh time this year -- I blame Mathew McConaughey -- but this might cheer him up:



That's Clemson offensive lineman Kenneth Page displaying several thousand dollars and very poor judgement of what to put on his Myspace page... at least, temporarily. Brahsome was emailed the picture with this accompanying explanation:

This pic was on Clemson recruit Kenneth Page's Myspace page and it came down about as quickly as it went up. As some of you know he was a huge 4 star OL football recruit
this past year and it came down to Clemson and UNC where [UNC] lost out on signing day.

He must have been working hard this winter.

Indeed. At least he knows that money is not for eating, unlike Dominique Douglas. Probably. He is an offensive lineman, and those twenties must look tempting.

Kenneth Page Has Several Thousand Dollars, Severe Distrust of Banks, Poor Judgement originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brian CookThu, 27 Mar 2008 10:29:00 EST Clemson Is Oversigned Like a Motherhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/13/clemson-is-oversigned-like-a-mother/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/13/clemson-is-oversigned-like-a-mother/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/13/clemson-is-oversigned-like-a-mother/#commentsFiled under: ,

9 + 2 + 1 + like 5 maybe at the outside = 26.

I don't wish to unduly harp on the topic of oversigning, but I kinda have to when my Fanhouse compatriot Pete Holiday says things like this...
You might notice that Cook's assertion was that over-signing is to blame was completely devoid of any sort of support for the claim. If you took a look at any of the other reports around the web, you'd probably notice the same thing. Nobody seems to be able to cite, or they aren't interested in citing, any sort of sources or facts before they try to burn Clemson and/or Bowden in effigy.
...one is kinda forced to defend his honor. A duel, you say? Let's report to the rosters.

Clemson's 2007 roster shows nine scholarship seniors plus two guys who may or may not be on scholarship: Duquesne transfer Jermaine Martin, a reserve tight end, and long snapper Colin Leonard. I doubt either of those guys has been promised a year-to-year scholarship (Leonard probably gets the first one vacated by malfeasance), but let's be super generous to the Tigers and assume both those guys are scholarships freeing up. That's eleven. Defensive end Philip Merling entered the draft. That's twelve. Starting MLB Cortney Vincent has a DUI and a further unspecified violation of team rules and may get the boot. That's thirteen.


Now let's be super, super generous and assume that Clemson operated ten scholarships short last year -- a prodigious number for any school and undoubtedly not the case. That's twenty-three.

Clemson's 2006 recruiting class has twenty-six signees.

Even in magical fairyland of fairy happy fairyness, Clemson is oversigned. In this mundane realm, Clemson is hella oversigned, and the Clemson SID's statement...
For each of the last nine years we have been under the 85 when we start practice and have always given scholarships to walk-ons before school starts. We anticipate that being the case again this year.
...should be recognized for what it is: pure spin given to a person with a vested interest in defending the practice of oversigning. They "anticipate" they'll be under 85 despite signing somewhere between 13 and 3 (in happy fairy land) too many players either because 1) they've locked in a ton of guys who aren't going to qualify or 2) there's more Ray Ray on the way, except in this case it'll be someone no one's ever heard of and won't warrant mention except in the "Notes" column of South Carolina newspapers. Either way: lame.

I mean, sure... Clemson just cut the guy who was the face of their program and an enormous wellspring of positive PR so they could give it to Bradley Flowers. Yeah. That's the ticket.

Clemson Is Oversigned Like a Mother originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ray ray mcelrathbeyRayRayMcelrathbeyBrian CookThu, 13 Mar 2008 13:38:00 EST Clemson Not Over-signed Says Clemson SIDhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/12/clemson-not-over-signed-says-clemson-sid/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/12/clemson-not-over-signed-says-clemson-sid/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/12/clemson-not-over-signed-says-clemson-sid/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The blogosphere has been abuzz the last few days about Clemson's decision not to extend Ray Ray another year of athletic scholarship. Many reports have suggested that the reason for the cut was that Clemson had extended itself beyond the 85 scholarship limit. Take, for example, this post by FanHouse's Brian Cook titled "Oversigning Strikes In McElrathbey Cut":
Somehow, McElrathbey has juggled football, Farmarr, and school such that he'll graduate in just over three years -- a time frame that no doubt accelerated rapidly as soon as James Davis announced he'd return for 2008 -- but he's been cut three years into his college career.

