2008 Woodie Awards
Clemson vs. Alabama
By: Daniel Taylor
Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: Sports
Atlanta this weekend will be the site of redemption. Clashing in the Georgia Dome will be two teams that have been yearning for more than a decade to rekindle past glory.
It is no secret that neither Clemson's nor Alabama's fanbases have been proud of their recent seasons. But both schools could achieve the momentum needed for a breakout 2008 campaign with a victory on Saturday.
Years down the road, football fans might look back on this game as the pivotal moment when the victor exploded back into the national spotlight, while the loser of this game had their expectations dashed.
While the loser of this game will not be devastated, they will likely have to wait another season to achieve the national respect they have been dying for.
For the Tigers, redemption will only come with an ACC championship. Clemson once reigned for decades as the only true football school in a basketball conference. Their domination led them to 13 ACC titles and a national championship in 1981, but recent years have not been kind.
Despite being the largest football fanbase in the ACC, Clemson has not won 10 games or the conference crown in 17 years.
Head Coach Tommy Bowden has gotten the Tigers close on several occasions, and his recent landmark recruiting classes have renewed vigorinthe squad.
Many believe that a victory over Alabama would be the start of Clemson's first ACC championship run since the admission of Florida State into the conference in 1992.
Where Clemson once ruled the ACC, Alabama once ruled college football. The old SEC powerhouse boasts 21 conference championships and an outstanding 11 national titles.
However, the players today never witnessed the golden age of Alabama football. Legendary coach Bear Bryant last led the Crimson Tide more than 25 years ago. Since the Bryant era, Alabama has had eight different coaches, but only won two SEC titles outright.
The Crimson Tide have been frustrated, going through a number of coaches hoping to find the right man to bring back Alabama football. In response, they hired Nick Saban away from the NFL's Miami Dolphins for more than $6 million a year.
It is no secret that neither Clemson's nor Alabama's fanbases have been proud of their recent seasons. But both schools could achieve the momentum needed for a breakout 2008 campaign with a victory on Saturday.
Years down the road, football fans might look back on this game as the pivotal moment when the victor exploded back into the national spotlight, while the loser of this game had their expectations dashed.
While the loser of this game will not be devastated, they will likely have to wait another season to achieve the national respect they have been dying for.
For the Tigers, redemption will only come with an ACC championship. Clemson once reigned for decades as the only true football school in a basketball conference. Their domination led them to 13 ACC titles and a national championship in 1981, but recent years have not been kind.
Despite being the largest football fanbase in the ACC, Clemson has not won 10 games or the conference crown in 17 years.
Head Coach Tommy Bowden has gotten the Tigers close on several occasions, and his recent landmark recruiting classes have renewed vigorinthe squad.
Many believe that a victory over Alabama would be the start of Clemson's first ACC championship run since the admission of Florida State into the conference in 1992.
Where Clemson once ruled the ACC, Alabama once ruled college football. The old SEC powerhouse boasts 21 conference championships and an outstanding 11 national titles.
However, the players today never witnessed the golden age of Alabama football. Legendary coach Bear Bryant last led the Crimson Tide more than 25 years ago. Since the Bryant era, Alabama has had eight different coaches, but only won two SEC titles outright.
The Crimson Tide have been frustrated, going through a number of coaches hoping to find the right man to bring back Alabama football. In response, they hired Nick Saban away from the NFL's Miami Dolphins for more than $6 million a year.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Sean
posted 8/30/08 @ 3:55 AM EST
Did you forget one?
Alabama one a National Championship in 1992 making it 12 National Titles (hence the #12 always featured on the helmet on sports tv talk shows). (Continued…)
Bama Fan
posted 8/31/08 @ 2:03 AM EST
It's 12 National titles. Gene Stallings made #12 in 1992. Also, we are paying Saban $4 million per year-- about $5 million if you add in all the perks. (Continued…)
will
posted 9/01/08 @ 12:22 AM EST
Yes, this article wasn't well researched. Alabama has 12 national championships, including one since Bear Bryant left. Saban makes 4 million a year, not 6. (Continued…)
UA alum in SC
posted 9/01/08 @ 4:43 PM EST
Clemson may still be the class of the ACC this year. They are almost certainly among the top two or three in the conference. The thing that so many college fans around the nation do not understand (or refuse to accept) is that football in the SEC is a different animal entirely. (Continued…)
Sharon Hall
posted 9/03/08 @ 9:29 AM EST
There is no hype like hyperbole.
After reading that horribly researched article, I believe that the author does not truly understand the game itself. (Continued…)
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