Clemson football did not lose more than two games in a single season from 2015 to 2020, winning two national championships in that span. They are on track to lose at least three games for the third consecutive season as the Tigers are 4-2 at the halfway point.

Winning championships brings a certain kind of pressure to a program and Dabo Swinney's team is no exception. Clemson has fallen a tier down in the college football world though and the Tigers head coach said that the team may need to suffer a few more defeats to lighten expectations.

“We're at a point where If you don’t go undefeated – you are losers, you’re terrible,” Swinney said, via Clemson 247. ‘And that is just such a terrible mindset. And honestly, maybe we need to lose a few games and lighten up the bandwagon. Sometimes the bandwagon can get a little too full.”

“That is the one good thing about going through a little so-called adversity – you really find out who is with you and who is not.”

Clemson football lost its season-opener to Duke, the Tigers' first loss to the Blue Devils since 2004 and the first time it lost to Duke under Dabo Swinney. The Tigers also lost in overtime to Florida State, causing them to drop in the ACC standings.

Clemson will still likely win double-digit games this season, but is the new reality with the Tigers really going to be the new standard? Dabo Swinney is as competitive as they come, so this is a bit surprising to hear him say.

It shouldn’t be unrealistic for Clemson football to compete for national titles every season. That seems to be where the program is heading though, for better or for worse.