Al Washington is just a few days away from helping lead one of college football's colossal brands into a battle on the sport's brightest stage.
It's late December of 2019, and even as he sits in an Arizona ballroom on media day, fresh off answering a bombardment of questions on how to contain Clemson's rushing attack or how to handle Trevor Lawrence in the College Football Playoff, there is no hesitation when asked to recall memories from 2007.
And, really, how could he forget?
Even at one of the lowest levels of the profession, that was the year his coaching career saw its true take-off moments.