Since Paul Finebaum's comments

[uscusc1987]

Dabo beat Saban and damn near beat him the year before too. You can trash Swinney all you want but he has a title

The best player at the most important position in the 100 plus years of Clemson football beat Bama once on the last play of the game.

 

[cutiger55]

That is not what the point. The point was that Dabo has a goal mine where he is and you couldn't run him off with a stick. Bowden and Osborne, using your examples, had great teams but if either had come to USC would the greatness come with them or are they then be out of then comfort zone? I simply don't believe Dabo could go to another school and have the same success. Dabo is getting a lot of "outside" help at Blemson he ain't no genius. How would he do at Ole Miss?

Ok. That helps me understand your opinion. Personally, I think Bowden, Osborne and Dabo would all excel (in their prime) at another major college. I realize that you feel differently about Dabo but that's my opinion. In fairness, I would probably view him differently if he was the head coach at South Carolina. It's natural to not respect your rivals coach. But I think most neutral people would admit that Dabo is a great coach at this point.

 

[Spanial]

Dabo stepped into a top 15 program with top 20 recruits already in place in a conference that only had one other good team in it. Bowdon was fired because he was only coasting with a team/conference that didnt even need a coach to be in the position they were in.
Wake freaking Forrest was one of the front runners in the conference!

 

[Ken M.]

I think you missed my point, or maybe I didn't state it correctly. Dabo started his career at a University that was pumping millions of dollars into its football program. Football is, and always has been, a major priority at Clemson. Football has never been a priority at Toledo. Recruiting has a lot to do with success and it's certainly a priority at Clemson. But Toledo has never recruited at a high level. Comparing each coach's first 9 years is not at all a fair comparison. It's more fair to compare the past nine years, but Clemson fans don't want to do that.

You're acting like Nick Saban was facing the SEC West with his Toledo team. He was actually facing other Mid American teams, and a good head coach and recruiter will rise to the top of the pack regardless of level or conference. He only coached there for a year anyway so I'm not sure why it matters.

 

[Ken M.]

Dabo has earned the right to be considered one of the top 10 coaches in America. He has beaten the best (Saban, Meyer, Stoops) in the land to earn that distinction. Having said that, and I am a Clemson fan, what makes Saban and Alabama so incredible is the utter lack of fall off year to year. It is similar to Bowden's run at FSU without the missed kicks which cost Bowden at least 2 National Championships . Clemson will need to continue to win for another 5-6 years at the highest level to begin to be considered on Alabama's level. I would also add that while the SEC gets to hang its hat on Alabama's success that success is double edged sword in that a lot of good coaches have been run off from the conference who's only sin was their inability to beat Saban. No it is not as bad as the FSU dominance of the ACC when they joined but it is not that far off either and it is hurting the conference in my opinion.

Who are the other 6 coaches without national titles you'd put ahead of Dabo, out of curiosity?

 

[Ken M.]

Dabo stepped into a top 15 program with top 20 recruits already in place in a conference that only had one other good team in it. Bowdon was fired because he was only coasting with a team/conference that didnt even need a coach to be in the position they were in.
Wake freaking Forrest was one of the front runners in the conference!

Bowden finished in the top 20 one single time in his 9.5 year career at Clemson (16th in AP in 2000). He also finished 22, 21, and 21, scattered over his tenure. Unranked the other 5 years. How would Clemson be considered a top 15 program if they didn't finish in the top 15 a single time in the prior almost 20 years? I mean, I guess if you're just trying to minimize what Dabo did, then yeah. But it's silly to say that Clemson was a great, or even good, program when he took over in 2008.

 

[BigTomE]

You're acting like Nick Saban was facing the SEC West with his Toledo team. He was actually facing other Mid American teams, and a good head coach and recruiter will rise to the top of the pack regardless of level or conference. He only coached there for a year anyway so I'm not sure why it matters.

He got his toes wet in a completely different environment than Dabo. Most of the mid American teams are on the same level in many different areas (budget, recruiting, exposure, academics, just to name a few). As I previously stated, Clemson University has always put more into football than almost every other team in its conference.

Saban raced clunkers against other clunkers his first season. Dabo didn't inherit a perfect racecar, but it wasn't a clunker either. Dabo inherited an underperforming racer with an owner willing and able to invest millions.

 

[Ken M.]

He got his toes wet in a completely different environment than Dabo. Most of the mid American teams are on the same level in many different areas (budget, recruiting, exposure, academics, just to name a few). As I previously stated, Clemson University has always put more into football than almost every other team in its conference.

