The Clemson football program has shown it’s commitment to remaining barely above average.  That’s right, the Tigers have signed Tommy Bowden to a 4-year extension.  On its way to yet another bowl game, only not a New Year’s Day bowl game, Clemson is showing it believes in what Bowden is putting together… and that it’s happy to always finish somewhere between 3rd and 6th in the ACC.

“As long as we win at least 7 games every year but no more than 10, then this program is right where we want it to be,” athletic director Terry Don Phillips might have said.  “We feel completely confident that every year Coach Bowden will win some games early in the season that give the fan base hope, then inexplicably lose a game we shouldn’t to a team like Wake Forest or Maryland.”

It’s Bowden’s commitment to pulling off a big win in September that really pleases Phillips.  Of course, there is also the guarantee of a few unexpected losses along the way to make things exciting.  This season, for example, it looked like Clemson could make the ACC title game - only the Tigers fell to Boston College at home in November.  And the 13-3 debacle at Georgia Tech was solid gold.

“Any coach that can motivate his team to win at Florida State and manage to lose to Duke in the same season is our kind of guy,” Phillips likely said.  “We aim to get to no better bowl than the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl every year, and we know that Bowden will give us that opportunity.  Of course, throw in the occasional Music City Bowl or Champs Sports thing as well.  But once he got us back to the promised land in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve yet again, we knew Tommy was the right fit for at least four more years.”

We applaud Phillips for his commitment to mediocrity.  With a few bounces going their way, we feel certain the Tigers can go 8-4 or 9-3 again next season.  Maybe they’ll lose to North Carolina State next year - that has happened in a while.  But no matter what, pencil in the Tigers for a final season ranking in the Top 25 but outside the top 10.