Swinney says Tigers are primed to do 'great things,' as national media casts doubt

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says his team is right where it needs to be.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Oct 26 12:32:03 GMT-04:00 2022

CLEMSON – Many in the national media don’t believe in Clemson, but head coach Dabo Swinney says Clemson is right where it needs to be entering the championship phase of the season.

No. 5 Clemson defeated No. 16 Syracuse 27-21 last Saturday in Death Valley to improve to 8-0 on the season and 6-0 in the ACC. Clemson’s next home game – against Louisville on Nov. 12th – will give the Tigers an opportunity to clinch the ACC Atlantic Division and a spot in the ACC Championship Game. The Tigers play at Notre Dame on Nov. 5th and should be favored to win out to close the season in games that also include Miami and South Carolina.

Clemson is off this week, and head coach Dabo Swinney loves where his team stands at the break.

“We are where we hoped to be. The open date couldn't come at a better time for us,” Swinney said. “We have to get back to the basics in some areas. We want to get a head start on Notre Dame, too. It's our last true road game. November is what it's all about. We feel like we're built for it. I feel like we have a shot to do some great things. The margin for error gets smaller, though, as the air gets cooler.”

However, college football analyst Joel Klatt tweeted out earlier this week that Clemson wouldn’t win more than one division across college football:

Does anyone think @ClemsonFB could actually win either division in the SEC or the B1G East? Do you think they could finish better than 3rd in the SEC East or B1G East?

I don't either!
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) October 24, 2022

USA Today did their own spin on the rankings this week, and TCU received a positive note after coming back to win against Kansas State (and a backup quarterback), while Clemson was dinged for beating a ranked Syracuse team in much the same scenario:

Clemson goes down one spot to No. 6 after struggling against No. 18 Syracuse in an eventual 27-21 win. Trailing 21-10 entering the fourth quarter, the Tigers mounted three scoring drives behind true freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik, who replaced a struggling DJ Uiagalelei and may have triggered an unwanted quarterback competition.

TCU steps up one spot to No. 5 after climbing out of an 18-point hole to beat No. 21 Kansas State 38-28. While the Wildcats were hampered by injuries, including one that sidelined quarterback Adrian Martinez, the second comeback in as many games against a ranked opponent gives the Horned Frogs the edge over Clemson.

If you look at the current rankings, Clemson has beaten No. 10 Wake Forest on the road, No. 16 Syracuse, and No. 24 NC State. The Tigers have also won all four of their conference road games, including at Florida State, and goes on the road to face Notre Dame in 10 days.

If you look at current Top-25 wins by the top six teams in the rankings, you see this:

Georgia has defeated No. 8 Oregon by 46 and No. 25 South Carolina by 41; Ohio State has zero Top-25 wins; Tennessee has beaten No. 6 Alabama by three and No. 18 LSU by 27; Michigan defeated No. 13 Penn State by 24; Clemson has beaten No. 10 Wake Forest by six, No. 16 Syracuse by six, and No. 24 NC State by 10; Alabama has zero Top-25 wins.

The Tigers have done all of this despite being one of the last teams to have an open date on the schedule.

“We're the only 8-0 team in the country. Our open date is coming really late. We've gone 12 straight weeks dating back to camp,” Swinney said. “We've played six great, veteran, quarterbacks. Of our eight games, I think five of them we were their first loss. We're getting everyone's best shot.”

The Tigers have also gone up against some of the top defenses in the league.

"Wake, NC State might have been tops coming in, Syracuse was No. 1 in the league on defense coming in. Every week we've seen some good groups. BC is always tough. Florida State had a heck of a defense,” Swinney said. “We've seen a lot of different styles and flavors of the week. Our guys really have a lot to draw from in eight games. To be where we are, I am proud of our guys. It's a resilient bunch. We're not perfect in terms of how we have played. We still have a lot of room for improvement. When these guys put it together and get a taste of a complete game one time, they have a chance to be a special group. They really care and play hard for each other.

"They believe they're supposed to win and that's a huge part of it."