'When we're playing Ohio State, it's big': Swinney ready for challenges Buckeyes present

Dabo Swinney delivered his first comments following Clemson’s selection to the Sugar Bowl on Sunday afternoon. Here is the full transcript from his 15-minute interview:

OPENING STATEMENT:

“We're super excited to be coming back. To have a chance to be in the Playoffs is a very special opportunity for our team.

It's an incredible opportunity any year, but especially this year, all that has transpired and what all of these guys have had to do to get to this point. So just really happy for them.

We had an amazing game in the ACC championship game, which has given us this opportunity that we had to win the game. I'm just really proud of them. We look forward to competing against a great Ohio State team. We all know how talented they are, how well-coached they are. Got a lot of respect for Ryan Day and Ohio State.

But this is really just a great opportunity. Again, unusual circumstances for everyone, for sure. Not a typical bowl type of deal. Usually, we've got lots of time to prep. But it is really like an open date. We play in 12 days, so we've got a lot of work to do. But we're excited about the challenge and opportunity.”

Q: Coach [Dabo] Swinney, does this have the sense -- Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame -- sort of a clash of royalty in college football -- major college football at this point? What's your take on that?

I think the committee works hard to try to select who they think are the four best teams. So this is what they came up with. And obviously, you got really, really talented players on all four of these teams. If you're going to pick the four best year in and year out, you're probably going to have -- there are probably six or seven teams out there that really have a shot every year.

Most given years, certainly Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Alabama and what they've done historically. But our program over the last decade, we've been able to elevate into that status as well.

Hey, Coach. A similar question. You guys have obviously played Alabama a couple of times in this. Played Ohio State, now, I think this will be the third time. Do you like the fact that this has -- the College Football Playoff has allowed for these type of games to occur more frequently, these big games against kind of historic programs? Whereas maybe before, you scheduled these every once in a while, maybe meet in a bowl game, but now you've seen these teams more frequently.

Yeah, I think the Playoff's been good, and I think it's created a lot of opportunity for, again, these types of games.

I didn't have a problem with the BCS, even though it was just two teams. I still was okay with that, but this has kind of taken that and made it better. It kind of never ends. Everybody wants more and more and more.

But it's unique. It's hard -- college football is really -- it's 130 teams. It's very difficult to get to this point, especially having consistency to be in the conversation. So I think it's great, and it's been fun to be a part of those type games. That's been one of the biggest things in helping us build our program, is going and competing against the best.

Hey, Dabo. This is obviously the third meeting in five times. A lot of the matchups between Clemson and Ohio State have been big games. Do you look at that program as a rival for you guys?

Ohio State? Absolutely. If we're playing Ohio State, it's a playoff. Or it was a BCS bowl, back in 2013 in the Orange Bowl. Any time we play Ohio State, it's probably some type of meeting. We don't have them on our regular schedule anytime in the near future. So you know it is a big, big postseason game when you play those guys.

I think Ryan [Day] does things the right way. I think he believes in a lot of similar things, as far as how they try to run their program. We recruit a lot of the same guys. So just a lot of respect for their program.

And getting to know Ryan over the last few years, he does an awesome job. Got a great staff. It's definitely a team that we compete with, not just on the field, but also in recruiting.

You always talk about trying to play your best football at the end of the year. Do you feel like yesterday was your best football game so far this year? And do you feel like there's still more out there for this group now that you're finally getting healthy?

Oh, yeah, no question. Definitely our best game, our most complete game. All three phases really complement each other. We had a big kick return, made a couple of field goals. Kickoff coverage was very good. We punted the ball inside the 20, I think, three times.

And then offensively, we had great balance. Was able to really run the ball efficiently like we wanted to. And then defensively, we held up against the run much better. Then that led to great third-down production on both sides. So I was really proud of our team. There's still plenty to do. We were in there watching the film just a little while ago. Still have plenty of mistakes. We turned the ball over one time.

Plenty of things that we can do to improve. But really proud of our team and definitely played our best game. But we're at our best right now. This is the healthiest we've been by far. We still don't have a lot of people.

And again, if you go back to March, if you had told me back in March that we wouldn't have Xavier Thomas, Justin Foster, [Frank] Ladson, [Joseph] Ngata, and Justyn Ross for most of the year -- and all for some of those guys, of the year -- I mean, to be where we are is amazing. And especially those three receivers, throwing for more yards than any team ever at Clemson.

