Dabo Swinney enters Saturday’s rivalry game against Clemson State in unfamiliar territory as an underdog.
The Tigers have won seven straight meetings with their ACC foe, but the Seminoles go into Clemson ranked No. 4 following a 3-0 start. On the other hand, Clemson looks to climb back into the rankings after an opening loss at Duke.
When speaking of the rivalry Tuesday, Swinney said to throw everything out the window ahead of “a really good matchup.”
“Hey, this is Clemson-Florida State. None of that matters,” Swinney said, via On3‘s Dan Morrison and The Athletic’s Grace Raynor. “It doesn’t matter what the record is. It doesn’t matter who won last year, doesn’t matter what you’re ranked. This is a game where you better show up. You better show up and be ready.”
Dabo Swinney on Clemson-Florida State:
“This is a game that you better show up. You better show up and be ready.”
— Grace Raynor (@gmraynor) September 19, 2023
Swinney noted the ACC’s increasing talent pool and competitive balance. Despite acknowledging the history of Clemson’s rivalry with FSU, he also asserted that each game on the schedule carries equal importance.
“This is the biggest game of the year because it’s the one we’re playing,” Swinney said. “And I know nobody wants to hear that, but that’s the fact. If you don’t have that mindset when you’re on this side of the microphone, you’re not going to be very consistent or very good. You win this game, guess what? You go to Syracuse next and lay an egg. Well, nobody cares.”
Clemson improved to 7-0 with a 34-28 victory over Florida State last season. The Seminoles have since won nine straight games while the Tigers have dropped four.
Saturday’s ACC showdown starts at noon ET on ABC.