Dabo Swinney's prediction for Clemson's season is optimistic, but unrealistic

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has not quite been able to consistently replicate the huge success he and his program had late in the 2010s, but that has not dented his confidence one bit.

Swinney firmly believes his team remains in the upper echelon of college football despite one College Football Playoff appearance since 2019. In fact, he believes his program is best-poised to achieve something that, so far, has not yet been accomplished in the NCAA.

“I’ve had one undefeated team,” Swinney told Chris Low of ESPN. “In 2018, we were the first 15-0 team in the history of major college football — ever. And I think we’re going to be the first 16-0 team. It’s a race to do that.”

Swinney didn’t necessarily say that achievement will come in 2025, but his optimism is unwavering. The feat did not used to be possible until recent CFP expansion made it so it is theoretically possible for a team to play 16 games in one campaign.

In recent years, Swinney has been criticized for being slow to adapt to the changes around the sport. A big sticking point for many is his reluctance to make heavy use of the transfer portal.

The Tigers did go 10-4 last season, but they lost to Texas in the first round of the CFP. It will require a pretty big jump for him to achieve that 16-0 ambition this season.