Monday October 13, 2008

Ryan; Wake Forest Review

Ryan
Hope everyone had a great weekend. I wanted to pass along the good news about Ryan from yesterday. He is eating on his own now and had his best day yet Sunday. Before yesterday, the most steps he had taken with full control was six but yesterday he took ten steps. After being around Ryan on Sunday, I am more encouraged than ever. He is absolutely the most incredible kid I have ever been around and the biggest inspiration I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. Thanks for your prayers.

Wake Forest Review
I wanted to get back to our normal blog schedule this week and unfortunately Monday’s are a game review. I would rather take a four-iron to the shin then to go back and review that nightmare but Terry Don Phillips and Jim Barker are not going to give any details this morning on the coaching situation so we must move on. Barring anything coming up unexpectedly, here is the schedule for the rest of the week:

Monday-Wake Forest Review

Tuesday-Wake Forest Game Worksheet

Wednesday-Georgia Tech Preview

Thursday-Korn Notes, Injuries, Pulse of the Clemson Nation

Friday-E-Mail Bag

Pardon me if I have to go vomit during this review. I know people are still sick about this season and would love to get some closure on coaching issues and quarterback issues but let’s examine the latest Clemson football nightmare first.

What a pathetic performance. That was awful. That performance took 11 days to prepare for? What we heard all week before the Wake Forest game was that Clemson still controlled its own destiny and 10-2 was still a possibility.

I guess we will hear this week that 9-3 is still a possibility and they are not mathematically eliminated just yet.

The Corey Lambert-to-guard experiment lasted about as long as the flavor in cheap bubble gum. The position was already weakened with Barry Humphries and David Smith out. It got worse when Mason Cloy went down in the first half. Jamarcus Grant is a good kid but he is also banged up and he is not the answer. What does it say about the program when the team picture in August has Bobby Hutchinson as a student assistant coach and now he is your best offensive guard?

Simply stated, the offensive line looked weak and soft.

I guess it can be said about the entire program right now too. This is a soft football program. My college roommate lettered as a walk-on under Coach Ford and Coach Hatfield. He sent me a text after the game that read, “I am sick and tired out watching our guys laying around on the field hurt every play. We look like the battle of Gettysburg hit our team. SOFT!”

What hurts worse is that Wake Forest was the tougher of the two teams. Wake Stinkin’ Forest. And please don’t tell me how much improved Wake Forest is because I saw them play Navy the week before. Wake Forest is just an average football team from an average conference.

I hate being right but this loss only validates my feelings after the Maryland loss. Some tried to convince me that Maryland was a good football team too but I can’t find those folks after Virginia hammered them the following week.

The facts are that Clemson is 3-4 in its last seven games. The Tigers are 1-4 in their last five games against Division I-A opponents with the only win coming against a pitiful NC State team.

Maybe the worst part of the ordeal is the expectation to lose and the desensitizing of losses. It was the first time in a long time I expected Clemson to lose a football game. Also, it does not hurt as bad losing used to and apathy is right around the corner. Wow. That hurts to admit.

This football program is broken. The leadership is missing. But perhaps the worst part is the apathy.

Who is ready to be man enough to lead? Hopefully it is Willy Korn but his head coach did not give a ringing endorsement last night after practice. He kept referring to Korn as the other guy. He did not step out and rave about Korn’s ability to lead this team.

I am upset that a guy that was not good enough to get significant snaps before now is all of the sudden the guy that is supposed to lead this team to victory. If Korn wins Saturday it will be behind a bad offensive line. He will also win with some of his teammates questioning the coaching staff. Like many others, I have been asking for some snaps for Korn. But, in my opinion, Korn has been put in a terribly difficult situation.

I hate to be a pessimist but this season is over. All of the major goals that I had for this team are now gone. There will not be a new flag flying over the West Zone next year that says, “ACC Champions 2008.” Sure 9-3 is better than 8-4 and 8-4 is better than 7-5. My college roommate tried to convince me Saturday while watching other games that pride is still out there and every time Clemson wins a football game it should be celebrated. He is right and I am wrong. I am wrong for feeling so hopeless about the football program. I am hopeless for this season. I am hopeless that this staff can fix it. I am hopeless that this administration can fix it. I am hopeless that this administration will make football a priority again.

I am hopeful because of Clemson basketball. I am hopeful in Ryan’s progress. I am hopeful that at some time in the future of Clemson University that someone will step up to be a leader again and inspire me. There has to be someone out there who can give the Clemson Nation a reason to follow them. For some it may be the continued goals of this pursuit of the approval of U.S. New and World Report. For others it may be a new president or athletic director or head football coach. Right now, I am inclined to follow Willy Korn and Oliver Purnell. At this point, I am not sure who are the other options I trust and am willing to follow.

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