Clemson coach Tommy Bow-den sees one welcome change this fall -- it will be his Tigers instead of himself in the crosshairs.

"It'll be a lot better because the bull's-eye won't be on me," Bowden said Tuesday. "That'll be a different angle."

Bowden received a contract extension after last year's 9-4 season that ties him to the university through 2014.

The enormous expectations are still there for Clemson, which has several stars back and should be among the early favorites to win the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"We've finished second in the division the past three years, and we have some people coming back from last year's team," Bowden said.

Among them quarterback Cullen Harper, the running duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller, receiver Aaron Kelly, and defensive lineman Dorrell Scott all have returned.

The lone standout to go was defensive end Phillip Merling. But Bowden's got a decent option to replace him -- incoming freshman Da'Quan Bowers, whom some services have rated as the country's top recruit.

"I'm anxious, naturally, to see how the team will respond," Bowden said. "Hopefully, they can understand like coaches that it's the ranking at the end of the season that's most important."

Bowden is confident his team will respond well to the pressure. Harper, Davis and Kelly are all seniors and head up one of the Tigers' strongest group of upperclassmen in recent memory.

Harper set records as a junior and settled a position that figured to be in flux between himself and heralded recruit Willy Korn.

Davis declared for the NFL Draft but decided against it soon after. He has a chance to be Clemson's first rusher with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

Kelly set records with his 88 receptions and 11 touchdown grabs last year.

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