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Orange Phenom [14935]
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Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 3, 2020, 4:01 PM
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and pinch yourself: We're getting ready to play in our 4th National Title Game in the last 5 years. I'll say it again--4th in 5 years!!
I'm not as old as many of the people on here but I've been following Clemson football for about 20 years.
I remember going 8-0 and having GT, FSU, and VT put us in our place.
I remember being in DV when upsetting #3 FSU felt like the greatest thing ever!
I remember the finish in '03 after that and thinking that 9-4 and a top 25 ranking was the greatest thing ever!
I remember it being a big deal when we were ranked in the top 20 in SI's pre-season magazine!
I remember when we beat a top 10 Miami team in OT in '04 and then lost to Duke the next week (and had to listen to it on the radio).
I remember counting the "also receiving votes" in the AP and Coaches Polls in the paper every week to see how close we were to being ranked.
I remember Whitehurst going 4-0 against USuCk!
I remember Gameday coming when I was at Clemson in '06 and then spanking a top 15 GT team and thinking we'd arrived!
I remember sitting in Lane Stadium while VT handed us our ##### the next Thursday night.
I remember sitting in the GA Dome and watching Bama take us to the woodshed.
I remember sitting in WF's high school stadium and watching Bowden's last gasp.
I remember USuCk going 5-0.
I remember watching hours of Sportscenter on Saturday nights just to see if they'd spend 30 seconds on Clemson's game that day.
I remember friends who were grads, students, and fans of OSU, Florida, So Cal, Auburn, Alabama, etc. and thinking "that must be awesome to see your team win a Title!"
I know almost everyone else here remembers these and much more. Who would have ever thought we'd be here!
I missed the 'Good Old Days' with Danny Ford and grew up hearing about how great those teams were. Win or lose on 1/13, take a moment to realize that we're living through the Good Old Days again and, as most of us can attest to, they don't last forever!
GO TIGERS!!
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TigerNet Elite [76979]
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 3, 2020, 4:14 PM
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I too was at Lane Stadium that night. I also stayed w inlaws in Bam in 75 when they beat us 56-0 in the dump at that time Bryant Denny Stadium. I saw 9 Clemson games that year after a 7 in season we went 2-9 and were worse than our record indicated.
I got up at 3am in 1981 to see condensed highlights of our win at Chapel Hill because I didnt have a vcr. The way these guys have handled the attention and their consistency.
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Orange Phenom [14935]
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Lol-- I knew the old times would have leaner and fatter
Jan 3, 2020, 4:17 PM
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times than me!
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All-In [11023]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Re: Lol-- I knew the old times would have leaner and fatter
Jan 4, 2020, 1:26 PM
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endured 3-7,5-5,6-4,and 6-4 with frank howard from '64-'67.someone hung him in effigy at one point.wasn't sure we'd ever revisit '81,but here we are ranked at the highest level of college football,and perfection isn't a hoped for pipe-dream.it's expected.it won't last forever,so i'm going to enjoy every single moment while it's here.
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1st Rounder [682]
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 3, 2020, 4:16 PM
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WIN THE NEXT GAME!!!!
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1st Rounder [678]
TigerPulse: 88%
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 3, 2020, 4:25 PM
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I remember all those very well. The first one you mentioned was my senior year. My class went 0-4 vs FSU and GT. The only correction was whitehurst not woody went 4-0 vs South Carolina. Truly had to sit through those low times to fully appreciate this run.
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Orange Phenom [14935]
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D'oh--honestly was thinking of the "Woody Whitehurst" guy
Jan 3, 2020, 4:27 PM
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on Twitter in my head and it made me type "Woody..."
I certainly recall that it was Charlie and not Woody--although who can forget Woody-to-Gardner for The Catch II?!
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1st Rounder [678]
TigerPulse: 88%
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Re: D'oh--honestly was thinking of the "Woody Whitehurst" guy
Jan 3, 2020, 6:23 PM
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That makes sense! Woody to rod will always be my favorite clemson game. Last home game senior year. Very special!
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Trainer [25]
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Great post. I remember each of those points!
Jan 3, 2020, 4:32 PM
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I never would've believed in a million years that playing the Title game was going to be the expectation. And, you're right, the good times never last!
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Orange Blooded [3194]
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 3, 2020, 4:42 PM
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Im loving every minute of this era of Clemson football. I sometimes wonder what i did to deserve Clemson doing what they're doing now. Like you, i grew up listening to stories of Danny Ford, the 81 national championship and the powerhouse we were in the 80s. I thought man, i would do anything to see Clemson win a national championship even if that means going 0-12 the next 5 seasons. Now ive seen them win 2 national titles and we're the program everyone wants to be. Plus it doesnt seem like we're going anywhere anytime soon. Dabo said post OSU game that we are just getting started.
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Legend [6678]
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 3, 2020, 4:54 PM
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I remember beating ga. 28 to 24 when Red Parker was the coach. You'd have thought we had just won the Natty. When we won the Natty with DW4, I wondered, will it be another thirty years before this happens again. I never dreamed we'd have another one in two years. I hope we stay hungry, stay humble, and stay happy with what we are living in.
GOD BLESS THE CLEMSON TIGERS, BEAT LSU!
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All-TigerNet [5626]
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I never forget that these are the greatest of times and
Jan 3, 2020, 6:27 PM
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cherish every minute.
Forever thankful to Terry Don and Dabo.
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Orange Immortal [62187]
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 4, 2020, 10:45 AM
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I applaud your memory, for me now I only remember mostly the good days of our recent past, and depending on how you look at it, it isn't a bad thing for me lol
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All-In [10358]
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I Love this post!***
Jan 4, 2020, 10:49 AM
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Orange Blooded [2212]
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 4, 2020, 2:32 PM
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I can relate---I haven't missed a home game in 45 years-and I remember years when I felt great after beating wake, duke, maryland, etc. I remember the hatfield and west years and wondering if we would become relevant again. I also will not lie-I had to eat my words , what I said about Dabo-I was dead wrong and I bet I wasn't the only one. After being in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day in 1982 I never thought I would witness what i have seen the last 5 years.
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Paw Master [17213]
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 4, 2020, 5:21 PM
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After I moved to Illinois, I remember just hoping the Tigers were ranked in the Top 25 so I could see the score on the bottom of the screen ticker. There was no local news and never played on TV up there because of the regional coverage.
It's a lot different now with streaming, ACCN, and of course being a national power playing at all time slots on all the ESPN channels. At least my son can watch them every week.
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110%er [6938]
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Re: Take a Moment Leading Up to the Natty
Jan 4, 2020, 6:05 PM
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I remember that year that we almost beat Notre Dame in a home game, I was so proud of that close loss.
And remember one year we were ranked #19 in pre-season gosh I was excited?
And those were satisfying years when we ended with a winning record, 6-5 wow so nice.
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