Clemson Tigers' Dabo Swinney Reveals How To Become Contenders Again

Dabo Swinney has spoken out and revealed how the Clemson Tigers can be National Championship contenders again.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney talks during the Clemson football Media Outing & Open House at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, July 16, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / Staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers are heading into the 2024 college football season with high expectations for themselves.

After a few years of coming up short, Clemson is very confident that they can get things back on track. They don't need to win a National Championship this season to start righting the ship, but they do have a goal of at least getting into the College Football Playoff.

While it's a tough task to get back to contention, having a head coach like Swinney is a major advantage.

Recently, Swinney spoke out about his team and how to get back into serious contention.

“It is the fundamentals of what we do. It is recruiting. It is us coaching, it is all of it together. It’s guys getting better. Some of it is good luck. Luck is a part of it too. Sometimes, things just bounce your way. We have had a lot of good fortune over the years. It would be different if we were 9-4 and getting our teeth kicked in. But that is not the case.”

He also spoke out about one area in particular that Clemson has to be better at this season. Finding ways to be successful in the red zone is a must.

“The difference between 2015-’20, when we were great, we were number one in those close games. We were eighty-two percent. We were like 18-4 or something like that. In 2021, 22 and 23, we are twenty-seventh in the country and sixty-five percent. We have not won the close games.”

A few plays can decide the outcome of a game, something that Swinney opened up a bit about.

“You are talking a few plays, and the narrative is different. That is how close it is when you are trying to make a College Football Playoff Final Four. When we were great, we won those close game, we made those plays. We were really, really good when it came to finishing and scoring in the red zone and not letting people score.”

Clearly, the map has been laid out for how the Tigers can get back into contention. Swinney knows what it will take for Clemson to become a dominant contender once again.

Hopefully, the team will be able to lock in on the few things that he talked about. If they can, they could be a sleeper team to keep an eye on in 2024.