Saban raced clunkers against other clunkers his first season. Dabo didn't inherit a perfect racecar, but it wasn't a clunker either. Dabo inherited an underperforming racer with an owner willing and able to invest millions.

OK, but if you're saying that the comparison should be the last 8-9 years for both Saban and Dabo, then what in the world does Alabama have in terms of a football operating budget? It dwarfs Clemson's budget, and pretty much every single other school in the country. I'd guess OSU, Texas, and Michigan are on par with Alabama's spending. Do you think Alabama cares in the least about any other sport? Basketball? Baseball? Womens' sports?

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Finebaum is just mad Bama lost to Clemson.

Jeff2001, I just wish you won't be that way. You are a basically good guy but never and I mean never cut quempsum a break.

 

[MANAFOLD]

Dabo beat Saban and damn near beat him the year before too. You can trash Swinney all you want but he has a title

Point is, you are basing Dabo on two years production. Clemson won't make the playoffs this year and Bama will probably be the national champion.

 

[1SGgamecock]

But they've done better without Chad than with him. Maybe that's worth noting. It's also worth noting that Watson was markedly better than that fellow he replaced - I forget his name now.

Bobble head Boyd

 

[OzWizard]

So, why ask someone to name another top 10 power 5 coach that had been offered another head coaching job, if you just going to excuse it all away. You can give whatever excuses you like about why Jimbo decided to stay at FSU, but it doesn't change the fact that he was courted by LSU. The names I gave were just off the top of my head, but there could be others. I don't care that much to look them up.

Not trying to make excuses, just looking for an honest answer. You named 4, but only Fisher applies to the question. But IMO, he is the exception because of he made it known he was unhappy at FSU. He has ties to LSU and they saw it as an opportunity. But I cant think of any other D1Pwr5 head coach who had their team in the top 10 that was also courted by another D1Pwr5. Im sure there are some, but I don't know of any.

 

[cutiger653]

It seems many Clemson fans are comparing Datboy to Saban. They're ignoring several major facts, including that Saban has a well established coaching tree, and many top tier Universities have hired/promoted former Saban staff members. I'm certainly not a Clemson expert, but the only coach I can think of that was hired away is Morris.
Saban is considered one of the greatest football minds in the country. Dabo has had success building a program, but he isn't regarded as a great football mind. Saban has built, and found success, at every college football program he's been a part of. I'm no Bama fan, nor do I wave the SEC flag, but comparing the two is laughable. I hate agreeing with Pawwl, jack!

Clemson did have an assistant leave for the NFL this year: http://www.postandcourier.com/sports/clemson-defensive-ends-coach-marion-hobby-to-leave-program-for/article_2fe63b64-dcdf-11e6-9930-c715802f99a0.html

 

[uscusc1987]

Dabo has earned the right to be considered one of the top 10 coaches in America. He has beaten the best (Saban, Meyer, Stoops) in the land to earn that distinction. Having said that, and I am a Clemson fan, what makes Saban and Alabama so incredible is the utter lack of fall off year to year. It is similar to Bowden's run at FSU without the missed kicks which cost Bowden at least 2 National Championships . Clemson will need to continue to win for another 5-6 years at the highest level to begin to be considered on Alabama's level. I would also add that while the SEC gets to hang its hat on Alabama's success that success is double edged sword in that a lot of good coaches have been run off from the conference who's only sin was their inability to beat Saban. No it is not as bad as the FSU dominance of the ACC when they joined but it is not that far off either and it is hurting the conference in my opinion.

Son, in the past 20 years plenty of SEC teams have won as many national titles as Clempson. The SEC can hang the hat on Auburn LSU, Alabama, Florida multiple times, and Tennessee. Good Lord.
r: 17490"]Dabo has earned the right to be considered one of the top 10 coaches in America. He has beaten the best (Saban, Meyer, Stoops) in the land to earn that distinction. Having said that, and I am a Clemson fan, what makes Saban and Alabama so incredible is the utter lack of fall off year to year. It is similar to Bowden's run at FSU without the missed kicks which cost Bowden at least 2 National Championships . Clemson will need to continue to win for another 5-6 years at the highest level to begin to be considered on Alabama's level. I would also add that while the SEC gets to hang its hat on Alabama's success that success is double edged sword in that a lot of good coaches have been run off from the conference who's only sin was their inability to beat Saban. No it is not as bad as the FSU dominance of the ACC when they joined but it is not that far off either and it is hurting the conference in my opinion.[/QUOTE]