Moments after Clemson had sustained its worst loss in nearly two calendar years, Dabo Swinney was asked what his primary concern was going forward. It didn’t take the Tigers’ coach long to answer.
“Just looking them in the eye on Monday and seeing where they are,” Swinney said late Saturday night in the bowels of Notre Dame Stadium following the Tigers’ 35-14 loss. “Looking forward to that meeting and just seeing how they respond.”
Swinney has his answer.
Three days removed from Clemson’s most lopsided loss since a three-touchdown Sugar Bowl setback to Ohio State in 2020, and a day after that team meeting, Swinney said he saw “ a hurt group” and one that took “complete ownership” after watching the tape of a performance in which Clemson’s offense was the worst it’s been all season and the defense was physically overwhelmed in allowing 263 rushing yards.
“Saw what I wanted to see,” Swinney said Tuesday.
Swinney said the key for him and his coaching staff this week is to help Clemson’s players learn from it and not let one woeful performance affect the rest of the season. Clemson’s first shot at atonement comes Saturday when the Tigers jump back into ACC play against Louisville at Memorial Stadium.
“Now it’s about us as coaches helping them have the right perspective,” he said.
Swinney used other notable programs that have been able to rebound from similar ugly showings as examples, including the one that just delivered Clemson’s whipping. Notre Dame has won six of its last seven games after starting the Marcus Freeman era with losses to Ohio State and Marshall. LSU, which started with a loss to Florida State before being run out of its own stadium by Tennessee a few weeks later, now controls its own SEC destiny after upsetting Alabama over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Oregon – the same team obliterated by Georgia in its season opener – suddenly finds itself in the College Football Playoff conversation after eight straight wins.
“That’s what good teams do. That’s what good staffs do. Respond,” Swinney said. “You don’t think there’s criticism at a place like LSU or Notre Dame? Absolutely there’s disappointment, but you have to have the right perspective as you go back to work because if you don’t, then those bad moments define you. And you can’t do that. You’ve got to let it develop you into what you’re capable of as a team and as an individual player.”
As part of that perspective, Swinney noted all five goals that Clemson began the season with – winning the opener, winning the ACC’s Atlantic Division, winning the state championship against South Carolina, winning the conference title and winning the closer – can still be achieved. Clemson, still unbeaten in ACC play, has already clinched a spot in next month’s conference championship game, but a win over Louisville would give the Tigers the division championship outright.
“These kids today, the world can get them and just paralyze them,” Swinney said. “There’s so much negativity and criticism and things like that. That comes with it, so you’ve got to help them have the right perspective as you get back to work.”
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