Dabo Swinney wishes Clemson football fans would lower their expectations a bit.
Via On3’s Matt Connolly, the Tigers head coach bemoaned the current temperament of fans on his weekly call-in show. Swinney thinks supporters should adjust their all-or-nothing mentality.
“We’re at a point in our time, and I hate that, where if you don’t go undefeated, you’re losers. You’re terrible,” Swinney said. “And it’s just such a terrible mindset. And honestly, maybe we need to lose a few games and lighten up the bandwagon. Sometimes the bandwagon can get a little too full.”
Dabo Swinney on the unrealistic expectations of fans for Clemson football…
“We’re at a point where If you don’t go undefeated – you are losers, you’re terrible… and that is just such a terrible mindset. And honestly, maybe we need to lose a few games and lighten up the…
— Clemson247 (@Clemson247) October 17, 2023
Perhaps Swinney’s team already accomplished that goal when opening the season with a 28-7 loss at Duke. Clemson also fell to Florida State.
The ACC program improved to 4-2 following wins over Syracuse over Wake Forest, but 4-2 is a disappointing start for a program with perennial championship aspirations. Swinney has led Clemson to double-digit wins in each of the last 12 seasons, but his team is currently outside the AP’s Top 25.
Swinney called his squad “a really good team that can beat anybody” and believes his program is built for long-term success despite the early rough patch.
“That’s the one good thing about going through a little bit of so-called adversity is you really find out who’s with you and who’s not,” Swinney said.
He suggested everyone has gotten so accustomed to dominance that they’ve taken victories for granted.
“It’s not easy to win. It’s really, really hard to win, and sometimes you can win so much you lose appreciation for it,” Swinney said. “And so, I appreciate some of the longtime Clemson people that have good perspective. Because these kids, they’re in a situation where there’s a lot of noise all the time. And I hate that, but that’s the world we live in and it comes with the territory.”