COLUMBUS – Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with the media on Monday morning to preview the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Ohio State on Friday.
Here’s what was said.
Dabo Swinney
+ This is a Wednesday for them as far as preparation and routine. They have had good practices so far.
+ Everybody is excited to be back in the playoffs and be back in New Orleans and win a Sugar Bowl. He congratulates Ryan Day for being back in the playoffs. “It’s going to be a great game, no doubt about that. Two really talented teams who are going to do all they can to win.”
+ On his ranking, Swinney said “Ohio State is good enough to beat us, anybody, and good enough to be the National Champions.” He just didn’t rank anyone who had less than nine games in the top 10. It had nothing to do with the team itself. It was as simple as that. “It’s not that they’re not good enough, I just don’t think it’s right that three teams have to play 13 games to be the champions and one team has to play eight.” He doesn’t think it’s fair that other teams got punished because they played more games. “The game is not played on paper, anytime you step you the field you can get beat.” He could probably run for governor in Michigan and have a good chance, but right is right and that is what he believed.
+ “He wants to remind Ohio State people that he voted for them in 2017, and he left Alabama out. Alabama fans were mad then and he played at Alabama. “I’m an equal opportunity guy.”
+ It’s going to be a game of momentum. Sometimes the game gets away with turnovers but in the playoffs so far, the best teams have won.
+ Justin Fields is a great football player. He is going to be a top two or three pick, he can do it all. He’s just a dangerous guy, he’s got great confidence, he understands his progressions, he creates a lot of conflict because of his ability to run the ball, his schemes, he’s confident in his throws, and they have great wideouts; Olave, Wilson, Williams, they are as good as you’re going to see.
+ The Heisman Trophy is a stat and media driven award. It just is what it is but Trevor Lawrence is the epitome of the Heisman Trophy in every regard. He makes everybody better. There are some amazing young football players out there who are very deserving but the best player in the country is Trevor Lawrence. To him, it’s not close, but it’s not up to him, he doesn’t get to vote and he’s biased, but for good reason.
+ No team of his has ever had the challenges that this team has had to get to this point. But they are similar in how they are built. They have great quarterback play, a lot of skill, and they are playing their best football right now.
+ Ohio State is built to stop the run. They lose good players every year but they replace them with good players every year, just like Clemson does. They have depth at end, defensive tackles are really good, linebackers are good, the safeties are good, Wade moved and that’s different, Baron Browning is good, they are a really good football team. Built in the trenches and the front seven and built to stop the run.
+ This is one of the closest teams he has ever been a part of because they have just had each other.