Familiar Foe: Swinney says Tigers and Buckeyes are postseason rivals

Clemson and Ohio St. played a thriller last season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Dec 23 08:01:04 GMT-04:00 2020

Dabo Swinney says that his Clemson program now considers Ohio State a rival, and with good reason – the Tigers and Buckeyes are preparing to play for the second year in a row in the College Football Playoff and for the third time since 2016.

The meeting will be the fifth between Clemson and Ohio State all-time, moving the Buckeyes past Alabama and LSU (four each) as Clemson’s most common bowl opponent. Though Ohio State ranks second all-time in FBS wins, Clemson holds a 4-0 all-time record against Buckeyes. It will be the second-straight year and the fourth time in the last eight years that the teams have met in the postseason.

Swinney said his team was looking forward to the game against Ohio State.

“We look forward to competing against a great Ohio State team. We all know how talented they are, how well-coached they are,” Swinney said. “Got a lot of respect for Ryan Day and Ohio State. But this is really just a great opportunity. Again, unusual circumstances for everyone, for sure. Not a typical bowl type of deal. Usually we've got lots of time to prep. But it is really like an open date...We’ve got a lot of work to do. But we're excited about the challenge and opportunity.”

In last year’s College Football Playoff National Semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl, Clemson overcame a 16-0 first half deficit to earn a 29-23 victory against the Buckeyes. At the time, the victory was Clemson’s fifth-largest comeback in school history and its second-largest under Dabo Swinney. After a Travis Etienne touchdown reception gave Clemson the lead with 1:49 remaining, safety Nolan Turner sealed the victory with an interception in the Clemson end zone in the final minute.

Swinney then said he considers the Buckeyes a playoff rival.

“Ohio State? Absolutely. If we're playing Ohio State, it's a playoff. Or it was a BCS bowl, back in 2013 in the Orange Bowl. Any time we play Ohio State, it's probably some type of meeting,” Swinney said. “We don't have them on our regular schedule anytime in the near future. So you know it is a big, big postseason game when you play those guys. I think Ryan [Day] does things the right way. I think he believes in a lot of similar things, as far as how they try to run their program. We recruit a lot of the same guys. So just a lot of respect for their program. And getting to know Ryan over the last few years, he does an awesome job. Got a great staff. It's definitely a team that we compete with, not just on the field, but also in recruiting.”

In a season full of unknowns and cancellations and opt-outs and bowl games shutting down until next year, Swinney is just thankful for another chance to play.

“First of all, I'm grateful that we have the opportunity to play, regardless of whatever circumstances are,” he said. “Because it's been awesome for our team and our players and these guys to have some sense of normalcy, and it has also been great, I think for our country and for people in general to -- because I know football brings a lot of joy to a lot of folks. Our guys have been awesome. They've done things the right way all year. Really proud of them, what they've done academically. And I don't think that happens if they weren't able to be together.

“The type of discipline that they've lived with, it has been pretty special to be a part of it. Absolutely, I wish, like we all do, that this was all behind us, and I'm hopeful that it will be next year. But there's nothing -- as a player, as a coach, I love the bowl experience. I love it. I just think it's awesome to be able to go and embrace a new city and to have that time together, practice in different venues. I always love that. I really do.”

The ACC Championship Game was played two weeks later than normal, which means bowl preparation time is shortened.

“I love bowl prep. I love the opportunity to develop your team during that time. We always have JV practices and things for next year's team, and it's always fun,” Swinney said. “We have some fun things that we do. So that's going to be different, for sure. Absolutely, I wish it was different. It is what it is and we embrace that. Can't control it. So this is just basically an open date. Actually, we have less time to get ready for this game than we did for Notre Dame. So it's basically an open date.

“That's how we have to look at it. You've got Christmas sandwiched in there as well. So it's a unique dynamic that we've not dealt with in the past. But it is what it is. And yeah, we'll come in, I guess, sometime the night of the 30th and kind of have our Friday-type routine on the 31st, play the game on the 1st, and come home right after the game. It's all good. We're just thankful and grateful to have the opportunity.”