Dabo defends record following 1-2 start, poll exit

Dabo Swinney defended his programme pursuing a 1-2 commencement during a fiery property league Tuesday, saying, successful part, if Clemson was bushed of winning "they tin nonstop maine connected my way."

The Tigers started the play ranked No. 4 with College Football Playoff hopes, but fell retired of the Top 25 this week aft losing to Georgia Tech 24-21. They opened the twelvemonth with a 17-10 location nonaccomplishment to LSU and trailed Troy astatine halftime successful Week 2 earlier rallying to win.

"Hey, listen, if Clemson's bushed of winning, they tin nonstop maine connected my way," Swinney said. "But I'm gonna spell determination other and coach. I ain't going to the beach. Hell, I'm 55. I've got a agelong mode to go. Y'all are gonna person to woody with maine for a while."

Clemson has not been successful sync connected offense, with third-year starting backmost Cade Klubnik struggling to find bushed and consistency and the defence inactive learning to accommodate to caller antiaircraft coordinator Tom Allen.

Swinney said Tuesday helium was assured his squad would respond, starting Saturday against Syracuse, due to the fact that that is what his programme has done during hard moments. But helium besides had a connection to critics who person questioned wherever Clemson goes from present aft 2 pugnacious losses.

"I would conscionable say, if you don't judge successful america due to the fact that we've mislaid 2 games down to the past play and we're 1-2? You didn't judge successful america anyways, truthful it don't matter," Swinney said. "You weren't 'all in' anyway."

Swinney pointed retired that successful his 17 years arsenic caput manager astatine Clemson, helium had 1 atrocious play -- going 6-7 successful 2010. In 13 of the past 14 years, Clemson has won 10 oregon much games. That lone play without 10 wins came successful 2023, erstwhile Clemson started 4-4 but coiled up winning 5 consecutive to decorativeness 9-4.

"All we've done is win," Swinney said. "We've won this league 8 retired of the past 10 years. Is that not good? I'm conscionable asking. Is that good? To triumph your league 8 retired of 10 years, to spell to the playoffs 7 retired of 10 years, beryllium successful 4 nationalist championships, triumph it twice. Yeah, we're a small down close now. Take your shots. I've got a agelong memory. We'll beryllium each right. We'll bounce back."

Swinney pointed retired each the different times Clemson rebounded from hard losses -- including 2021, aft losing to Georgia to unfastened the season, and past play -- winning the ACC rubric and making the 12-team CFP aft losing to South Carolina successful the regular-season finale.

Clemson mislaid to Texas successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs 38-24, but the bulk of its squad returned for 2025, making the Tigers the dense favourite to repetition arsenic ACC champions. Instead, the play has not started the mode anybody expected.

"If we stink due to the fact that we haven't played for the nationalist title since January of '20, well, I conjecture we stink," Swinney said. "But wherefore are we held to a antithetic modular from each these different teams retired determination who ain't ever won nothing?"

Swinney has had to combat disconnected questions astir his programme astir each twelvemonth since it past made the playoff successful 2020.

In 2023, Swinney made akin comments astir leaving Clemson aft "Tyler from Spartanburg" called into his vigor amusement and wondered wherefore the schoolhouse paid implicit $10 cardinal to spell 4-4.

"I enactment for the committee of trustees, the president and the AD, and if they're bushed of maine starring this program, each they got to bash is fto maine know. I'll spell determination other wherever determination is an appreciation," Swinney said astatine the time. "I don't cognize if it'...