Tigers arrive in chilly Florida, and Swinney tells Clemson fans to head that way

Dabo Swinney says the Tigers are ready to get to work.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Dec 25 07:00:05 GMT-04:00 2022

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – Clemson has arrived in chilly Florida. Or, Dabo Swinney has arrived, with the rest of the team to follow over the next day or so.

Fresh off its 21st all-time ACC championship and its seventh outright conference crown in eight years, Clemson (AP Poll No. 10, Coaches Poll No. 11, CFP No. 7) will attempt to record its seventh 12-win season in team history when it faces consensus No. 6 Tennessee in the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl on Friday, Dec. 30.

“It's great. Especially coming from I think it was about eight degrees,” Swinney said after his arrival. “Power went out, so really cold. So good to be here. I know it's still a little cool for Miami this time of year, but it's awesome to be here, and we are excited to get this thing going and have a great week and just take it all in.”

Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. is set for 8 p.m. ET. Clemson will be making its seventh all-time appearance in the Orange Bowl, a game in which the Tigers hold a 4-2 record. The game was the site of Clemson's first national championship victory on New Year's Day 1982, when the Tigers defeated Nebraska, 22-15. Clemson has won each of its last two Orange Bowl appearances, including a 40-35 win over Ohio State to end the 2013 season and a 37-17 College Football Playoff semifinal win over Oklahoma in 2015.

Swinney will be coaching his 200th career game at Clemson, joining Frank Howard (295) as the only coaches in school history to serve as head coach for 200 career contests. With a 161-38 career mark, Swinney will attempt to earn his 162nd victory in his 200th career game as head coach to tie Joe Paterno and Tom Osborne (162 each) for the third-most wins through 200 career games in major college football history, trailing Urban Meyer (170) and Gil Dobie (163).

Swinney said playing in the Orange Bowl is a reward for a great season.

“It means that we had a great year. So, when you come to the Orange Bowl, it means you had a great year,” he said. “You don't get lucky and get here. You really have to earn it. This is one of the premier bowls and destinations in all of college football and one of the most traditional bowls out there. So that's what it means. It means it's a great year in Tiger Town.”

Swinney detailed what he’s looking for out of this week.

“I think a lot of these guys, nobody on our team has been to the Orange Bowl because last time we were here was our 2015 season,” he said. “So I think just seeing them really experience this hotel, experience just the time together that they have. We've got a beach day. They've got a dinner cruise. They're going out to eat. We're in a great practice venue. So I think just the whole experience, I'm excited for these guys to have that, and I'm excited to kind of see them as they go through the week and kind of settle in.

“It's going to be a lot of fun for a lot of these guys to experience staying at a place like this and right on the beach and just having some good fellowship and having some great practice, too. We have to get them refocused. You got to have a good balance of enjoying it and having some fun. But we're also here to win. But it's going to be a great trip.”

Swinney then had a message for Clemson fans.

“First of all, thank you for coming. I appreciate our fans who travel all over to support us,” Swinney said. “And then secondly, if they weren't planning on coming, it's beautiful down here and it's freezing back home, so I'd jump in the car and head this way and make a trip out of it. So it's going to be a great game. It's going to be a lot of fun. Going to be a lot of orange for sure, but appreciate them, and hopefully they'll to show up and be loud.”