Monday August 02, 2010

Critical Season?

Critical Season?
I was thinking about Clemson's season and football program over the weekend and I thought about how important this season is in terms of the direction Dabo is taking the program.

In some ways you can make a case that this is a critical season in Dabo's tenure but you can also you can keep things in perspective and still think long term.

The 2010 season is really year two under Dabo. In the 2008 season he was an interim guy and while it counts on his record, he was still not the head guy yet. Year one was a success. He won nine games and won the division title for the first time since the league went to two divisions.

There is no immediate pressure on Dabo's job heading into the 2010 season but this still can be viewed as a very important season. The main reason why I think it is so important is it can set up a tremendous future.

Clemson's offensive weakness at this point appears to be the wide receivers and defensively it is the linebackers. But all that could change fairly quickly, especially if 2010 is a success. The staff signed DeAndre Hopkins and Bryce McNeal the last two seasons at wide receiver and Justin Parker last year at linebacker.

They should get Martavious Bryant back in January to help at wide out and have Charon Peake, the top wide out in South Carolina, committed for the Class of 2011. A successful 2010 season could help in the recruitment of wide out Sammy Watkins of Fort Meyers, FL and linebacker Tony Steward of St. Augustine, FL.

The staff has already secured commitments from four of the top 100 players from Rivals.com and the Tigers need to win in order to hold off other staffs who will try to come after the current commitments.

If the Tigers can win 8-9 games this season the program would be on a very sound foundation heading into the 2011 season. Four returning starters would come back on the offensive line. Andre Ellington, Jamie Harper, Rod McDowell, Mike Bellamy and Marlin Lane could make up one of the top running back units in the country. The wide receivers would be young but would benefit from a tremendous upgrade in talent. The tight ends would be a strength with Dwayne Allen, Eric MacClain and potentially Jay Rome. Kyle Parker will most likely not be back but Tajh Boyd should be much better suited to take over in 2011.

Defensively in 2011 the Tigers would be without Jarvis Jenkins and three starters in the secondary including DeAndre McDaniel but there should be talent to take over at each spot. If Da'Quan Bowers came back for his senior year he could team with Brandon Thompson to give the Tigers another strong front. The linebackers should be much improved with Corico Hawkins and Justin Parker coming back and a potential group of big time freshmen. The secondary would be a question mark but the Tigers have recruited well there too.

The point is that 2011 could be a championship type of season especially if the 2010 campaign can provide that spring board. If the Tigers can have a good season this year then they are one of the teams in the ACC with huge expectations in 2011.

However, if Clemson fell to say 6-6, then the Tigers might not be able to hold onto all of the current commitments and would have a much more difficult time closing with players like Rome, Watkins and Steward.

A 6-6 2010 campaign would leave a lot of question marks throughout what would be a long off-season. Dabo's seat would be a little warmer entering his third season because there would be some doubt and dissension in the ranks. The Tigers have some of the top assistant coaches in the South and an assistant or two may look around if stability becomes an issue.

On the other hand, every year is critical because there is so little stability. I think every coach is in the hot seat almost every year. Mike Shula won 10 games at Alabama and was fired 12 months later. Houston Nutt had his Ole Miss team ranked fourth in the country last season and now they are picked fifth in the SEC West this season. Nutt was the hot guy this time last year but his arch-rival, Dan Mullen, at Mississippi State may be held in higher regards at his school this season.

Actually you don't have to go year to year. In today's game you can go week to week. Count how many times this year Clemson will face a crucial game or face a must-win scenario. The Tigers won't hear those remarks before the first two games of the season but when they head to Auburn it will be a crucial game. After a week off the Miami game will become the next in line of a critical game but that will only last one week because the Tigers head to Chapel Hill the following week.

I would say the Maryland game is critical considering the Tigers can't beat the Terps in recent years. The following week the same can be said for the Georgia Tech game. Clemson would have a hard time winning the division if it lost in Chestnut Hill or at home against NC State. The potential Atlantic Division title game with FSU could mean nothing if Clemson loses at Wake Forest.

And I would also say the program learns how important the South Carolina game becomes the season after losing to the Gamecocks.

Needless to say an ACC title game would be the top game of the season or at least the biggest until a potential BCS bowl game.

In summary, I can make a point of how critical 2010 can be for this program. But every year has become critical. For that matter, every game has become critical. Each week and each year, every program is judged and each week can produce the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Programs can be on sound footing but only after a win. The euphoria of a win or a great season can be taken down the following week. Message boards, radio talk shows and volatile fan bases have given the age of crucial, critical game of the years almost every week.

I loved the direction Dabo had us in after the Atlantic Division clinching win over Virginia last November but was not thrilled after losing to South Carolina and Georgia Tech the next two weeks. I am excited about 2010 and would be really excited about 2011 if we had a great 2010 season. I would love a springboard season in 2010.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Carole White Begley, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, Steve Cato, the Nicolopulos family, Cason Palmer, Scott Jackson, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle familty, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Richard Crawford, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, Steve Williams Jr, Steve Williams III, Kim Thomas, Reid Thomas, Sam Thomas, Linda Wiggs, Emily Claire Young, Dr. Wallace Honeycutt, Stacy Fowler, Kitty Bowers.