Swinney still sees value in bowl games despite current college football landscape

Swinney signs an autograph for a young fan Thursday.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Dec 28 13:34:21 GMT-04:00 2023

JACKSONVILLE, FL – Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney still sees the importance of bowl games and hopes to use the Gator Bowl as a momentum builder heading into the 2024 season.

Clemson faces off against Kentucky Friday at noon (ESPN) in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.

The advent of the College Football Playoff, which expands to 12 teams next season, and the opt-outs and transfers that lead to depleted rosters – have taken some of the luster off of bowl season. But Swinney still sees value in the bow games even while others are taking less interest.

“Yeah, it's kind of sad to see, honestly. It's my 29th bowl game as a player and a coach,” Swinney said Thursday. “I've got a pretty good perspective on just a lot of different bowls, a lot of different experiences. Some of my greatest memories are being a part of bowls. The best ones are the ones we won. I told them that (smiling).

“It's a great opportunity. That hasn't changed. Regardless of who's playing, not playing, I mean, to me, the story's about who's playing. It's an opportunity to finish your season.”

Swinney says he is looking for the Tigers to finish on a high note.

“One of our goals is to win the closer. This is the closer for us. It's a huge goal,” he said. “It's a great opportunity for this team to finish well, to play on a stage like this, to come to the Gator Bowl, play a really good team in Kentucky. That part hasn't changed. I know the landscape has changed, but that part hasn't.”

It also adds momentum heading into next season.

“I think it's a thing (momentum from a win). I think anytime you can finish something on a positive note, it's good momentum,” Swinney said. “You still have to start over regardless, whether you win or get beat. It's still a new team, a new challenge, a new journey every single year.

“I think it's an opportunity to develop some confidence. Confidence leads to belief. Belief leads to great things. So it certainly is a positive in that regard.”

Kentucky players have implied that they wouldn't have played in this bowl game if they weren't facing Clemson, and Swinney was asked what it’s like to have that kind of target on their backs.

“Just another week. It's that way every week. Every time we line up to play, that's what comes with coming to Clemson,” Swinney said. “You come to Clemson, that's every single game. You're going to get everybody's best every single week. We talk about that all the time. It doesn't matter who we play or, where we play, or what time we play. Whoever we play, we're going to get their best. Again, Clemson is a place, when the schedule comes out, people look and they say, When are we playing Clemson? That's just part of being at this great university.

“So we understand that. That's why we talk about playing to a standard all the time. We got to do our best each and every week. Our preparation has to be great each and every week. Doesn't matter who you play, what the record is, none of that. We know we're going to get everybody's best. If you have that mindset, then you'll prepare the right way for every single game, whether you're in your opener, whether you're playing a non-conference team in the middle of the season, or you're finishing in the post-season.”