Purpose-Driven: Clemson heads back to the College Football Playoff

In a season filled with twists and challenges, Clemson found its way back to the College Football Playoff with a thrilling 34-31 victory over SMU in the ACC Championship Game. Freshman kicker Nolan Hauser provided the dramatic finish, drilling a 56-yard walk-off field goal as time expired. For head coach Dabo Swinney, the moment was about more than just another win; it was a testament to the purpose-driven philosophy that has defined Clemson football under his leadership.

“As far as just when I got this job, we were here in 2011 and won it for the first time in 20 years, and we hadn’t won 10 games in 20 years,” Swinney said after the Tigers claimed their ninth ACC title in 14 years. “We just had our 10th win for the 13th time in 14 years—our ninth championship in the past 14 years, and our seventh CFP.”

Swinney’s words revealed the foundation of Clemson’s remarkable consistency. For him, the program’s success is rooted in its unwavering commitment to purpose.

“Even with all that, people still want me to be like everybody else. I guess to answer your question is it’s just following my purpose, not compromising on what I believe, and just letting God lead my steps and order my steps. That’s just really the bottom line. Being purpose-driven as a man, being purpose-driven as a program,” Swinney noted.

This philosophy, Swinney emphasized, is what makes Clemson unique. “I know everybody wants me to be like everybody else, but I don’t know how to be like everybody else. We’re a very unique and uncommon program. I think we’ve won more games than anybody other than Alabama the past 16 years, and we certainly won more championships, I think now, and conference championships in the past 10 years than anybody and second most CFPs.”

The Tigers’ journey back to the College Football Playoff as the No. 12 seed is a testament to that purpose-driven approach. Swinney pointed out that success at Clemson is about more than just winning games—it’s about how you win and the values instilled along the way. “It’s not just winning, it’s how you win. Two years in a row we’ve got the highest graduation rate in America. It’s a program that we try to serve their heart and not their talent.”

As Clemson prepares to face No. 5 Texas in the first round of the playoff on December 21, Swinney reflected on the challenges and expectations that come with being one of the premier programs in college football.

“We’re at a point now where we don’t win a championship, and we’ve got to fire everybody, and it’s just—same ol’ tired narratives that come up every single year when we lose a game. But we just keep winning. We just keep winning,” the two-time national championship head coach stated.

Clemson’s ability to maintain its purpose has allowed the program to achieve unprecedented consistency. “This is our 14th year in a row with a postseason win. Nobody ever has done anything like that in college football,” Swinney said. “We’re not perfect. I am far from perfect. But we have great players who believe in who we are and what we do, and we have great coaches, and we’re family.”

Swinney’s pride in his team and the program’s culture was clear as he reflected on their accomplishments. “It’s just God’s plan. It’s certainly not me. It’s a bunch of great young men that come to Clemson, and they buy into who we are and what we do,” he said. “It’s a blessing to be a part of it. I don’t take that for granted.”

For Clemson, the thrilling win over SMU wasn’t just a ticket back to the College Football Playoff. It was another chapter in a story defined by purpose—a story of a program that refuses to compromise on its values, even as it competes at the highest levels of the sport.

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