One victory over USC has gone along way for Clemson. First it cemented Dabo Swinney’s promotion from interim to full-fledged coach. And now it has catapulted the Tigers to one of the ACC’s most prestigious bowls.
At Monday’s introductory news conference, new Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he would not address potential staff changes before the bowl game unless “a situation arises.” Two situations have already arisen, and both apparently are Swinney’s doing.
To college football fans across the country, Clemson’s hiring Monday of Dabo Swinney as its next coach must appear to be a huge gamble. Yet Terry Don Phillips introduced Swinney at Memorial Stadium without hesitation.
You can’t spell “Challenge” without a couple of “L”s, and Clemson hopes to dispense yet another one tonight. The Tigers (7-0) travel to face similarly unbeaten and unranked Illinois (6-0) as part of the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.