This is the glory of oversigning, and the reason the practice should be either abolished or severely curtailed.
You might notice that Cook's assertion was that over-signing is to blame was completely devoid of any sort of support for the claim. If you took a look at any of the other reports around the web, you'd probably notice the same thing. Nobody seems to be able to cite, or they aren't interested in citing, any sort of sources or facts before they try to burn Clemson and/or Bowden in effigy.


How hard could it be to find this information out? I sent an email to Clemson Sports Information Director Tim Bourret, asking if Clemson had signed beyond the NCAA-imposed limit. Here's what he had to say (after re-iterating that Ray Ray did, indeed, have a scholarship still available to him):

For each of the last nine years we have been under the 85 when we start practice and have always given scholarships to walk-ons before school starts. We anticipate that being the case again this year.

Based on that wording, is it possible that they are currently over-extended but plan to cut a bunch of players before August? I suppose it is, but one has to ask oneself: if you were Tommy Bowden and were looking to make some room under the scholarship cap, would you really cut such a celebrity as Ray Ray? Even if you would, would you do it to give a scholarship to a walk-on?

It sounds to me like some folks thought this would be a great example of their recent cause celebre (and one the Average Joe could get behind), but didn't bother to do the research.

We all know what they say about assumptions, right?

Previously at FanHouse:

Clemson Not Over-signed Says Clemson SID originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>McElrathbeyRay RayRayRayPete HolidayWed, 12 Mar 2008 13:40:00 EST Oversigning Strikes In McElrathbey Cuthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/10/oversigning-strikes-in-mcelrathbey-cut/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/10/oversigning-strikes-in-mcelrathbey-cut/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/10/oversigning-strikes-in-mcelrathbey-cut/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We've been down this road before with explosive results, but the only explosion in this case should be Tommy Bowden's eyebrows.

Unless you live under a rock or pass out as soon as something schmaltzy, airbrushed, and featuring Shelley Smith shows up on ESPN, you know who Ray Ray McElrathbey is. Ray Ray is the Clemson running back who is also the legal guardian of his younger brother Farmarr. He was a media cause celebre last year. Now, as Brian Grummel passed along this morning, he's been cut so that Clemson can cram another freshman into school.

EDSBS has some original reporting in which Clemson defends itself:
When the coaches met with Ray Ray, which they do with all players, it was made clear to him that if he decided to remain at Clemson his scholarship would be provided. That includes a commitment from our Athletic Director that we would give him a graduate assistant position (that would pay for a Masters degree) within the Clemson Athletic Department after he graduated.
But this is a bit of spin nigh Clintonian in its audacity:
the bit about "his scholarship" being honored is a bit of dodge. McElrathbey's scholarship is already promised through August, when McElrathbey graduates in three years. They're renewed year to year, and already promised. The real issue comes with the decision to shift McElrathbey from a four-year scholarship athlete complete with room and board and tuition paid to a grad assistant, a job requiring work in addition to any time he puts in on the field as a player. That is not fulfilling the term of a scholarship.
No, it's not. Somehow, McElrathbey has juggled football, Farmarr, and school such that he'll graduate in just over three years -- a time frame that no doubt accelerated rapidly as soon as James Davis announced he'd return for 2008 -- but he's been cut three years into his college career.

This is the glory of oversigning, and the reason the practice should be either abolished or severely curtailed.

Oversigning Strikes In McElrathbey Cut originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>tommy bowdenTommyBowdenBrian CookMon, 10 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EST Clemson Hero Is Out of a Scholarshiphttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/10/clemson-hero-ray-ray-mcelrathbey-is-out-of-a-scholarship/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/10/clemson-hero-ray-ray-mcelrathbey-is-out-of-a-scholarship/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/03/10/clemson-hero-ray-ray-mcelrathbey-is-out-of-a-scholarship/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Not the best move if you're embattled Clemson coach Tommy Bowden.

McElrathbey was last seen in the headlines caring for his younger brother while their mother battled drug problems. Outpourings of support and cash came from Clemson fans before the NCAA heartlessly tried to put the kibosh on the compassion train. The NCAA caved, Ray Ray got some help and thus a good story was made.

And then his coach cut him:
Ray Ray McElrathbey is done with football at Clemson, and a teammate said it's because the Tigers' coaching staff decided not to renew his scholarship for the 2008-09 academic year.

