Its almost that time. We have only 60 minutes left to watch Tajh Boyd play in a Clemson uniform. Its been quite the roller coaster ride full of ups and downs but at the end of the day #10 will go down as one of the All-Time Clemson greats and rightfully so. He's gone above and beyond what I personally expected out of him and has taken Clemson to the next level and made the Tigers a serious threat in the ACC and beyond. He has come a long, long way from his first days at Clemson. I was there and saw Boyd try, but come up short in rallying his team to a victory over South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. I was there and saw the empty seats and lack of spirit and enthusiasm from both the Clemson football team and the fans. I read the stories and message boards of Tiger nation and their reactions to our first losing season in 11 years. It was a depressing and difficult time to be a Clemson fan. I remember it like it was yesterday. But things would quickly turn around. Boyd went back to the drawing board and went to work. And the next year he led the Tigers to an impressive 8-0 start (cue the "Shock the World Tour") and some believed that this might finally be the Tiger's year and they would be the Cinderella team of 2011. I was back in Bank of America Stadium later that season to watch him lead the Tigers to an ACC Championship in convincing fashion on the very same field the Tigers played for a meaningless bowl game trophy the season before. I saw Clemson fans coming out of the woodwork after that game only to see them jump right off the bandwagon and once again throw Boyd under the bus (just as they did following the Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and South Carolina games that season) following the 70-33 loss in the Orange Bowl to West Virginia. His performance in big games became a serious concern.
Then I watched him go back to work yet again in the off-season dropping a few pounds and adding some muscle and speed that clearly made him a more dangerous threat heading into the 2012 campaign. Now, not only did you have to worry about his arm strength but him lowering the shoulder and running more often giving the opposing defense one more thing to worry about. We watched as he made countless "home-run" type plays placing the ball perfectly for guys like Deandre Hopkins, Brandon Ford, and Sammy Watkins to go up and make plays. Clemson's offense became one of the most explosive in the country and as a Tiger fan, it was a thrill to watch our offense work under offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Of course 2012 had its low points as well. A disappointing finish against both Florida State and South Carolina had many believing Boyd simply couldn't win the "big ones". Boyd answered many of those questions and proved all the experts and nay-sayers wrong with his performance against LSU in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl and led the Tigers to unbelievable come-from-behind victory over #8 LSU. His progression and maturity as a football player shined Bright Like a Diamond that night. (Yes, I just went there. Sue me.) Even Boyd himself left the Georgia dome that night believing he had played his last game in a Tiger uniform and was ready for the NFL after an overall solid season.
Luckily for Clemson, not only did Boyd return for his senior year, but so did offensive coordinator Chad Morris who appeared to be the leading candidate for the head coaching position at Texas Tech. However, the Red Raiders chose former Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury and Clemson nation led out a collective sigh of relief. The Tigers brought all the momentum in the world into their 2013 season opening showdown with long time rival, Georgia, in a top ten battle that would have instant BCS implications. Boyd again rose to the occasion and led his team to victory to become to the first non-SEC team to defeat two ranked SEC opponents in consecutive games. Boyd has re-written the Clemson record books and has earned his right to not only the Clemson hall of fame but will surely be honored by the ACC the future as well.
Now we have only 60 minutes left of seeing #10 play for Clemson. Its been a wild ride full of program defining wins and heartbreaking losses. Boyd has helped changed the perception of Clemson football and "Clemsoning". The Tigers are 31-8 with Tajh has their starter. Impressive to say the least, however, those losses include 3 to South Carolina as a starter. (Kyle Parker started the 2010 game and played until the 2nd half) Yup, arguably the best QB in Clemson history never took down the Gamecocks and that will leave a lingering blemish on his otherwise sparkling career as a Tiger. One thing is for sure, regardless of what happens against Ohio State, Boyd deserves a warm standing ovation when he walks off the field for the final time on January 3rd. He has helped turn around this program and we would not be where we are today with the services and dedication from #10. So on behalf of Tiger nation, Tajh Boyd, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
That being said, its time to start preparing for life after Tajh. The good news is the Tigers already have two talented and competitive replacements in Cole Stoudt and Chad Kelly. In their limited playing time this season in "clean-up" duty, we have seen flashes of potential from both quarterbacks and I can't wait to see how this plays out through spring ball and fall camp leading up to another season opener against Georgia, this time "Between the Hedges" in Athens, GA. In my opinion, Stoudt would have to be the early favorite heading into the off-season. Although Chad Kelly should (and will) be right on his heels.
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