Mindset stays the same for Clemson coaches in new Playoff era

Clemson's margin of error throughout the season is considerably larger, and one loss is not the nail in the coffin for its playoff hopes.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Saturday, July 20 2024

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

That’s how Clemson’s staff is viewing the debut year of a dramatic shift in the postseason.

Four teams will no longer compete for a spot in a semifinal matchup; rather, there are 12 spots for postseason contenders.

The Tigers have been unsuccessful in reaching the College Football Playoff in the last three seasons, but an expanded playoff might be a helpful aid.

The new playoff format selects the four highest-ranked conference champions for the Top 4 seeds and a first-round bye, with seven spots remaining for the best available teams and the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion is also set to receive an automatic bid.

Clemson's margin of error throughout the season is considerably larger, and one loss is not the nail in the coffin for its playoff hopes.

Head coach Dabo Swinney was asked how his perspective has shifted, and he is focused on simply winning games.

“I don't think it changed the mindset for us as coaches,” said Swinney. “I think as coaches, you try always to have a good perspective. I mean, it's hard to win. Maybe it changes the perspective of the fan base or something. And we get away from if you lose a game, the world is over, and fire every player and every coach and that you see all over college football, it's really hard to win.”

No game will be more challenging to overcome than the opener against the Bulldogs, who face the Tigers in Atlanta to kick off the season. For Swinney, the Bulldogs are another example of his group stepping out of the conference to play more challenging competition. He sees the opportunity as something the committee can weigh for years to come.

"Being able to play a team like Georgia, I think, is another opportunity for that,” said Swinney. “In today's world, that will matter for sure when whatever the committee looks like two years from now, three years from now, four years from now, just like you see in basketball, you see some teams that maybe have great records, but versus some teams that maybe don't have as good a record, but they give more weight to this team because they lost to this team and okay, you beat this team, different deal. So I think that's something that everybody will have to weigh on as they move forward.”

When looking further into how the playoffs will shape college football for years to come, Swinney had some critiques of how the spot could be impacted. He compared potential new tendencies of some teams with nothing to play for down the stretch who have already locked in a playoff spot.

“That's probably an unintended consequence in college from a tradition standpoint is maybe you're 11-0, and you got that rivalry game, but oh, you play your biggest foe next week in the conference championship, and if you win that game, you're going to get a bye. So those are things that'll probably, decisions you'll see play out throughout college football, which will probably affect traditions and stuff like that, but you got decisions to make if it's all about the playoffs.”

In the past, it became tradition for the Tigers to have a spot locked down in the postseason.

Routine has eluded them in the last three seasons. Although the rules of the game have changed, Swinney’s staff understands the mission.

Their perspective hasn’t changed, and neither will Clemson’s push to the playoffs.