Clemson announced Saturday that McElrathbey, a reserve tailback who gained national fame for taking custody of his younger brother, is no longer with the team. Team spokesman Tim Bourret said McElrathbey, who has two years of football eligibility remaining, will graduate in August and plans to attend graduate school or transfer and play elsewhere.

James Davis, a senior tailback for the Tigers, said McElrathbey told him he didn't have a choice.

That's cold. Sad to say, it was probably a good football move. McElrathbey blew out his knee last year, and was moved from the competitive defensive backfield to a loaded tailback position. That move screams "kid can't play".

If that's the case, I'm sure his coaches were looking to find any way to free up his scholarship. Regardless, this is horrible public relations in parting ways with such a well-known and publicly admired player who had plenty of eligibility.

(H/T: Get The Picture)

Update: See comment #1 below for clarification from Clemson. McElrathbey had the option of keeping his scholarship but faced a loaded depth chart and encouragement from his coaches to seek opportunities elsewhere if he plans on playing professional football.

Previously at FanHouse
The Year's Most Covered and Least Significant Injury
Clemson's Ray Ray McElrathbey to Appear on Oprah Winfrey Show
Almost $50,000 Raised in Clemson's McElrathbey Trust
%Gallery-5292%

Clemson Hero Is Out of a Scholarship originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brian GrummellMon, 10 Mar 2008 10:33:00 EST Recruiting: Sometimes Sons Say Sorry, Dadhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/02/06/recruiting-sometimes-sons-say-sorry-dad/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/02/06/recruiting-sometimes-sons-say-sorry-dad/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/02/06/recruiting-sometimes-sons-say-sorry-dad/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Few things in life are as heartwarming as a lifelong bond between father and son. Playing catch in the backyard. Going fishing. Hell, getting a little homework help. But then young men eventually grow up and gain independence and make decisions that take them away from their fathers.

Nowhere is that more public than in the recruiting game. Many times a player will stick with his father (see Luke Bellotti playing at Oregon for his father Mike Bellotti or quarterback Cody Hawkins heading to Colorado to play for his old man). But while blood may be thicker than water, sometimes blood doesn't have the pull it should.

Last year, Georgia coach Mark Richt's son Jon Richt pledged to play quarterback for Clemson over his fathers' Dawgs. No doubt a tough decision for a closeknit family like that. The separation continues this year as it is rumored UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker's son Kevan, a receiver prospect, will not stick with dear old dad at UCLA but instead play for the Oregon State Beavers.

The upshot to all of this is that while recruiting is a competitive, sometimes nasty business, coaches recruiting a fellow coaches' son must tone down his pitch which can only help but improve relations between coaches.

Recruiting: Sometimes Sons Say Sorry, Dad originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Cody HawkinsCodyHawkinsDan HawkinsDanHawkinsDeWayne WalkerDewayneWalkerJon RichtJonRichtKevan WalkerKevanWalkerLuke BellottiLukeBellottiMark RichtMarkRichtMike BellottiMikeBellottirecruitingBrian GrummellWed, 06 Feb 2008 12:18:00 EST ACC Embrace of the Hawaii Scheduling Modelhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/29/acc-embraces-the-hawaii-scheduling-model/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/29/acc-embraces-the-hawaii-scheduling-model/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/29/acc-embraces-the-hawaii-scheduling-model/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Everyone lambasted the Hawaii schedule for being so easy and especially for having two 1-AA opponents on their schedule. Who knew they were just ahead of the curve.

Georgia Tech, Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech are all struggling to find one more home game. All of them already have a 1-AA team on the schedule. It appears that all four may have to resort to having two 1-AA home games for the 2008 season.

The problems are the usual: last minute buyouts/cancellations, wanting the game to be relatively safe (read, patsy), not wanting to provide a return game, "needing" another home game and/or not wanting to pay the premium price that 1-A guarantee games now cost.

Of course, those were the same problems Hawaii faced. I'm sure the other teams will get the same sympathy and understanding as the Warriors received for their scheduling issues.

ACC Embrace of the Hawaii Scheduling Model originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Charles RichTue, 29 Jan 2008 09:27:00 EST James Davis Runs Back To Clemsonhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/21/james-davis-runs-back-to-clemson/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/21/james-davis-runs-back-to-clemson/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/21/james-davis-runs-back-to-clemson/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

You know, there have been plenty of questionable entries into the draft pool in the ACC, particularly amongst running backs. But out of them all, I would imagine that James Davis would be the least likely to hightail back to school. There's been his much-documented beef with splitting carries, and you can just imagine Tommy Bowden chomping at the bit to find out what C.J. Spiller can do as the lead back for the Tigers.

