Clemson finished their regular season on a strong note with a 30-0 win over South Carolina on Saturday, but most Tigers fans probably are not satisfied with the result. Dabo Swinney had an excellent way of summing up some of those emotions.
Swinney was asked by a reporter after the game if the 9-3 season has given him any perspective. He said he hopes it will help people appreciate just how difficult it is to win every year.
Clemson’s 2021 season would be considered a huge success for most programs. One of their three losses was a 10-3 defeat at the hands of No. 5 Georgia in the first week of the season. The second was a double-overtime loss to NC State, and the third was a 27-17 loss to 23rd-ranked Pitt. Clemson will be invited to a solid bowl and have a chance to win 10 games yet again.
Of course, the standards are astronomically high at Clemson. Swinney has led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff in six consecutive seasons. They’ve been to the National Championship Game four times since 2015 and won two titles. That level of success is incredible and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
We thought Clemson got favorable treatment in the rankings earlier this season, but they finished the year on a good run. Making the College Football Playoff is extremely difficult, no matter how easy Swinney’s teams have made it look.
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