A Brief Look Outside of Our Insular World of SEC Football

I know.  I know.  We never look past the comforting shores of SEC football here.  But there's a reason I'm talking about Tommy Bowden being fired/resigning yesterday.

Bowden's career at Clemson has been maddeningly inconsistent.  The talent level has risen, as has the level of success, but elite status has eluded the Clemson Tigers, as they have famously not won the ACC in Bowden's time, and have developed a reputation as chokers.

Tommy Bowden reportedly gave his resignation yesterday, for the good of the program.  Les Miles, for one, feigned disappointment:

"It hurts the players more than anything," Miles told Gannett News Service. "I understand why because they want to open the gates wide and get as many applicants as they can to apply. I understand that. But I think that there should be concern for the players and for the next game. That’s what it really hurts."

Feigned?  Yes, it means "to represent fictitiously; to put on an appearance of."  

Why "feigned"?  Well, because it seems to open the door just a little further for LSU to recruit two big time players that had been listed as Clemson commitments for the 2009 class.  

Five-star safety Craig Loston (left) has been giving LSU a hard look all along, as he is cousin to LSU 5-star quarterback commit Russell Shepard.  He has publicly decommitted from Clemson and says he's looking at Texas, Oregon, and LSU.  It's kind of an open secret that LSU is the big leader for him.  In truth, it appears likely we would have gotten him even if Bowden had not left.  The strange thing was that the Texas safety committed to Clemson in the first place.

Another safety, 4-star Davonte Holloman (right) (5-star on Scout), has also decommitted from Clemson, and is also looking at LSU.  He had been looking around also, but it is not clear how serious he was until now.  The competition to get Holloman's commitment is a little stiffer, and he appears to be seriously looking at us.  He is not in our regular recruiting area, as he is a local South Carolina kid.  That means we have some natural disadvantages to overcome if he's going to play for LSU.  He and Loston would make a great class of safeties to go into what is already a fantastic class. 

Holloman is built like Chad Jones, and could possibly become a linebacker, while Loston is your typical safety who will likely play at 200 pounds or so.

I feel badly for Tommy Bowden (not really), but his loss could mean our gain.