Nonetheless, perhaps realizing that the last thing the NFL Draft needs is a borderline first- day back, Davis will be back in Death Valley to do it all over again for the Tigers, who still appear as if they're the frontrunner not just for the ACC Atlantic Divison, but maybe for the conference as a whole. Clemson returns a whopping 9 out of 11 starters on offense, including QB Cullen Harper (who arguably outperformed Matt Ryan over the course of the season) and fellow draft dodger Aaron Kelly. Despite sharing time with Spiller, Davis has ran for over 1,000 yards the past two seasons and needs a very-doable 837 to pass Raymond Priester for Clemson's all-time rushing record ... ostensibly before Spiller goes ahead and tops it.

James Davis Runs Back To Clemson originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenMon, 21 Jan 2008 12:32:00 EST Can't Knock the Hustle: James Davishttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/11/cant-knock-the-hustle-james-davis/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/11/cant-knock-the-hustle-james-davis/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/11/cant-knock-the-hustle-james-davis/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I guess a chance to win the ACC isn't what it used to be. While Clemson might still be the frontrunner in the Atlantic division, one of the main reason they've been a contender in the last couple of years is their "Lightning and Thunder" combo of C.J. Spiller and James Davis (for once, can we get a Thunder and Thunder or at the very least a different nickname? Salt and Pepper for Brian Leonard and Steven Jackson maybe?). It's just Lightning now- after a tumultuous past two years of sharing carries, Davis announced that he's entering the NFL draft despite the fact that nearly every junior RB prospect is doing the same like hockey is gonna be America's sport in 2009.

While Tommy Bowden presumably has more job security than he has, well, pretty much ever at Clemson, he still wasn't enthusiastic about losing his workhorse. Then again, Davis had been vocal about splitting time with Spiller, feeling that he was bogarting his shine, so to speak. And while Davis is no joke, it's worth noting that Spiller happens to be, you know, retardedly fast. Pretty much any time you caught him on ESPN, it was a de facto 60-yard dash. You can likely catch Davis frontin' in the 3rd round and fantasy waivers next season.

Can't Knock the Hustle: James Davis originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenFri, 11 Jan 2008 00:18:00 EST Alabama-Clemson Scheduled for 2008; Bowden Trying to Kill Ticket Saleshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/04/alabama-clemson-scheduled-for-2008-bowden-trying-to-kill-ticket/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/04/alabama-clemson-scheduled-for-2008-bowden-trying-to-kill-ticket/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/01/04/alabama-clemson-scheduled-for-2008-bowden-trying-to-kill-ticket/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The 2008 college football season will open with a marquee SEC-ACC matchup in Atlanta's Georgia Dome. Alabama will face Clemson on August 30 in a game organized by the Peach Chick-fil-a Bowl committee. It's a new tradition that bowl group hopes to keep going in years to come; the plan is to have an ACC-SEC game in the Dome to begin each season.

Scheduling this game means Clemson will be bookending its season with SEC teams (the Tigers will play South Carolina on Nov. 29) with the rest of the non-conference slate consisting of The Citadel and South Carolina State. Alabama rounds out its non-con with yawners against Tulane, Western Kentucky, and Arkansas State. Most of that sounds terribly boring -- and it looks like Bama is dodging UL-Monroe this year -- but at least we're all getting a quality non-conference game out of it.

Alabama has beaten Clemson 11 straight times but not one of them came in the last 30 years -- the two teams haven't met since 1975. When reminded of that fact, Clemson's Tommy Bowden said:
"Do you happen to have the score from that last game? It's not a rivalry."
Thanks, coach. I'm sure the Peach Chick-fil-a people are happy to hear you sucking the juice out of this game by pointing out its relative unimportance. Still, I'm sure that neither school will have any trouble getting rid of their allotment of tickets, and since this whole SEC-ACC showdown was proposed here on FanHouse by yours truly back in May, I'll be expecting my complementary passes in the mail any day now.

