Dabo Swinney is not here for the rat poison the media is trying to give his team.
Swinney’s Clemson Tigers began the year as the preseason No. 1 team. His squad maintained its spot atop the rankings after the first week of the season. The Tigers head coach addressed the No. 1 ranking on Wednesday and said his team hadn’t yet earned that honor.
Dabo Swinney "They've got us ranked No. 1 and who knows what we are. We haven't earned that. That's just what people have nominated us,"
— Matt Connolly (@MattatTheState) September 4, 2019
Swinney’s point makes sense. This is a new season, so the accomplishments of last year’s team do not carry over. However, voters ranked teams based on the players Clemson had returning in 2019. It also doesn’t hurt that the Tigers’ recent history has shown us that they and Alabama are the two programs most likely to reach the College Football Playoff and championship game.
