After loss to Alabama, Clemson now focused on winning ACC crown

CLEMSON — Clemson spent all offseason discussing the novelty of being the hunted.

The Tigers were easy big-game targets for Alabama, which summarily stalked them, slayed them and stuffed them before mounting them on a wall for everyone to see.

And so for the next few weeks — if not the rest of the season — the essential theme will be how Clemson responds to the ripping and ridicule that have flowed so heavily since last week's 34-10 mashing against the Crimson Tide in Atlanta.

Are these merely paper Tigers? Or are they a good team

that looked like everything but on one bad night?

"It's not over," said senior tailback James Davis. "That first game doesn't determine what is going to happen. I think we've got a lot of talent on this team, and it's definitely going to pay off and show."

Given Clemson's history under Tommy Bowden, writing off the Tigers at this stage wouldn't be wise. They'll likely be favored in their next four games, all at home, starting with today's 3:30 p.m. meeting with The Citadel.

Clemson has recovered from seemingly irreparable damage before. The sky was falling last October after back-to-back defeats to Georgia Tech (13-3) and Virginia Tech (41-23), but the Tigers recovered and finished with nine wins.

They started 2-3 in 2005 after three straight losses to Boston College, Miami and Wake Forest, but they turned things around and finished 8-4 after winning six of their last seven games. They salvaged a 6-5 season in 2004 after a 1-4 start, and a 30-0 home shellacking to Georgia in the 2003 opener didn't keep them from reaching nine wins.

The big difference this year — Bowden's 10th — is that nine wins probably won't be good enough. Bowden signed a big contract extension last December based largely on the promise of 2008 and beyond. The Tigers, who have not won an ACC title since 1991, are bent on ending that drought this year.

Clemson entered the preseason ranked No. 9, and there was talk of contending for a national title. That talk is gone, and so is the Tigers' ranking in The Associated Press poll. Now, they are setting their sights on claiming the conference crown that's so narrowly eluded them the past three seasons.

Today's game won't directly aid that objective. And even a thorough and decisive victory won't erase the sour taste or slow the criticism that came from last week's defeat.

But Bowden will be looking hard at his team to see if it plays with the fire and aggression that were inexplicably missing against Alabama.

"I don't think you can tell until you play," Bowden said of his team's emotional state.

Clemson has to wait until next week for its conference opener (N.C. State), but this is a team that just wants to get back on the field against anyone.

"It's pretty easy to feel good about yourself ranked as high as we were, and having players back, all of the good stuff that was written about us," said senior receiver Aaron Kelly. "But it's going to be different now with what happened. ... Winning eases a lot of pain. We've just got to go out and play better football and win some football games.

"There's a lot of teams that have started off bad and finished strong and had a great season."

Linthicum done?

Sophomore tight end Brian Linthicum has expressed a desire to transfer and is expected to meet with Bowden on Monday, according to sports information director Tim Bourret.

Linthicum, who had 11 catches last season while playing in all 13 games and starting five, saw his role diminish after coaches believed he showed up to preseason camp out of shape.

Linthicum will miss today's game, Bourret said. Fourth-year junior Durrell Barry, a former Fort Dorchester High standout, is expected to start with Michael Palmer in the Tigers' two-tight end set.

Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/