Clemson coach Dabo Swinney should’ve been feeling pretty good on Saturday night. His team had just beaten Georgia Tech at home, 43-24. But instead, at the press conference after the game, a reporter dared to bring up the word that’s characterized his football program throughout his tenure: “Clemsoning.”
“Clemsoning” refers to Swinney-led Clemson teams losing to weaker opponents usually coming off impressive wins against highly-ranked teams. Saturday’s game was a prime test for Clemson to live up to the phrase. The team was coming off an impressive home win over a Notre Dame the previous week and was facing a struggling Georgia Tech team.
So, when Swinney was asked about how he felt about “Clemsoning” he let loose.
“I think it’s ridiculous you’re even asking me that question. That you even say the word. I’m serious. I’m sick of it. How about some of these other teams out there who lose to unranked opponents all the time? … That’s all media bullcrap…Should not be asked the question. Period. That’s how we feel about it.”
The facts would tend to back up many of Swinney’s points. While Clemson has lost its fair share of big games, it has been one of the more consistent teams in the country. Clemson hasn’t lost to an unranked team since 2011, and beaten ranked opponents including Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, AND Oklahoma.
Swinney might be right. We might have to find some other adjectives to describe Clemson.
(Via The Big Lead)
