Clemson has some of the best odds to be the next team to accept an invitation from the SEC and one of their former head coaches, Danny Ford, feels the Tigers have the means to do so and more than just belong on college football’s brightest stage.
In speaking with the Greenville News, Ford said that Clemson had ‘the money, the facilities, (and) the players to join (the SEC),’ endorsing the program’s chances to compete in the conference that ‘just means more.’
They’d certainly fit right in as a team that has played Alabama near-annually (via the College Football Playoff) — Ohio State and Notre Dame could further push the boundaries of what ‘Southeastern’ means and join the flagship whenever they feel. OSU had interest last year and the Fighting Irish are the free agent university that needs to be wooed to swing the scales significantly towards either the Big Ten or the SEC.
Howard praised the current-day Clemson setup while also tipping his hat to the ACC:
"“There are a lot more advantages to Clemson now than there were before, in coach (Frank) Howard’s days especially and coach (Red) Parker’s days. Maybe we had some advantages, but we didn’t have some of the advantages they have today. They’re in a sweet situation being Clemson in the ACC in football.”"
Danny Ford knows a thing or two about being ready for the SEC
Back in 1992 when Arkansas made their SEC jump, the Razorbacks struggled mightily. Danny Ford’s arrival didn’t do much to move the needle, and Ford called out the Hogs and South Carolina Gamecocks for not being ready to move up:
"“That was the problem when South Carolina and Arkansas came into the conference – neither team was prepared to come into the SEC. Neither team had the money, the facilities, the players or anything to join that conference. Well, now it’s different for Clemson. Clemson has a lot of that already built in.”"
Ford was in Fayetteville first-hand and saw how unable to hang with big boys the Razorbacks used to be. Things have changed drastically, with KJ Jefferson being a potential future NFL quarterback. But during some of the leanest years of the mid/late 1990s, Ford was in charge.
He knows the deal, and it’s a damning one for the Hogs of old. Meanwhile, he strongly endorsed Clemson in any potential SEC jump.