Is this the one where Blake James compared Manny to Dabo and said it will take 3-5 years? Or is this the one I got a notification about today?
It took Dabo a lot longer than 3-5 years. Took over halfway through 2008, first full year 2009.
Wound up winning the ACC year three (2011) only to get boat-raced in the Orange Bowl, 70-33 by West Virginia.
Looked like a national title contender in 2013, but rocked at home (as the #3 team in the nation) by #5 Florida State, 51-14. Lost in Tallahassee the next year, two—keeping the Tigers from winning the Atlantic in back-to-back seasons—after getting clobbered by Georgia in the opener, 45-21 and laying a late-season egg at Georgia Tech, 28-6.
Finally, fully turned that corner and became a power by 2015—his seventh full season at Clemson. Prior to that he was close, but still dropped key games that cost his teat the division or a shot at something bigger—the types of games our fan base would destroy a head coach over; falling to mid-tier in-conference foes, or taking those big beatings (West Virginia, Florida State) on the national stage that would have fans calling for his head the next day.
These comparisons of head coaches when they're on top—in comparison to on-the-rise coaches—is never a good jumping off point, as everyone only remembers Dabo circa 2015-2018. Nobody (but Clemson fans) remember 2009-2014 and all those years they were close, but **** the bed and laid eggs.
Manny has some talent on this squad, as well as familiarity with the defense—but it takes time to build contenders, as it does turning contenders into champions. Dabo had contenders—2012-2014—before finally turning that corner and fielding a champion.
Translation; the Canes are going to have to get to that big time place and lose before they learn how to win—hence why the goal this season is to win the lowly Coastal and to at least get a crack at Clemson in the ACC title game. Need to take some lumps and build for the future, while also getting some wins today.