TCU a better 'outcome' opponent than Idaho

CLEMSON -- Saturday's home game against TCU was not supposed to happen.

The Tigers planned to ease coach Dabo Swinney into his first full season against Idaho, which finished last in the WAC in 2008.

That was the plan until Swinney's phone buzzed back on a spring Friday. Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips called, requesting to see Swinney at 5 p.m.

"I'm thinking 'well, that isn't good,' " Swinney said.

Swinney arrived at the McFadden

compound to learn Idaho had backed out of a deal to play Clemson Sept. 26.

Phillips and assistant AD Kyle Young began going over a list of I-AA options. Swinney interjected, wondering wasn't there a I-A team available?

Phillips and Young each "got a little look on their face" according to Swinney, who was informed there is one -- just one: Texas Christian, ranked No. 7 in the final polls.

"I don't think (Phillips) felt great about putting a first-year head coach in a situation like that," Swinney said. "You think out of 120 teams there isn't a 60th-(ranked team) in there, an 80th? But a No. 7?

"I just said 'Well, let's play, let's do it.' "

For Swinney, it was choose your own adventure: take a sure win to pad the victory total, or take your chances against a top team, a game that could potentially damage bowl eligibility or postseason placement.

Clemson sports communication professor Bryan Denham believes Swinney chose wisely.

"By competing against strong teams, that is how you get better," Denham said, "not by blowing out teams that have five percent of your resources and patting yourself on the back."

In essence, Denham says Swinney chose "process" over "outcome" thinking.

Many fans, media members and athletic directors utilize "outcome" thinking each preseason. They look at a team's schedule and determine a number of expected wins. They think solely of end results.

Denham says such thinking by coaches, players and athletic directors is counterproductive.

It's akin to a golfer concerned with projecting his final score for the day while on the second hole, instead of focusing on the next shot.

"It's (folly) to look at a schedule and say 'well, we'll get seven wins with this schedule,' " Denham said. "This is outcome thinking, which doesn't work. It's the worst when it comes to sports psychology.

"You have to enjoy the day-in and day-out process of training and competing. People who immerse themselves in the process in sports tend to be much more successful over the long haul than people who focus on outcome goals they can't control."

For an example of how competition -- how process -- fosters excellence, Denham points to the college basketball in North Carolina, college football in Florida.

"What do Florida and North Carolina have in common?" Denham said. "They have schools that love to compete against each other in their own state. The Clemson-USC rivalry is fairly significant but … USC is not exactly a SEC powerhouse."

One can also examine recent national champions.

Florida's 2008 and 2006 title runs included wins against in-state foes Miami and Florida State.

In 2007, Louisiana State went on to win a national title after routing No. 9 Virginia Tech in Week 2.

Texas defeated No. 4 Ohio State in Columbus in their 2005 title campaign.

In 2004, Southern Cal opened with a win over Virginia Tech and won at BYU two weeks later en route to a title.

Notice a trend?

In 2003, Southern Cal split with LSU for the title, opening with a win at No. 6 Auburn. LSU won at Arizona in Week 2.

In 2002, Ohio State defeated Texas Tech and Washington State in the first three weeks.

In 2001, Miami opened the season with a win at Penn State and later won at Florida State en route to the BCS title.

Only Oklahoma (2000) won a national title during the last decade without a significant non-conference test.

"If you want to continue to advance, if you want to have a special year, these are games that you gotta (schedule)," Swinney said. "When you are a competitor you want to play the best. You gotta beat good teams."

In the ACC, many wrote Miami off when examining its opening schedule: at Florida State, Georgia Tech, at Virginia Tech and Oklahoma.

But Randy Shannon's Hurricanes are 2-0 and have gained nationwide respect. Denham would argue their schedule led to a "process" approach, which heightened focus at practice.

After nearly falling to I-AA Jacksonville State at home, Florida State won at No. 7 BYU last Saturday, a tough road test that harkened back to the earlier days of Bobby Bowden's program building at Florida State.

Still, while playing quality non-conference competition might offer a road map to success, no one every said Saturday was going to be easy.

Said Swinney of playing TCU: "It sounded a lot better in the spring than it does now."

Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com and check out his Clemson blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/tiger_tracks.