ORLANDO, Fla. — Dabo Swinney knows full well what everyone outside Clemson is saying about his program, and really, they can talk all they want about whether the end is near now that the Tigers have missed the College Football Playoff for the first time in seven years.
Here is what Swinney will tell you. On Oct. 1, he walked into a team meeting with a list. His team’s record was 2-2. Not one player looking back at him had ever started their Clemson careers with two losses in September.
On his list, Swinney had more than 30 teams written down, all with two losses. He told his players, “We’re going to find out a lot about who we are over the next two months.”
Only two teams on that list finished the regular season with nine wins: Clemson and Utah. So, yes, it was not the season Clemson is used to having. But no, Swinney is not disappointed in his players, nor is he ready to concede that his program has taken a step back.
Because when the Cheez-It Bowl kicks off Wednesday night (5:45 p.m. ET, ESPN and the ESPN app), with Clemson (9-3) facing Iowa State (7-5), the Tigers will be going for an 11th straight 10-win season. Only two teams have ever reached double-digit wins in 11 straight seasons: Florida State (14 from 1987 to 2000) and Alabama (14 from 2008 to 2021).
“You are sitting there at 2-2 in September with a lot of disappointment, a lot of negativity, a lot of noise,” Swinney told ESPN. “And you really saw the foundation of our program shine and win the day. I’m just really proud of how it’s come together and how these guys have stayed together and gotten better and better.”
Still, detractors will say Swinney is just trying to put a spin on a season that started with a No. 3 preseason ranking but ends without a championship for the first time since 2014. The offense looked decidedly un-Clemson-like for long stretches, starting with quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who struggled at times to find any rhythm,…
Source : espn