I'm just really proud of this team and how they've just worked and found -- and our staff, just found a way each and every week to get better and to stay the course. It is good to see them now after 11 games just battle-tested.

We've been forced to develop a lot of depth, placing guys maybe before they were really ready, but I felt like that paid off for us in Charlotte.

Hey, Dabo. You talked about the number of games you guys have played versus Ohio State. I'm curious from your perspective, do you think it is an advantage for a team to be fresher in having played fewer games? Or is it an advantage to have played more games and have more reps under your belt?

I think the games matter. The mental and physical toll of a season -- there's nobody out there that would say that somebody who's played 11 games versus somebody who's played six is better physically or something like that because it's a long season. We've -- we're going on Week 21. These guys have had no break. It's been a grind, not just football-wise, but the mental challenge and the personal sacrifice and commitment that everybody's had to make to be able to play and continue to play. It's been incredible. Our guys have been so committed in that regard.

So yeah, anytime you step in between the lines in the game of football, that's a lot of practice. That's a lot of physicality. So I definitely think that it matters.

But at the end of the day, none of that matters in New Orleans. What matters is who plays the best in those four quarters.

Big-picture question. I know you've got a game in 12 days, so it might be hard to think about this. I anticipate you're going to be around college football for a few more years. Do you think it is inevitable that we'll end up with something bigger at some point; that they will have eight teams, six teams, something like that?

Nothing would surprise me with college football. That's the best way -- I don't have any definitive opinion one way or the other than nothing would surprise me as we move forward.

Again, I think one of the reasons that college football is so popular is because every game matters. That game we played at VTech (Virginia Tech), it mattered. That game Florida played against LSU, it mattered.

Is there a fine line? The more you expand, the less important the games become. All of a sudden, to me, it gets watered down and teams that know they're going to be in, next thing you know, you're resting guys, you're not playing guys. It all becomes about that.

So I think there's a -- what's the perfect number? Is it four? I don't -- people say, "Well, yeah, four and you're in it." But if you go to eight, I would think we would still have a chance to be in it, if we can get in it at four. I'm a little bit more of a traditional guy.

Again, as I said, I was fine with the BCS, even though it was hard to be in just two teams and so subjective. I was fine with that. I like the bowls. I like the pageantry of college football. And I think the more and more it goes, the less and less the games matter. I don't know. Nothing would surprise me.

Certainly an unusual year when you're only coming in for your bowl game two days before. I know when you all were here against Alabama a few years ago, you wanted the team to enjoy the experience. And also, you'll have only a couple of weeks less practice for preparation time. How is that going to be an adjustment? Do you regret that it has worked out that way, and your fans won't be able to be there -- or not many of them?

First of all, I'm grateful that we have the opportunity to play, regardless of whatever circumstances are. Because it's been awesome for our team and our players and these guys to have some sense of normalcy, and it has also been great, I think for our country and for people in general to -- because I know football brings a lot of joy to a lot of folks.

Our guys have been awesome. They've done things the right way all year. Really proud of them, what they've done academically. And I don't think that happens if they weren't able to be together. The type of discipline that they've lived with, it has been pretty special to be a part of it.

Absolutely, I wish, like we all do, that this was all behind us, and I'm hopeful that it will be next year. But there's nothing -- as a player, as a coach, I love the bowl experience. I love it. I just think it's awesome to be able to go and embrace a new city and to have that time together, practice in different venues. I always love that. I really do.

I love bowl prep. I love the opportunity to develop your team during that time. We always have JV practices and things for next year's team, and it's always fun. We have some fun things that we do. So that's going to be different, for sure. Absolutely, I wish it was different. It is what it is and we embrace that. Can't control it.

So this is just basically an open date. Actually, we have less time to get ready for this game than we did for Notre Dame. So it's basically an open date. That's how we have to look at it. You've got Christmas sandwiched in there as well. So it's a unique dynamic that we've not dealt with in the past. But it is what it is. And yeah, we'll come in, I guess, sometimes the night of the 30th and kind of have our Friday-type routine on the 31st, play the game on the 1st, and come home right after the game.

It's all good. We're just thankful and grateful to have the opportunity.