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Following a humiliating 34-3 loss to the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, the Clemson Tigers have remained optimistic about making the College Football Playoff. Clemson football is still within a spot of the College Football Playoff after Week 1, and there's still a lot of football left to play on the season. One Power 4 coach told ESPN how Clemson can stand out when the end of the season rolls around.
“You can still win a championship without the portal,” the coach said. “The margin for error is just much smaller, and your flaws get much harder to hide.”
One Athletic Coast Conference (ACC) coach also noted that Swinney has won more games than any other coach in college football since he took over as the Tigers head coach. Even with some down-years, that coach said it would be foolish for Swinney to change his approach. And when looking at his record, it's clear that the coach makes a good point.
Rival coaches thoughts on Clemson making the College Football Playoff
Swinney's optimism and style haven't changed since he took the job at Clemson back in 2008. For the program though, it's been hard to have a positive outlook lately. The constant use of the transfer portal and NIL money from schools like Georgia make it difficult to build a competitive roster. Still, Swinney knows what the Clemson football program is all about.
“We've done it in a unique way,” Swinney said. “Now people want me to go do it some other way. They've lost their freakin' mind. I'm not doing it another way. Everything doesn't go the way you want it every single time, but that doesn't mean you get away from what your foundation is, what you believe.”
His unique style has paid dividends for the program in the past. From 2011 to 2022, Swinney led Clemson football to at least 10 wins, which was a wildly impressive streak. During that time, Swinney won two College Football National Championships and even posted a 15-0 season in 2018 with star quarterback Trevor Lawrence leading the way. Despite all Swinney's success, some opposing coaches still remain skeptical about his ability to lead the Tigers back to the promised land.
“Trevor Lawrence covers up a lot of flaws,” one Power 4 coach said. “When you don't have that, the flaws become obvious.”
Even with the jabs from other coaches, Clemson football has the prime opportunity to make the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff this year. With arguably the most talented roster in the ACC, perhaps Swinney can aim for a third National Championship.
