Clemson Football: The 10 greatest ‘what-ifs’ in Tiger History

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 29: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers greets fans during the Tiger Walk prior to the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Memorial Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 29: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers greets fans during the Tiger Walk prior to the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Memorial Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
1 of 10
AUBURN, AL – SEPTEMBER 18: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL – SEPTEMBER 18: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Clemson football program has experienced unprecedented success over the past decade, but what if things hadn’t worked out that way?

The Clemson football program has experienced unprecedented success, winning two National Championships in the last four years, and the Tigers are on top of the current CFB world.

But what if things were different?

Here in the midst of the offseason, we decided to do a fun exercise and look back at some of the major moments in Clemson football history and think about what it would’ve been like had they not happened, or if they had changed.

We these items, we selected several from different eras, but also focused quite a bit on the recent past due to this current time being considered the ‘golden age’ of Clemson football.

Here’s a look at 10 of the greatest ‘what-if’ scenarios in Clemson football history.

What if…

10. Tommy Bowden didn’t recommend Dabo Swinney

We’ll go ahead and kick off the list with a ‘what-if’ that could’ve changed everything for Tiger fans.

When Tommy Bowden resigned, he made the recommendation to the administration that Dabo Swinney be named the Interim Head Coach. Swinney was just a WR Coach and hadn’t even been a coordinator in college, much less a Head Coach.

The administration obviously liked Swinney’s energy, but would it have really pulled the trigger on naming him the interim without Bowden’s input? It certainly could’ve changed everything.

Schedule

Schedule