Clemson is in New Orleans for a very different bowl trip ... 2020-style
Clemson arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday evening for a Sugar Bowl that is being treated more like a road trip than a bowl trip.
The Tigers got into town two days before Friday night’s showdown with Ohio State in the College Football Playoff. Clemson typically arrives for bowl games six days in advance with a busy itinerary of off-field activities, including such things as Topgolf or a comedy show.
This year Clemson had one team event, and it took place Monday night before the Tigers left town — Bingo night.
“Bingo night, it was a great experience, a great little night,” Clemson running back and Louisiana native Travis Etienne said. “I’m kinda mad that I didn’t win. That was the only downfall, that I didn’t have a chance to call Bingo.”
What else is on the schedule for Clemson to do as a team this week?
“Practice and meetings,” linebacker Mike Jones Jr. said laughing. “That’s about it.”
The freshmen on Clemson’s team don’t know what a typical bowl experience is like. But for the older players, it’s noticeably different.
“Usually we’d spend almost like a whole week out at the bowl site. That’s pretty fun,” Jones Jr. said. “I’ve always enjoyed that, just like kind of getting a different feel, going to practice at different places, walking through the stadium multiple times, stuff like that. But yeah, that’s been different. It feels like I’m in the regular season.”
Bourbon Street would normally be filled with Ohio State and Clemson fans for several days leading up to the Sugar Bowl, and most years Dabo Swinney trusts his players to go out and enjoy the city they’re in — within reason. In 2017 when Clemson played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, Swinney had a curfew but also encouraged his guys to have fun smartly.
“They’ll have a little more time tonight, and then we’ll kind of tighten down as we go,” Swinney said upon landing in New Orleans three years ago. “But I just really count on them to do what they’re supposed to do and really handle their business and hold each other accountable.”
Not this year.
Players are not able to go out and about with free time in the city, and only 3,000 fans are allowed at the game. Each school received 500 tickets, meaning Ohio State and Clemson fans are few and far between in New Orleans.
“Going to a bowl site is always what you work for the whole season,” linebacker Baylon Spector said. “It’s very fun. You get to do a lot of different things and just spend time with your teammates and go do different stuff. ... This year it’s obviously different. We’re enjoying it as much as we can.”
Ohio State will spend even less time in New Orleans. The Buckeyes were not arriving until Thursday afternoon ahead of Friday’s 8 p.m. game.
“It’s going to be more just like a game. We’re going to go down there the night before, get some rest, get to the hotel, wake up, get ourselves ready to go and then go play the game Friday night,” OSU coach Ryan Day said.
“It’s kind of a downer because you would love to spend a week in New Orleans and all those things that come with a bowl game. That’s part of the reward that’s been taken from them this year.”
