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Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney revealed a recent FaceTime conversation with Syracuse head coach Fran Brown. The No. 12 Tigers came into Saturday's matchup against No. 15 South Carolina seemingly in control of their destiny. While the Gamecocks escaped Death Valley with a huge win, Clemson football still doesn't need any more help to get into the College Football Playoff, thanks to an ACC rival up north.
Dabo Swinney's team will face SMU in the ACC championship game thanks to Syracuse's upset win over No. 6 Miami. The Tigers now could not just sneak into the playoffs, but depending on what happens in the Big 12 and Mountain West conference championship games, they could get a bye. While Fran Brown already gave a shoutout to Swinney for saving Clemson football's playoff chances, that wasn't the only interaction the two had.
The first-year head coach at Syracuse reached out and FaceTimed Dabo. Swinney revealed his reaction to the call to Clemson athletics reporter Jon Blau.
“That (the call) was wild. Put that in my memoir one day. That was a first. He was hilarious on the FaceTime call.”
Clemson football needs to take advantage of the lifeline Syracuse gave them
The Tigers have a new lease on life because of the Orange. However, it will all be in vain if they do not win next Saturday night. Clemson football came into the rivalry game against South Carolina off of a three-game winning streak. Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik has taken another leap in his improvement, posting the twelfth-best QBR in the country.
Unfortunately, the Tigers' offense struggled to score on Senior Day against the Gamecocks. Clemson put up over 400 yards on this side of the ball, but that only resulted in 14 total points. Klubnik completed 24 of 36 passes for 280 yards and an interception. The third-year starter additionally ran for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, the offense needs to be much more productive if the Tigers plan on beating the No. 9 ranked SMU Mustangs.
SMU has had a phenomenal first season in the ACC, led by the fifth-highest-scoring offense in the country. While the Mustangs have already made history, they will surely be motivated to win a conference championship. If SMU wins this game, head coach Rhett Lashlee's team will likely lock up a bye and the three-seed in the twelve-team playoff. If Clemson wins, things get much more complicated for the College Football Playoff selection committee.
With Miami's loss to Syracuse, SMU will rise to at least No. 8 in playoff rankings, possibly higher than that considering Ohio State's loss to Michigan. While the Big Ten and SEC champions are out of sight for Clemson football to pass, the other two automatic byes could be up for grabs. A win over SMU and Dabo Swinney's team will likely be competing with the Big 12 and Mountain West champions for those two byes.
The Big 12 championship pits No. 16 Arizona State against No. 18 Iowa State. Therefore, it would be ideal for the Tigers if the Cyclones win that matchup and Clemson wins its game dominantly. As for the Mountain West championship, No. 11 Boise State will take on No. 22 UNLV. If the Rebels pull the upset here, the Tigers would, at worst, be the fourth seed and, at best, be the third seed. Should Boise State win and Arizona State blow out Iowa State, Clemson will likely be looking at the twelve seed.
Regardless of where they end up, Dabo Swinney's team is a position many programs would envy. The Tigers need no help to qualify for the College Football Playoff. If they get in, in the first year of the twelve-team bracket, anything could happen.
