Underdog role "in Dabo's DNA," says ESPN's Chris Fowler
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Throughout his tenure at Clemson, Dabo Swinney has championed the “little ole Clemson” narrative.
The idea of No. 1 Clemson going into every game feeling like an underdog has given the Tigers extra motivation every time they step onto the field. Sure, from an outside perspective, the narrative of Clemson receiving no respect seems a bit naive. But it’s a mantra that’s worked wonders for Swinney and his Tigers since its inception.
Clemson, while embracing the so-called “long shot” role, hasn’t actually been a regular-season underdog since 2016, when a red-hot Lamar Jackson-led Louisville team came into Death Valley in hopes of coming away with a statement victory. Clemson staged a memorable comeback in the fourth quarter to win that top-5 matchup, 42-36.
And while Clemson opened this week as a 17-point favorite over the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes, some may wonder if Swinney will use the same idealism to inspire his team yet again, even if Vegas deems his beliefs misplaced.
According to ESPN’s Chris Fowler, who will be on the call for Saturday night’s Clemson-Miami contest, he wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case.
“Just because he’s favored doesn’t mean he’s not going to play that card,” Fowler said on a conference call Wednesday. “It’s an effective card.”
The “underdog card” is one Swinney has used frequently, despite his Tigers being at the top of the college football mountain for several years now. When conversing about the top programs in the game, Clemson almost always receives mention.
So why does Swinney continue to promote his team as just “little ole Clemson?” The Tigers have shown themselves to be so much more than that, a force to be reckoned with whose mere name strikes fear in the heart of any challenger.
Fowler believes Swinney can’t really help it, that it’s just a part of who he is as a head coach.
“It’s in Dabo’s DNA to see himself and his team as the underdog, not respected,” said Fowler.
Fowler also referenced Clemson’s recent history of entering regular-season games as not only the favorite, but the overwhelming choice to win against inferior opponents.
“Clemson goes in as a solid favorite,” Fowler said of this week’s game. “They’ve been a double-digit favorite now for 34 non-playoff games in a row. It’s pretty insane when you think about it, how much respect they have. There’s only one place that gets to decide who the big favorite in the game is, and that’s Vegas. And they’ve decided that Clemson is again a huge favorite in the game. And with the exception of the championship game and the Ohio State semi, they’ve been big favorites for a long time.”
But while the Tigers may have earned the national respect that Swinney likes to pretend they don’t yet have, his methods of motivation have stood the test of time.
“Little ole Clemson” has been the gold standard for college football the past half-decade. Without Swinney’s intense pushing of the underdog narrative — even when it’s often seemed absurd — there’s no telling if his Tigers would have reached the heights that the last five years have seen them soar to.
The top-ranked Clemson Tigers face off against the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes in Death Valley Saturday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Allison Williams will be on the call.