Alabama-Clemson Scheduled for 2008; Bowden Trying to Kill Ticket Sales originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Georgia DomeGeorgiaDomeTommy BowdenTommyBowdenAndy KatzerFri, 04 Jan 2008 23:28:00 EST Posse on Bowl-Way: Clemsonhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/31/posse-on-bowl-way-clemson/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/31/posse-on-bowl-way-clemson/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/31/posse-on-bowl-way-clemson/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Happy To Be Here?

You know, back when I was in law school, I'd have to endure all kinds of bickering between Clemson and Auburn grads about which one of their fake empires was the better of the two, and I recall someone pithily summing it up thusly: "Clemson IS Auburn...but without the lake." Or the other way around. Whatever. Seems like these two kinda deserve each other in Atlanta. As far as Clemson goes, it has to be a pretty desirable outcome considering they were the Chick Fil-A Bowl gets the second choice in the ACC and the Tigers were #2 in their own division after squandering an opportunity to clinch at home against Boston College. All things told, a typically mixed-bag year for Tommy Bowden's crew, despite the emergence of Cullen Harper as the ACC's most efficient QB and the always dangerous Spiller/Davis combo in the backfield. While the Tigers lacked the total WTF? loss they're usually known for acquiring over the span of a season, their 13-3 loss at Georgia Tech isn't looking any better, to say nothing of Virginia Tech laying 41 on them at home.

Come Here Often?

You'd better believe that the Chick Fil-A Bowl will jump at any chance of getting Clemson, considering their regional proximity and their notoriously vocal and supportive fanbase. Tickets for this game sold out in about 48 hours, nothing unusual for the bowl that only ranks behind the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl in terms of consecutive sellouts (take that Liberty Bowl!). While the last Clemson appearance was in 2004 (a win against Tennessee, a loss for anyone who rightfully despises orange), this will be their 7th appearance at the erstwhile Peach Bowl, tying NC State for the record.
Why Care?

Well, if nothing else, we can see Auburn's offense operate in the wake of Al Borges' resignation. In fact, former Troy assistant Tony Franklin should infuse them with an exciting dose of the spread offense...sometime next spring supposedly. In the meantime, you'll likely see some of Franklin's schemes grafted onto the playbook of QB Brandon Cox, whose passing has often been as repulsive as hometown boy Bradford Cox. Then again, with Auburn, it's all about defense, which will likely keep them in this game even if their offense predictably flounders.

And The Winner Is...

Fact is, Auburn feels like a team that stumbled onto this game despite going 9-4 in the SEC and beating Florida in the Swamp...and really, beating Florida apparently wasn't as hard as it may have looked earlier in the season. But they did manage to play LSU tight as well and their back-to-back losses against South Florida and Miss State have aged better than expected (at least BEFORE the Sun Bowl happened). Okay, to put it another way, Auburn relies on defense to win games, and they usually do so in ugly fashion. Offensive help is on the way, but it might take some time to get the proper QB to implement Franklin's ideas of grandeur, should he have them. On the other hand, Clemson feels like the team that's better prepared to win this game right now. They convert well on third down, have a decent enough defense to load up on the run (because the pass won't beat them), and a solid, well-balanced offense. For the moment, SEC superiority is...slightly devalued.

Clemson 28 Auburn 24

Posse on Bowl-Way: Clemson originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenMon, 31 Dec 2007 17:40:00 EST Tommy Bowden: Four More Years! Four More Years!http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/04/tommy-bowden-four-more-years-four-more-years/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/04/tommy-bowden-four-more-years-four-more-years/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/04/tommy-bowden-four-more-years-four-more-years/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I guess the SEC likes continuity when it comes to coaching; Ole Miss followed up the endorphin-fueled lunacy of Ed Orgeron with a different kind of lunacy with Houston Nutt. As for Arkansas, well...I guess they wanted someone who's more than familiar with having their name run through the "next to get fired" list.

Okay, so the reality of the situation dictates that Tommy Bowden certainly had himself more job security than he did at damn near any point of his Clemson tenure. As of last reporting, he had his extension all but assured...but that was before Houston Nutt skedaddled out of Fayetteville, as brusquely as expectedly. Not much is really known about the current Arkansas coaching search, but what we do have is that the Razorbacks were ready to buck up for Bowden. Not sure if you're anything like me, but regardless of Arkansas' classification as an SEC school, it's tough to see any Bowden family member outside of the Dirty Dirty. Clemson felt the same way and made Bowden's extension official, in a way that was rather emphatic in a monetary sense.

