To say Dabo Swinney was irked would be an understatement.
During his Wednesday media availability, Swinney took a moment to lambast a “click bait” article that was published by ESPN earlier in the day falsely claiming that Clemson’s head coach predicted Clemson to go 16-0 and win the national championship.
Something Dabo Swinney clearly never said.
“That is the most click-bait bull crap that I have ever seen in my life,” roared Swinney. “You talk about taking something out of context. I have no idea who wrote it. It is just the way it goes. That is so out of context. I have never said this team is going…I have said we were the first 15-0 team and I believe we can be the first 16-0 team. Why not? Let’s go do it, and I said, ‘it is a race to do that.’ Boy, somebody writes some jacked up click-bait article.”
Dabo Swinney has always been one to keep things real. Sensationalism is not in his vocabulary. Does he believe the Tigers can be the first to accomplish the feat? Sure. Clemson already has claim to the first 15-0 season in college football history. But that is a prediction, he said, would never be explicitly made. He simply has faith in his team.
“I don’t know what an aggregator is, but whatever. I mean, come on man. Can we just get something accurate,” Swinney opined. “Yeah, I do believe we can be the first 16-0 team. We are the first 15-0 team, so why would I not believe that.”
Dabo Swinney post National Championship press conference
But then it was down to business. Among the topics Swinney discussed were the health of his team, and the Tigers are in good shape in comparison to past seasons on that front.
Per Swinney, star safety Khalil Barner is dealing with a minor nagging injury and fellow defensive backfield mate Jeadyn Lukus was also in a yellow no-contact jersey. But Swinney said neither ailment is expected to be a long-term absence for either player.
“We need to get (Jeadyn Lukus) back,” Swinney said. “He’s been down a few days. But hopefully we’ll get him back, hopefully the first of next week he’ll be back rolling.”
Also absent from Jervey Meadows was Tigers’ sensational defensive lineman Peter Woods, something that Swinney added was nothing more serious than being under the weather.
“(Peter) tried to go, but we just didn’t want him around anybody,” he said. “He was sick as a dog. He was sick this morning, and it just got worse as the day went. So, they just didn’t want him around anybody.”
Wednesday was the first day in full pads for the Tigers, an important step as the acclimation process progresses. All told, though, Coach Swinney likes where his team is at mentally and physically. He feels there is a business-like demeanor permeating the program with each player ready to do whatever it takes to get Clemson back to the top of the mountain.
With the season-opener against LSU now just 23 days away, things are beginning to ramp up in practice.
“I was telling them yesterday at practice, the biggest thing I would say is they’ve just been business-like,” Swinney stated. “They’ve just been about their business. There’s been a lot of great energy that guys have competed the way we need them to compete. They’re just practicing the right way. That’s been the most encouraging thing as far as the type of habits that we need to have in practice. Just hadn’t been a lot of bull crap going on. I mean, it’s just been a very focused group, and we need to continue that.”
As for the difference between the feeling entering the 2024 season until now, Dabo Swinney believes the aura of this team is completely different from the past few seasons. A different feeling and something he clearly notices.
“I think they’ve had great energy every day,” added Swinney. “I really do. This time last year, I couldn’t say that. I think we’d had a couple of days where I had to set the tone, and I haven’t had to do that. These guys have had good energy every day so far as a team.”
