Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008

Morris: Can Tigers win 1 for the Dabo?

CLEMSON

The buzz surrounding South Carolina's rivalry game against Clemson is as great as it ever has been. Only this year, all the talk has little to do with the game.

There is talk about Dabo Swinney's job status and how it hinges on the outcome of Saturday's game. There is talk about Clemson needing to defeat USC to become bowl-eligible. There is talk about whether a win sends USC to the Outback Bowl, or perhaps a loss puts the Gamecocks in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

So who really cares if Steve Spurrier will use Chris Smelley and Stephen Garcia at quarterback, or whether Clemson's secondary will mix things up and play more man-to-man coverage against USC's receivers?

This 106th meeting between the teams is not so much about the game as it is about the surrounding story lines.

Let's address Swinney's situation first. There exists a common misconception that Saturday's game is the determining factor in whether Swinney will shed his "interim" label and become Clemson's next head coach.

Terry Don Phillips, Clemson's athletics director, does not operate that way. Just as he evaluates a coach at the end of every season on his entire body of work, Phillips is most likely to evaluate Swinney based on the coach's six years at Clemson and six games as interim coach.

Would a victory against USC enhance Swinney's chances of landing the full-time job? No doubt. Would a devastating loss —- say, 63-17, or some score like that —- hinder Swinney's chances? Probably.

Otherwise, this one outcome is not going to sway Phillips. If you judge Swinney's body of work, he grades out well. First, and foremost, Swinney inherited a team with a 1-2 record in ACC play. Clemson went 3-2 in conference games under Swinney.

Swinney has pumped oxygen into a program that appeared to be on life support. He has offered Clemson what his predecessor, Tommy Bowden, did not: loads of energy. It began with Swinney's institution of a Tiger Walk before each home game and continued with a team visit to Clemson Elementary School to sign autographs on the way to the airport for Clemson's game at Virginia.

Swinney does not appear to be a coach whose job is riding on the outcome of a single game. He was his usual talkative self at the weekly meeting with the media and offered a balanced perspective on the situation.

"Either way, I don't have any bitterness. I'm just blessed to have been at Clemson for six years and thankful to be around these kids and develop relationships that will last a lifetime," Swinney said. "I just want to win this game this week, and that will all work itself out. Whatever happens, I'm fine with it. I've had a ball. I mean, I've had a blast. This has been the opportunity of a lifetime."

Running back James Davis said the team's seniors met early in the week to discuss Swinney's situation.

"We know this game means a lot to him and to us. A lot of guys want Dabo to be here," Davis said. "We need the game badly to get to a bowl game and to help Dabo secure his job."

While Swinney's job status remains in limbo heading into Saturday's game, there is no doubting Clemson needs a win to become bowl-eligible for the 10th consecutive season.

This marks the fourth time during that streak that Clemson needs a victory in the final regular-season game to become bowl-eligible. Each time previously, Clemson managed a win, defeating USC in 1999 and 2004 and Duke in 2001.

Clemson finds itself in this pickle for a couple of reasons. Mostly, it underperformed as much as any team in the country after being ranked No. 9 in the preseason. A 3-3 start knocked Clemson out of the ACC championship picture and Bowden out of a job.

Little did Clemson athletics officials know that scheduling a couple of Football Championship Subdivision opponents might prove costly. Clemson handily defeated The Citadel and South Carolina State, but according to NCAA bowl-eligibility rules, one win against an FCS team counts per season.

USC, of course, knows the feeling of being on the bowl-game fence. The Gamecocks were eligible a season ago with a 6-6 record but unwanted by any bowl. Not so this season for 7-4 USC.

There is no doubting that a win Saturday assures USC a spot in the Outback Bowl against an opponent from the Big Ten, likely Michigan State. There exists a possibility, however slim, that a USC loss could move the Gamecocks to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Either bowl would suit USC fine. Any bowl would make Clemson happy. A long-term contract would thrill Dabo Swinney.

Those are the story lines. Perhaps by kickoff, attention will turn to how much pressure USC's defensive line can put on Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper or whether the Tigers can spring C.J. Spiller for a couple of long runs against USC's stingy defense.

Listen to Morris Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m. on ESPN Radio 93.1 FM

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