By signing on for an additional Olympiad, Tommy assures that he'll be Clemson's head coach for longer than anyone in the program's history, excepting Frank Howard. And by signing on for an additional Olympiad, he may ensure more heartbreaking failures at securing an ACC title berth when it's clearly up for grabs.

Tommy Bowden: Four More Years! Four More Years! originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenTue, 04 Dec 2007 22:37:00 EST ACC's Embattled Coaches Get Their Cake Uphttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/accs-embattled-coaches-get-their-cake-up/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/accs-embattled-coaches-get-their-cake-up/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/accs-embattled-coaches-get-their-cake-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Frank Beamer and Jeff Jagodzinski might be coaching in the ACC Championship Game, but the joke's on them- they didn't get themselves extensions to contracts that were considered ridiculously questionable mere months ago. The coaches they beat no less than two weeks ago, Al Groh and Tommy Bowden, did. Which makes sense if you think about it; Beamer doesn't need the extension in writing considering you're more likely to see a Supreme Court justice or a major deity fired before he gets the axe. And as far as Jags goes, ACC coaches can't get an extension after their first year unless they achieve 4-win seasons and flirt with dead-end jobs in the SEC.

Groh's lucrative deal has always been a point of contention and it could very well be until the year 2011. Fresh off an ACC Coach of the Year honor, AD Craig Littlepage rewarded Groh's (and the fanbase's) perseverance with a one-year extension to a contract that will be paying him $2 million in 2008. As far as Bowden goes, yet another win over rival South Carolina (as well as a likely Gator Bowl appearance) has the athletic department promising an extension as well, though no terms have been set. Currently, he's on contract until 2010, with a salary of about $1.4 milly plus incentives.

You can argue that these extensions are more gestures than actual displays of faith, but from the looks of things, Clemson and Virginia both appear to be programs that are on the rise. Despite the excellent play of Cullen Harper, most Tiger fans might still see him as a placeholder for Willy Korn. As far as UVA, Groh finally has what looks like a stable roster of assistants and a young, talented squad. While neither have achieved that long-promised ACC Championship (or a spot in the game, more accurately), going for stability looks like the wise move at this point.

ACC's Embattled Coaches Get Their Cake Up originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenThu, 29 Nov 2007 13:06:00 EST The ACC/SEC Challenge Of November 24, 2007 (And The Winner Is...)http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/25/the-acc-sec-challenge-of-november-24-2007/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/25/the-acc-sec-challenge-of-november-24-2007/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/25/the-acc-sec-challenge-of-november-24-2007/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The ACC gets called a lot of things as far as being a football conference, but "executioner" is most certainly not one of the most oft-used appellations. But as of this past Saturday, that's where they stood as two of its teams stood in the way of their SEC equivalents' dreams. South Carolina had fallen off with a velocity that suggests that maybe the earth is flat after all and was looking to salvage a disappointing season with a scalp against a bitter rival. And as far as Vanderbilt goes, they stood on the precipice of having their bowl bid equation fail once again. You know the math: a couple of OOC gimmes, some wins against the Mississippi schools, and odd upset here and there, voila- 6 wins and a possible postseason berth for the first time in over two decades.

Perhaps it was a minor slap on the wrist for the SEC advocates' incessant superiority complex, but Clemson and Wake Forest managed to get the job done, bolstering their bowl profiles and all but relegating USC and Vandy to December couch potatoes. Clemson, on the strength of Mark Buchholz's game-winning field goal, bested the Gamecocks by the score of 23-20 and Wake had a subtly dominating performance against the Commodores that resulted in a 31-14 victory. South Carolina, now possessing a victory that likely robs UGA of a shot of a national championship has lost five in a row and stands in grave danger of missing the bowl season altogether. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has performed in a manner that suggests that they could likely sniff at breaking their 23-year itch in 2008, but against possible Nebraska coaching candidate Jim Grobe, they appeared overmatched.

While the Tigers appear headed to either a Gator Bowl or Chick Fil-A Bowl appearance, Wake is a primo candidate for the Meineke Car Care Bowl...which has to constitute the most overlooked 8-4 season from a school with less than 4,000 enrolled undergrads.

