Examining the positives and negatives of Tommy Bowden’s Clemson career

As of this writing, Tommy Bowden remains the head football coach at Clemson. Currently in his 10th season, that situation isn’t likely to change for another couple of weeks at the earliest and, most likely, until after the season has concluded.

But Clemson’s second-half meltdown against Maryland a week ago, a game in which the Tigers saw a 17-6 halftime lead evaporate into a 20-17 defeat — putting the Tigers record at a mediocre 3-2 — has generated the most heat Bowden has felt since 2003. That was the year when Clemson suffered a humiliating blowout loss at Wake Forest, dropping the Tigers to 5-4, before rallying to upset third-ranked Florida State the following week and ending the season with four consecutive wins.

That season marked the first that Bowden was able to demonstrate his Rasputin-like quality of resilience, but it sure hasn’t marked the last. However, the Maryland loss has created a deeper chasm between Bowden and the fans that have long been calling for his head and some longtime Bowden supporters who are now beginning to question whether he will ever take the Tigers to their first ACC title since 1991 and a Bowl Championship Series berth.

Before making any type of decision, I’ve always heard it’s best to list the pluses and minuses. In other words, weigh the positives and negatives and see whether one outweighs the other either in terms of numbers or significance.

That is what makes any decision regarding Bowden’s future so difficult. This isn’t Red Parker of the 1970s, whose teams posted back-to-back seasons of 2-9 and 3-6-2, because his fate was pretty cut and dried. So, in an effort to be fair — both to Bowden and to his supporters as well as his detractors — I have developed a list of arguments used by each side to explain why they feel the way they do. That way, maybe both sides can better understand where the other is coming from and why those from other schools can better understand the passion each makes in its arguments.

First, the positives:

• Took over 3-8 program in late 1998 and has improved talent, brought excitement back to Death Valley, improved attendance and made the Tigers at least a part of the conversation when it comes to nationally prominent teams

• Has won more than 70 games in nine plus seasons and never experienced a losing season. Prior to his arrival, program had experienced losing records in three of previous seven seasons under two head coaches (Ken Hatfield, 5-6 in 1992, and Tommy West, 5-6 in 1994 and 3-8 in his final season of 1998)

• Bowl eligible each of his previous nine seasons, including 2004 when the brawl against South Carolina resulted in both schools turning down bowl invitations

• Teams have won nine or more games three times, in 2000, 2003 and 2007, something Clemson failed to experience from 1994 to 2000 and only four times in the last 16 seasons

• Teams have posted a 7-2 record against archrival South Carolina, including 2-1 versus Steve Spurrier, The Ol’ Ball Coach

• Teams have defeated Florida State, and Bowden’s father, the legendary Bobby Bowden, four of the last five years — including 2003, when the Tigers rebounded from the 45-17 Wake Forest embarrassment to upset the Seminoles 26-10 the very next week

• Teams have defeated Tennessee in the Peach Bowl and Miami on the road in 2004 and Texas A&M, when the Aggies were a preseason Top 25 team, in Death Valley in prime time to open the 2005 season

• Enjoyed excellent recruiting classes, especially in recent years, as evidenced by inking running backs James Davis, C.J. Spiller and Jamie Harper and defensive end Da’Quan Bowers

• Tireless efforts in seeking new football facilities led to WestZone that opened last season and new coaches office set to open next year

• The football team established an all-time record by posting a 2.63 GPA for the spring semester, breaking the mark of 2.58 set in the spring of 2001. Each of the top-eight semester GPAs by the football team have taken place during Bowden’s tenure and 37 student-athletes were named to the academic honor roll — including six starters.

• Most importantly, Bowden is a good Christian man who represents Clemson University in a positive manner

Unfortunately, there are also as many, if not more, negatives that encompass Bowden in the minds of Clemson fans and even football experts. They include the following:

• Inconsistency of team, including 1-4 start, followed by 5-1 finish in 2004 and 7-1 start, followed by 1-4 finish in 2006. Even last season's 9-4 record saw the Tigers lose two of their final three games, including the Chick-fil-A Bowl versus Auburn

• Inability of offense to click, primarily due to questionable play calling by offensive coordinator Rob Spence and predecessor Mike O’Cain. In fact, most attribute the team’s greatest offensive success under Bowden — in 1999 and 2000 — to former offensive coordinator, and current Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez

• Refusal to best utilize talents of Davis and Spiller, evidenced by the pass happy approach in the 2006 Music City Bowl loss to Kentucky — a team ranked dead last against the run — and the Maryland game, when Clemson got away from its success of running the ball during the Terrapins’ second-half comeback

• Failure of team to step up when spotlight shines the brightest, evidenced by Boston College and Auburn defeats last season and Alabama debacle to open this season

• Habit by Bowden of throwing players under the bus, be it current quarterback Cullen Harper (who certainly deserves his share of the blame for the woes on offense) or former placekicker Jad Dean, rather than accepting it himself since he is the head coach

• Comparing losses to unranked teams to those of Southern Cal, who fell to Oregon State, or Florida, who dropped a one-point game to Mississippi at home last Saturday. I’m sorry, but Bowden has yet to build up enough equity in the coaching bank to warrant such comparisons with Southern Cal’s Pete Carroll or Florida’s Urban Meyer

• Refuses to change personnel, even when struggling. I remember a 1987 game when former Clemson head coach Danny Ford benched Rodney Williams for a half when the was struggling. It wouldn’t hurt to do the same to Harper, whose poor decision-making must also be taken into consideration when examining the Tigers’ impotent offense

• A lack of toughness on both the offensive and defensive lines that prevents the Tigers offense from successfully converting short yardage situations or the defense from sacking opposing quarterbacks or forcing turnovers. Case in point, defensively, is Clemson’s inability to stop teams on third down and long.

• As of today, 41 of Bowden’s 72 career wins at Clemson have come against teams that finished the season at .500 or with a losing record. He has yet to beat Boston College in three tries and Virginia Tech in four, both physically tough ACC opponents. Even more disturbing is that Bowden’s teams have lost their share of games to non-ranked opponents, such as Maryland last week and Duke in 2004

• Quips once considered humorous, now sound almost sarcastic. Whether they’re meant to be or not, Bowden just doesn’t sound funny anymore. I guess that’s what nine plus seasons of inconsistent, irritating, inexplicable and infuriating performances on the gridiron do to fans whose patience level is growing thinner by the minute

Whether you support Bowden or not, and the list of detractors, like the wolves, are howling ever louder, there is no doubt that the next two games — versus Wake Forest next Thursday night and the following Saturday at home versus Georgia Tech — are crucial. These games, both of which Bowden needs to win, could be the equivalent of Florida State in 2004 — giving the team and especially its head coach the spark necessary in turning around what has, to this point, been one of the most disappointing efforts in Clemson football history.

If I can develop a list of pros and cons regarding Bowden’s tenure at Clemson, I’m sure athletics director Terry Don Phillips has done likewise many times over. How Clemson performs over the next couple of weeks, with its ACC championship hopes hanging by a thread, will go a long way toward determining which list Phillips will rely on the most when evaluating his head football coach once this season has concluded.