Reservations for Two at the Hot Seat Café
Posted October 4, 2005, 9:47 AM ET

This time last week, NC State football coach Chuck Amato was getting ripped by his own fan base for the lousy performance against arch-rival North Carolina.

Amato took a beating on call-in shows, newspaper columns, message boards, TV shows...and probably in his own family. It was an ugly scene.

This week, Amato has some company....and it is an old-time regular at the "Hot Seat Café"....and his name is Tommy Bowden.

The Clemson coach knows this position all too well. In fact, if the Hot Seat Café was a sitcom, Bowden would play the role of "Norm" from Cheers....everybody seems to know his name. Bowden has been here so long, he has his own booth.

The Tigers fell flat again in Winston-Salem, losing to the mighty Demon Deacons 31-27. What made matters worse for Bowden is an ill attempt at a fake field goal with under 3 minutes remaining in the game. The play and decision backfired, and now Tiger Nation wants Bowden fired.

But this is nothing new for Bowden. Two years ago, the Tigers were ambushed by the same Deacon team in the same location at Groves Stadium...this time it was a 45-17 win by Wake. I remember hosting a Southern Fried Football™ Radio Show that evening and Clemson fans were calling in on their way back to Tigertown demanding that Bowden be removed immediately.

A week later, Clemson upset Florida State in Death Valley, and all was forgotten....temporarily. The Tigers continued on to destroy South Carolina and upset Tennessee in the Peach Bowl.

Bowden was the man and he received a contract extension in the process.

But I guess that is the life of a coach in a big-time football environment. Unless you reach legendary status, there is always a portion of your fan base that is sick and tired of losing and of their respective coach. For Bowden and Amato, neither guy can dismiss the unrest of their school's fan base...but the point of all this craziness is that one week can change the perception of the program 180°.

This week will be important for Amato. The Wolfpack travels to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack hasn't won at Grant Field since 1988 and the Pack has lost 9 of 10 to the Jackets. Throw in the fact that Amato's teams have lost 6 straight ACC games...well, you get the picture that it is time for State to win one, or else.

For Bowden, it might be a tougher week.....the Tigers are off and that means Clemson fans get a golden opportunity to bitch and complain until they play again.

And just for ironic purposes, guess who the Tigers and Wolfpack play next?

Each other....how appropriate.

I can assure you that all the TV sets at the Hot Seat Café will be showing the State-Clemson game next Thursday night.