Dabo Swinney: 'No doubt' 2018 Clemson one of the best teams ever
With its triumphant blowout win over Alabama in College Football Playoff title game, Clemson clinched the first 15-0 season by an FBS team since Penn in 1897.
Yes, 1897. A few FCS teams have reached 15 wins without a loss, but the Tigers entered rarified college football air on Monday night.
That has to put the 2018 Tigers among the best teams ever, right? Dabo Swinney certainly thinks so.
“Our guys had the eye of the tiger. I’m so proud, and then for our seniors to be able to go out 15-0 and truly be the best ever — there was a lot of talk about best ever all year long. We were never in that conversation. But tonight, there’s no doubt,” Swinney said Monday night.
From the time Trevor Lawrence was inserted as the team’s starting quarterback, the Tigers were utterly dominant.
Lawrence was injured in his first start, but the team was able to eke out a 27-23 win over Syracuse. From that point forward, Clemson won its subsequent 10 games by an average of 36.1 points per game. That includes the 30-3 cakewalk past Notre Dame in the CFP semifinals and Monday night’s 44-16 drubbing of the mighty Crimson Tide in Santa Clara.
“The first 15-0 team … to beat Notre Dame and to beat Alabama to do it, this team won 13 games by 20 points or more and was led by an unbelievable group of seniors,” Swinney said. “Amazing group. I’m just thankful to be a part of it.”
Clemson became the first undefeated champion of the College Football Playoff era and delivered Nick Saban his worst loss as Alabama head coach in the process.
The Tigers have now won two of the last three national championships. Does that make them a dynasty? Not to Swinney.
“We’ve just kind of kept our head down over the last decade and gone about our business. We’re certainly — I think we’re as good a program as there is out there, but we’re a long way from a dynasty,” Swinney said Tuesday.
“To be able to win two out of the last three, I think that certainly puts us in a place that’s pretty special from a program standpoint.”
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