The ACC/SEC Challenge Of November 24, 2007 (And The Winner Is...) originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenSun, 25 Nov 2007 21:07:00 EST Spurrier's Gamecocks Fall Just Short Against Clemsonhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/24/spurriers-gamecocks-fall-just-short-against-clemson/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/24/spurriers-gamecocks-fall-just-short-against-clemson/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/24/spurriers-gamecocks-fall-just-short-against-clemson/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Well, it happened. Steve Spurrier has now lost 5 straight games, which is the first time that's happened since his days at Duke in the late eighties.

The Gamecocks found themselves staring down a 10-point deficit coming into the 3rd quarter, but scored 14 points to Clemson's 3 to take a 1-point lead.

It wasn't enough. Clemson's final drive downfield even left time for their quarterback, Cullen Harper, to take a snap and run it to the center of the field for Mark Buchholz's 35-yard field goal attempt.

The kick sailed true. Final: 23-21. Topic for conversation among Gamecock fans: why didn't Spurrier freeze the kicker with his two remaining timeouts?

Talk about a split personality for these Gamecocks. Starting the season 6-1, their defense kept them alive. In their five straight losses to end their '07 tilt, the Carolina offense started to fire a little more regularly, scoring enough to win ball games, but the defense wilted away and became a non-factor, allowing their opponents to rack up massive rushing and passing yardage.

South Carolina finishes their regular season at 6-6, and must now wait to find out if they receive a bowl invitation.

Spurrier's Gamecocks Fall Just Short Against Clemson originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ryan FergusonSat, 24 Nov 2007 23:02:00 EST Gamecocks Really Need to Beat Clemsonhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/23/gamecocks-really-need-to-beat-clemson/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/23/gamecocks-really-need-to-beat-clemson/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/23/gamecocks-really-need-to-beat-clemson/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Back during the summer at SEC Media Days, Steve Spurrier said his team was ready to challenge for the conference championship. Spurrier badly misjudged his team.

Here, a week before the SEC's title game in Atlanta, not only is South Carolina completely out of the East division title hunt, they're in danger of not even going to a bowl game. At 6-5 the Gamecocks are bowl eligible, but that just makes them one of 10 teams in the league with the qualifying number of wins (11 if Vandy can beat Wake Forest Saturday). The State's Ron Morris has figured out all the teams that need to win and lose to virtually guarantee a 6-6 Carolina team a bowl game (including pulling for 11 upsets and just five favored teams), but it really comes down to this: for Spurrier to avoid missing a bowl game for the first time since 1990 (when Florida was on probation) and his first non-winning season since a 5-6 year at Duke in 1987, South Carolina must beat Clemson.

So how do the Gamecocks pull this one off? It starts with Blake Mitchell, who needs to play like it's his last game in a Carolina uniform (as it well might be). Mitchell's overall average and accuracy have been pretty good even through SC's four-game losing streak, especially the last three games (at least 290 yards and around 60% in each game with a 2-1 TD-INT ratio).

But while Mitchell has played better of late than he did the early in the year, the defense has done a 180 in the other direction. Carolina's D had not given up 400 yards of offense in a game until a few weeks ago against Arkansas. Now, in their last two games, the 'Cocks have allowed 1187 total yards, more than a quarter of all their yards allowed this season (in just two games!). For Carolina to have a chance this weekend, somebody on that defense has got to stop the bleeding.

Gamecocks Really Need to Beat Clemson originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Blake MitchellBlakeMitchellSteve SpurrierSteveSpurrierAndy KatzerFri, 23 Nov 2007 14:50:00 EST Can Clemson Shake Off Their Funk?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/21/can-clemson-shake-off-their-funk/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/21/can-clemson-shake-off-their-funk/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/21/can-clemson-shake-off-their-funk/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Clemson didn't finish the job last Saturday against Boston College. The loss kept them out of the ACC Championship game and extended the Tigers conference title drought another year. Needless to say the players took it hard. It took star running back James Davis two days just to leave his house, talk to his team or even watch SportsCenter.

Saturday provides a partial remedy for the BC hangover -- a rivalry game against South Carolina. There is a lot at stake, too. If the Tigers win they will probably land in an attractive bowl (either the Peach Chick-fil-A or Gator). Losing to the Gamecocks would create a whole different set of issues. Gator and Chick-fil-A would be gone...and so might Tommy Bowden. Tommy Bowden seemed to have removed himself from the Hot Seat with the Tigers 8-2 start. But the setback against the Eagles warmed things up a bit. Another loss would make this a true TB meltdown. Throw in the a few well-timed Steve Spurrier quips after a potential loss and you could envision the Hot Seat ablaze. Any good will Bowden has earned over the years would be gone.

