Dabo Swinney excited to face pressure vs. South Carolina with College Football Playoff implications

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers aren’t shying away from the pressure College Football Playoff implications will bring to their showdown with South Carolina in Week 14.

The Clemson leader already has an all-time resume, but a surprise trip and run in the Playoff would do wonders to get the Tigers back on the general public’s radar. They’ll either keep their dreams alive this weekend inside Memorial Stadium, or it’ll be a demoralizing loss for Clemson, but Swinney wants all the pressure coming his team’s way.

“Oh, it is. I’ve always said that,” Swinney said, regarding whether he views the pressure Clemson will face this weekend as a privilege, via Tuesday press conference. “Listen, this is what we signed up for. It’s normal for me. This is — I’ve been doing this a long time. … I know what that feels like, to win and lose. My 21st Clemson-South Carolina game. I know what it feels like. I love it. I love being in the fight. I love it. I love the fact that y’all are going to write horrible things about us on Sunday if we stink this up. That’s okay. It comes with it. That’s what we signed up for. I love the fact that we might not even play good, but if we find a way to win, we’re going to be great. It just comes with it. That’s what you sign up for. It’s a rivalry game. A lot of respect for how hard all these kids work, how hard all these coaches work, how it impacts people’s lives. People lose jobs because of games like that. It’s just the way it is. But I love that.

“I’ve always said, ‘Don’t ever let the pressure of the moment be greater than the pleasure of the moment,’ right? Like, this is fun. We’re getting to play football at the highest level, and I love that. I think, sometimes — again, that’s what being inside-out is all about. It’s just what we get to do, and we should be — it is a privilege, for sure, to be able to experience, you know, the highs and the lows of a game like this.”

Alas, the Tigers only have two losses on the season, and they’ve received the necessary help to give them a shot at the College Football Playoff. Now, it’ll be up to Swinney’s team to prove to the Selection Committee they belong, against a team from the SEC who also doubles as one of their biggest rivals.

The caveat is South Carolina still has an outside shot of making it to the dance. Time will tell if Dabo Swinney’s Clemson team can take care of the Gamecocks and give themselves a chance of making the College Football Playoff, but it won’t be easy either way for the Tigers, that’s for sure.