Monday December 29, 2008

Chavis; Steele; Seniors; Big Game; USC Hoops

Chavis
I have to say I was surprised by the news of John Chavis to LSU. I had close contact with some who were very close to Chavis throughout the process and they were under the impression he wanted to come to Clemson instead of LSU. They were under the impression that Chavis wanted to stay closer to Knoxville because of family and business interest. I was also told by some close to Chavis that he liked the idea of hitching his wagon to a younger, more stable horse and he viewed LSU as a dangerous situation because Les Miles could be on the hot seat at any time in Baton Rouge.

In the end, I am not sure how much the money had to do with it and I am not sure if the three-year guarantee from LSU made a difference. I was just a little surprised because Chavis called on a bunch of people in South Carolina to help him get an in with Dabo. He told people close to him that he was impressed by Dabo and really liked the idea of coming to Clemson.

We may never know the while truth on the situation but I can tell you that I was not the only one who was fooled and surprised by the move.

Steele
I don’t know Kevin Steele but I hear good and bad on him from those inside and outside of the coaching industry.

On the positive side, he has landed jobs at powerhouses like Tennessee, Nebraska, Florida State and Alabama. He has been in the NFL and has been a head coach at Baylor. He has coached under Johnny Majors, Tom Osborne, Bobby Bowden and Nick Saban. He has a national championship ring and many conference titles. Few college coaches have coached in as many big games as Steele has in his career.

Steele is also noted as one of the top recruiters on the South. He has signed some of the best prospects in the country in his long coaching career.

On the negative side, some in the industry do not count Steele as a friend. There are some who think Steele has been a distraction to the programs where he has been a coach. Steele’s supporters would point out that some of that animosity comes from jealousy because Steele has advanced his career.

I am willing to take a wait and see approach to Steele if and when he is named the defensive coordinator at Clemson.

So Long Seniors
Thursday will mark the final time in a Clemson jersey for some record setting Tigers. In the next few weeks I want to write a blog about where James Davis, C.J. Spiller (if he leaves), Aaron Kelly, Cullen Harper and Michael Hamlin rank in terms of all-time greats in Clemson history.

My initial thoughts on the subject are that Davis and Spiller are two of the top five running backs in Clemson history, Kelly is one of the top 5-10 wide outs in school history, and Harper and Hamlin deserve consideration for top 10 at their positions as well.

I still think it is fair to judge the bowl game because all five players have another chance to leave their marks at the school.

Big Game
I have written several blogs about how important every game is in college football. It seems like every game is life or death and each win and loss means your program is either on the way up or has slipped past the point of no return. Sports talk radio, the internet, higher salaries and television provide more opportunities for more scrutiny and more of a demand to win and win big.

It seems to me that when you win a game the fan base is energized and the program is on the way to the big time. When you lose a game doom and gloom set in and the fan base is calling for heads.

Obviously that is not reality but there is more pressure today than ever before.

However, I do view Thursday as a big game for Dabo. A win on New Year’s Day against a national program like Nebraska gives Dabo more credibility. It adds more validity to his hire. It also keeps positive momentum in his program.

A win in the bowl game would answer a question that some have about his ability to prepare his team for a bowl game. It would also mean he won five of his last six and confidence would be much higher heading into spring practice.

Thursday’s game is not a do or die but it is a big game. It is a big game for perception and it is a chance for Dabo to make another statement very early in his coaching career. Seven games into his coaching career he could have wins over Al Groh, Steve Spurrier, the Atlantic Division champion Boston College Eagles and a high-powered offense in Nebraska.

Clemson-USC
I may be the only man in America that views tomorrow night’s basketball game as dangerous. I know South Carolina has not played anyone yet and their schedule was ranked 343 in the nation as of last week. I know Clemson moved up to 16th in the latest coaches’ poll. I know the Tigers are the more talented team and the deeper team.

However, I also know Devon Downey is one of the nation’s top point guards and Zam Fredrick can get hot from behind the arch. I also think Michael Holmes is a bright young post player and I do believe Darrin Horn is good basketball coach.

It is not a pit and I think there will be a lot of empty seats tomorrow night but winning road games in college basketball today can be difficult. Remember this is still a rivalry game.

I hope that I am dead wrong and I hope the game will not be as close as I am currently thinking. But Clemson has not played in over a week and has played just once in the last two weeks. Breaks for exams and breaks for the Christmas holidays sometimes have an adverse effect on basketball teams (just ask Ohio State).

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency