Dabo Swinney Wants Georgia (more often)
CLEMSON—The Clemson Tigers have not shied away from any opponent since head coach Dabo Swinney took over the program full-time in 2009.
Early in his head coaching tenure, Swinney laid out his belief to then-Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips that the Tigers needed to add tough non-conference challenges on top of their tests in ACC play to serve as a foundation for the program's growth.
"I had a conversation with Terry Don and said, ‘Terry Don, I know we are not very good right now, but we need to play people because that is going to help me teach and help me develop the culture and the mindset that you have to have to win at the highest level,'" recounted Swinney. "I didn’t think we had that, and that’s what we committed to. That’s what we’ve done."
That scheduling philosophy and culture change has resonated in the Clemson program, and since 2013, no team can claim more wins against Power Five Conference opponents than the Tigers.
And there is one team that Swinney would like to see more of—the Georgia Bulldogs.
"Yeah it just makes sense, right down the road from each other," Swinney said. "We've played big opponents for 12 years since I've been the head coach, it's what we've done. It brings a lot of excitement to it and the fans love it. But Clemson-Georiga is not just a quality game and opponent. There's a tradition there and history that I think both sides have a lot of respect for it. There have been some incredible moments in the Clemson-Georgia game over the years.
"I remember when I got the job in '08, '09, people were talking about playing Georgia in 2013. I remember that vividly. It's like I don't even know if I'm going to be the head coach in 2013, I'm trying to survive '09, and people are asking me about playing Georiga in 2013."
Clemson and Georgia have met with both schools in the AP Top 10 only once: No. 8 Clemson's 38-35 victory against No. 5 Georgia in 2013. Saturday's matchup will represent the first time the two schools will meet with both programs in the AP Top 5.
However, it is not about the rankings that make this game so big—it is the proximity.
"It's a big deal, proximity, fan bases living on top of each other in both states. It's what makes college football fun, rivalries like this."
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