The back-and-forth between the Clemson and Florida State football programs on Tuesday took its sharpest turn from generally all-around-nice-guy Dabo Swinney.
Clemson’s national championship-winning coach, vocal in the aftermath of last Saturday’s decision by FSU/the ACC to postpone the Seminoles-Tigers clash, took the proverbial gloves off Tuesday morning in the latest round in this verbal boxing match.
“They’ve had three head coaches in four years,” Swinney said, per media who cover the Tigers. “I’m not going to worry about advice from Tallahassee.”
Swinney also said, “To me, the Florida State administration forfeited the game.” Swinney has been adamant that by the ACC’s established guidelines and Clemson’s own COVID-19 task force and protocols, his team was eligible and not an advanced risk for competition.
Swinney also noted he had been an ACC coach, assistant or head coach, for 18 years. He’s been the Tigers’ head coach for the past dozen and has elevated the Clemson program to unprecedented levels of success.
The Tigers were heavy favorites in last week’s game per Las Vegas gambling odds, and FSU has slogged through a challenging first year under Mike Norvell, whose team did knock off nationally ranked North Carolina earlier this season.
Clemson needs all of its games to be played and to win a rematch against Notre Dame in the ACC Championship next month to again secure a College Football Playoffs berth.