A year ago we ran a game changing idea up the flagpole. Today it got a big salute from Clemson's Dabo Swinney.
Okay, a spring game against an actual opponent wasn't an original idea. It's been kicked around in the past. But it was always on the fringe -- kind of a fantasy notion by fans who wanted to see their team bang shoulder pads against guys wearing different colors.
With Swinney's endorsement, that idea now comes out of the shadows, gaining respect, credibility and some traction. Especially since Larry Fedora (UNC), Paul Johnson (Ga. Tech) and other head coaches seem to like it.
Swinney says an ideal spring game wouldn't be against a regular opponent. Our suggestion for FSU was a team within a few hour's driving distance, making it convenient for fans of both sides. Auburn, for example. Maybe Troy. Or even South Alabama, now Div. I.
And we like Swinney's suggestion that spring game ticket sales could go to charity or a school's general scholarship fund. He adds, by the way, that playing a real opponent in the spring would be an option for a program, not set in stone. A good out for a team hit by a rash of spring practice injuries.
Just imagine a Saturday in mid-April a few years from now. Tailgating around Doak is in full swing. The Chant is booming over those big speakers. The stands are filling with fans pumped like it's a game day. Because it is -- far more than those intramural scrimmages we used to turn out for.
Comments? Questions? Kudos?