And then there's the reality of the matter......

Here is a column that makes no radical declarations about what Clemson should do with Tommy Bowden in these times of angst (mostly justified) among the fan base.

The rancor among the fandom coming off the Maryland loss was voluminous, to say the least, from boos in the stands to the talk shows to the websites.

On the outside they seethe over another close loss. On the inside, there’s likely the fear that Saturday’s various blunders in the second half against the Terrapins were simply an extension of the pattern of the previous three seasons in which two games in each year featured similar mishaps that led to losses and denied a chance to play for the ACC title.

But let me use this space to simply clarify the realities of the situation to be held up against the emotions of the moment. This is neither a suggestion about how I think things should play out nor is it based on any inclinations or indications I may have. I’ll let you draw the obvious conclusions as to why I don’t think I am in a position to give a public opinion on this matter.

Where things stand now were irrevocably impacted by the agreement the coach and the school reached on a new contract last December. If you’ve conversed about, or overheard, discussion of the deal, invariably the key component that’s been brought up in the conversation is the buyout. Just so you have it in black and white, it goes like this:

Either side would have to pay $4 million to the other if the contract were terminated before Dec. 1. That would shrink by $500,000 after each of the next four seasons and remain at $2 million for the deal's final three years (’12, ’13, ’14).

So, for the crowd chanting for immediate removal (I read their cries in the various forums) it’s pretty clear why that would not be a fiscally appropriate course of action, at the very least, whether we’re talking football or power tools. It also makes a strong statement as to why considering such a move, regardless of how things play out this year, must be held up against the other expenses of an athletic department that has its share of major expenditures either underway or is in the process of paying off.

As October arrives with six ACC games remaining on the schedule, it should be noted that the first three Atlantic Division champs won with league records of 5-3, 6-2, and 6-2. While the powers that be likely had churning stomachs in the aftermath of Saturday’s loss, not to mention the head coach himself, those numbers allow for some solace as to where things stand now with a 1-1 league record. Granted, at times comparisons to other seasons and programs can become tiresome but those records are most accurate points of reference. At this moment, what looked like winnable games may no longer appear that way and the argument could be moot in a few weeks. But the math doesn’t lie and the same emotions that led to pre-season talk of a run to the crown surely factored in the rationale that the law of averages had to eventually allow the bad bounces of the past few years to reverse their course. Perhaps, the Maryland game doesn’t fit into the pattern (just as the Gaines Adams’ play at Wake two years ago doesn’t) and those bounces will still go Clemson’s way over the final six league games.

With those items to hold up as a “light at the end of the tunnel/window to reality” gauge for decision makers, despite the upcoming schedule, I would think it a waste of valuable time to determine that anything will be out of the norm in terms of how the head coach is evaluated for his work this season and the review process will more than likely be done in its usual process.

Depending on how things proceed for the remainder of the season, factored with the realities of market and economic forces, the significant number of fans who’ve weighed-in with their disdain, but don’t appear to be have the resources ready to write the buyout check, may not like the outcome then as much as this past Saturday.