Clemson's Dabo Swinney Expects Improved Year for ACC Football
Believe it or not, we are knocking on the door of game week. On Thursday night during Clemson's final media availability before game week against Wake Forest, head coach Dabo Swinney provided an overall team update and predicted a good year ahead for the ACC.
Swinney was asked about his thoughts on the conference this season outside of 2020 "newcomer" Notre Dame which joins as a football member this fall and will be in the running for the ACC Championship.
With no separate divisions this season, the two teams with the best winning percentage will advance for a date in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in December.
Clemson is the front runner for the title, which would make the program's sixth straight. However, Notre Dame should make for an interesting roadblock this year and the two teams meet on Nov. 7th in South Bend.
Swinney said it is too early to tell how much better the league will be overall this season. However, he feels this will be a stronger year from top to bottom for the conference.
"My sense is that the league is going to be very strong this year," Swinney said. "I mean you look at the quarterback (D'eriq King) that came from Houston to Miami, and Miami is talented."
He also believes first-year FSU coach Mike Norvell will help get things back on track with the Seminoles in Tallahassee. "He's had great success and he's got some talent down there," Swinney said.
Clemson's head coach also believes Louisville is a team to watch under the second season with Scott Satterfield who turned the Cardinals around from an abysmal 2-10 record in 2018 to 8-5 last season in his first year at the helm.
"I think with what Coach Satterfield is doing at Louisville I expect them to be explosive," Swinney said. "NC State has been very consistent, Virginia Tech finished strong, I think Georgia Tech is going to be better, just all across the board."
Swinney also spoke well of Virginia, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and coach David Cutliffe at Duke. The Blue Devils will likely have former Clemson backup quarterback Chase Brice as the starter.
"So from top to bottom, and then you throw in Notre Dame in there, I think this league is going to be really good," he said.
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