Bowden’s Uncomfortable Truth

Terry Bowden: “So, did Tommy Bowden deserve what happened to him Monday? Unfortunately, yes. He deserved it because he, of all people, knew what to expect when he got into this business. We grew up in it. He knew what to expect when he went to Clemson. He knew that no matter where you go, there is an expectation of success that must be met. After nine years at Clemson, he knew exactly what those expectations were and he knew they had not been met.”

“Clemson expects to win the conference championship every once in a while -- and they should. After 10 years of falling short, they deserve the right to try and find a coach they believe can get them there. None of this makes a bit of difference in the Clemson situation, except to show you how close we are as brothers and how difficult it is for me to write about this. I can honestly say that I thought Clemson would beat Wake Forest last week and climb back into the race for the ACC Championship Game.”

“The Tigers still have as much talent as anyone in the conference, and I surmised that as soon as they had a little success on offense, the confidence would come back and they would get on a roll. But they didn't have enough success and the confidence didn't come back. And for the 10th consecutive season, Clemson most likely will not win the conference championship.”