...[S]aving Clemson football from a severe attack of academia is a front-burner issue that has some Tigers fans cussing, confused and confounded by what they see as the misguided notion of putting college back in college football.

The problem came to light last week just before National Signing Day, an unofficial state holiday for college football fans in the Palmetto State. Compliance officials at Clemson University informed several highly recruited high school football players that they did not qualify for admission to their fine institution of higher learning.

Although Clemson has a well-earned reputation as a football factory with a national championship and a slew of probationary penalties to prove it, things are beginning to change.

Clemson president James Barker has set new goals for the little college in the foothills. He wants Clemson to become one of the "Top 20 Public Universities" in the nation...



...Painful Process

Clearly, many die-hard Clemson fans are reeling in the wake of this latest proclamation. They honestly believe this is the beginning of the end of Clemson football as they have known it.

Problem is, Clemson football as they have known it has not exactly been a bastion of brilliance.

The Tigers have always seemed willing to bend the rules to get good players into school, just as many other institutions have done in the name of winning football games.

But the byproducts of that philosophical philandering have been two-fold - players who never graduate or players who graduate but are not educated.

Both have become embarrassing contradictions for college presidents and some have pledged to do something about it....