Dabo Swinney’s critics went after him hard after Clemson got thrashed by Georgia over the weekend. At his Tuesday morning press conference, he declared that he’s looking forward to proving them wrong.
Speaking to reporters this morning, Swinney reflected on the criticism he received about not using the transfer portal to acquire starters since the portal’s introduction in 2018. He said that as long as the team plays poorly, writers will write “terrible stuff” about him but will write great things when the team does well again.
“Y’all gonna write crap, y’all gonna write terrible stuff,” Swinney said, via Carmine Gemei. “And when we do great, y’all gonna write great stuff. That’s OK… I don’t take it personal. I don’t read it or listen to it. This doesn’t affect me. I love my job. I love what I do. I love all of it. Y’all can’t change that. Nothing you can write or say can change that. I love what I do. I love these kids. I love my purpose in life and my life is on a foundation that doesn’t change…”
Coach Dabo Swinney on criticism surrounding @ClemsonFB after opening loss to No. 1 @GeorgiaFootball .
“Y’all gonna write crap, y’all gonna write terrible stuff. And when we do great, y’all gonna write great stuff. That’s OK.” pic.twitter.com/fPl22ivq84
— Carmine Gemei (@CarmineGemei) September 3, 2024
Some fans in the replies agree with Swinney and believe that it was just a case of Clemson running into a team that’s unlikely to lose this season.
But plenty of others believe that Swinney is just trying to gaslight people over not adapting to the new college football paradigm.
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
If Swinney can get the team back on its feet and into double digit wins this season, all will be well. If he can’t, the criticism will be louder and harder to ignore than ever before.
Can Dabo Swinney right the ship?
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