Tommy Bowden would be the fall guy but it might not be his fault. The guys at Danny Ford is God have a new theory for Clemson's annual teases and trip ups. If there is a Clemson curse perhaps they can bring back Ford to fix their problems -- football or supernatural.

Can Clemson Shake Off Their Funk? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bill MaloneyWed, 21 Nov 2007 15:57:00 EST Boston College: Win Or You're Screwed...Sortahttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/21/boston-college-win-or-your-screwed-sorta/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/21/boston-college-win-or-your-screwed-sorta/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/21/boston-college-win-or-your-screwed-sorta/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

When the ACC puffed out to 12 teams several years back, it was pretty much anathema to anyone who wasn't John Swofford or affiliated with Virginia Tech. Most of this had to do with how it directly affected the basketball schedule; see the argument about Virginia being an "unfit" regular season ACC champion because they didn't get to play Duke or UNC twice (as if UNC winning at John Paul Jones was a given). On a less concrete level, it bothered purists who saw the ACC as a "basketball conference." Which is true in two fundamental ways: many of the conference's schools have achieved far more success on the hardwood than the gridiron, and (here's the important part), they don't have the characteristics of many "football schools." Besides having a handful of universities with enrollments of less than 10,000 (Duke, Wake, GT and now, BC) and mid-sized state schools (Virginia, UNC), even the larger universities (NC State, Florida State) aren't coming close to the nationwide alumni prevalence of an Ohio State or Texas or USC.

Now that the conference finds itself trying to fill out big boy bowls, this has arguably resulted in a dichotomy where the smaller schools get screwed during bowl season year in, year out because of misconceptions about a school's ability to "travel" and whether they're a "football" school. Of course, this ends up in the Catch-22 of schools like Virginia, Boston College and Wake being unable to change these reputations because they're being sent out to places like Hawai'i, San Francisco and Boise instead of somewhere within reason. They even had to instate a rule that preventing bowl selection committees from cherrypicking teams who have reputations that precede the actual product they put on the field; to illustrate the rule, if Wake Forest has a 7-5 record with a 5-3 conference slate, they can't be passed over for, say, Maryland if they're 7-5 with a 3-5 conference record.


Boston College has already been a victim of this once; despite finishing in the Top 25 in 2005, they were relegated to the Humanitarian Bowl due to the vicissitudes of the selection process (i.e., 4th choice doesn't mean you have to take the 4th best team), a large part being that Boise didn't want to bring Virginia for a second straight season considering the lack of enthusiasm they brought the first time. This year, there's far more at stake for them in the ACC Championship than just a trophy. Beat VT or UVA- you get an eight-digit payday at the Orange Bowl. Lose...well, I hear Orlando's really nice this time of year. From the looks of things, the Gator and Chick Fil A Bowl may have already decided that BC isn't part of their plans. So says Chick Fil-A president Gary Stokan:
"Everybody has a concern regarding BC with respect to its [fan] travel."
He doesn't rule the Eagles out completely, but you get the feeling that they're far less attractive of a choice than the loser of UVA/VT or southern mainstay/guaranteed sellout Clemson. Even with UVA's sketchy reputation for travel, they still have a good presence in the Atlanta area and haven't been to this bowl since 1998. All protests from BC/Atlanta Fanhouse correspondent Bill Maloney aside, you can see things from Stokan's perspective, but it still sucks hard. Meanwhile, the Gator Bowl bit the bullet last year by taking Georgia Tech just weeks after they lost the ACC Championship in the same stadium, and they're not looking to relive that thrill again. You'd best believe they're giving Clemson a good once-over.

Granted, the Champs Sports Bowl would probably sound like a far more attractive fallback plan if it didn't have that name. It doesn't have the same payday or the cachet of proximity to New Year's Day, but whatever Big Ten school fills the opposite slot (Penn State?) would pick up the ticket slack and still result in a meaningful, "name" matchup. And in the event that UVA ends up there (likely the case if BC wins the ACC), well, you have to admit that constitutes a wildly successful outcome considering expectations that preceded even the Wyoming game. But if things don't pan out that way, you basically have a situation where one of the conference's strongest teams is almost completely barred from two of its three most lucrative bowl games.

Boston College: Win Or You're Screwed...Sorta originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenWed, 21 Nov 2007 14:51:00 EST