Swinney Doesn't Back Down on Ohio State

Clemson Tiger head coach Dabo Swinney earlier this month, in an interview with Rich Eisen issued a scathing rebuke of the BIG 10 and Ohio State's schedule—which consisted of only six games.

Clemson Tiger head coach Dabo Swinney earlier this month, in an interview with Rich Eisen issued a scathing rebuke of the BIG 10 and Ohio State's schedule—which consisted of only six games.

“I think any time you step in between the lines, the game of football, there’s a lot that can happen. A lot. I mean, heck, in 2017, we lost to a three-win or four-win Syracuse team and still went to the Playoffs. So anything can happen. Guys can get hurt. There’s a lot. So I think the fact that we’re going to have 11 games as well as the SEC teams — I mean, you look at Florida and Texas A&M and Alabama. I mean, these teams are going to have 11 games this year.”

“It’s incredible and I think the Big Ten had the same opportunity and they chose not to play, and I think the only reason they ended up playing is because of the leadership of the SEC and the ACC and the Big 12, and have demonstrated that we can do it and do it in a safe way. So it’s been an unbelievably challenging season, that’s for sure. But I think that the committee’s going to have some tough, tough, tough questions to answer and things like that, regardless of what they do.”

“Obviously, as coaches, we don’t control any of that stuff. So I do think that our team has played incredibly well. We had a double-overtime loss at the No. 2 team in the country now in Notre Dame, who’s a great team and an unbelievable game. Again, no matter what happens for Notre Dame or Clemson, nothing changes in my mind, as far as both of these teams being in the top four.”

While certainly respecting what the Ohio State Buckeyes accomplished to reach the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, he stuck by his guns Sunday, when it came to whether the Buckeyes' six wins should have been enough to get them in—namely because of the significant advantage that playing less games has.

“I think the mental and physical toll of a season, there is nobody out there who would say somebody who has played eleven games versus somebody that has played six is better physically or something like that,” Swinney said. “It is a long season, and we are going on Week 21 and these guys have had no break. It has been a grind. Not just football wise, but the mental challenge and the personal sacrifice and commitment that everyone has had to make to be able to play and continue to play.”

While no one will be surprised to learn that Swinney stuck to his earlier belief that playing fewer games in a season offers a unique advantage, some may be surprised to learn that Buckeye head coach Ryan Day also believes that his team has an advantage due to a lack of games.

“The good thing for us is we have not played in that many games,” Day said. “So, we have been fairly healthy in terms of the physicality of it all. Where we have had a hard time is with people testing positive and that is the thing that has made things very difficult for us and hopefully, we get some of those guys back.”