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Dabo Swinney Believes The SEC Isn't As 'Deep' As It Used To Be
© Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
In an interview with ESPN, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney discussed how he isn't buying that Alabama National Championship loss was because they were worn out by their tough SEC schedule...
quote:

“My thing on that is, ‘Are you serious? They’re tired?’ Then you look at Clemson, and we won 12 games by 20-plus. Who really challenged Alabama in the SEC? They didn’t get challenged by anybody until the Georgia game [for the SEC championship]”

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“Listen, the SEC is a great conference, but I don’t think they’ve been as deep the last few years,” Swinney told ESPN. “I think they’ve had two or three really good teams and then it’s kind of been hit or miss from there. It’s an awesome league, for sure, and I know people say that Alabama was tired because they went through the grind and had to play all these teams. Well, they won by an average of 33.1 points per game [going into the playoff], so they ought to be well-rested,” Swinney added to ESPN.

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(The Spun)
Filed Under: SEC Football
33 Comments
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lsusteve156 months
He beat Bama so I'll give him a reprieve Clemson would not dominate in the SEC yearly though.
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CajunBullet56 months
Top to bottom the SEC is a better conference. But the 28 point loss the Alabama Elephants had that was dished out by the Clemson Tigers was an "Arse Whopping'! Alabama was out coached, out schemed, and out played. The Elephants were absolutely worn out, after that "Arse Whooping"! LOL
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Lsu10120556 months
Yea the SEC is not very deep, not like that vaunted ACC schedule. Oh wait.
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Gallinule8856 months
A&M sure gave Clemson a run for their money.
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gamecockman1256 months
The "worn-out" excuse is ridiculous, but let's not act like the ACC compares to the SEC Dabo.
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GetCocky1156 months
I saw a strength of schedule ranking recently. 6 of the top 10 hardest schedules were SEC teams. Clemson's SOS was #66. I mean...come on.
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DannyByGodFord56 months
Preseason ranking? Clemson has finished ahead of South Carolina in SOS ranking more times than not the last few years.
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Nix to Twillie56 months
“I think they’ve had two or three really good teams and then it’s kind of been hit or miss from there.” Two or three is already better than what the ACC’s putting up. That said, the “worn out” excuse is pretty bad.
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Rosenblatt56 months
Is this where we pretend to have conference loyalty as if the sec doesn’t bend over backwards to accommodate certain schools at the expense of others? Frick dem Love ya Dabo
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Vidic56 months
Am I missing something? Did Saban say they were worn out and that’s why they lost? Or has this become a media narrative because for some reason the media can’t quit asking Dabo about Alabama.
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LSU$$$56 months
I think this is more a reflection on how poor the ACC is. Clemson doesn't really play a meaningful game until the ACC Championship and the the playoffs. Dabo is trying to say that the SEC is the same gauntlet for Alabama as the ACC is for Clemson. Which is crazy talk!
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Hangit56 months
Can somebody tell me how many top 10 teams are on the Clemson schedule this year?
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DannyByGodFord56 months
Lol. Again, preseason? How many legitimate top 10 teams are on Alabama’s schedule?
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luciouslou56 months
I say let em in the sec and let's find out. Kick Mizzou to the curb
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SaintInBham56 months
I honestly didn't see anything wrong with what he said. He never claimed Clemson's schedule was any harder than Alabama. He said Alabama wasn't challenged until the SECCG. That's true. This past year was one, two, than everybody else.
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TigerB856 months
SEC still deep, but other schools are adapting around nation to a more passing focused offense. Alabama has always been built to stop the run and that's why LSU has always had issues beating them. Some schools have been able to evolve to an offense that can compete/attack the Saban front 7. No other team in the ACC is worth a damn outside of Clemson.
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Long Dawg56 months
You know if Dabo was in SEC he would be saying exactly the opposite. If Mizzou were in the ACC, they would have been the 2nd or 3rd best team there - in SEC, they are 8th best. The ACC is a joke of a conference.
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burke98556 months
Bama got beat, they basically beat everyone down they played in SEC so SEC sux.
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cramps56 months
And Clemson needed questionable calls to beat A&M.
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Airpower56 months
Yea - check out his schedule .. easy to say playing in the ACC.. 2 top 25 teams TA&m and Syracuse- yea Syracuse-????. Joke
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boulwarejockstrap56 months
2nd straight Dabo/Clemson article on SECr. Bout time to rename this the ACCr.
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WhoDatNC56 months
Dabo needs to be drug tested.
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Ace Midnight56 months
Tired is BS. Bama straight up got beat. The template is there - cheat, cheat, cheat, stockpile talent, then out-talent Bama. After all, it is what Bama has done, essentially, for 60 years.
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WorkinDawg56 months
Dabo tries so hard. SEC is in his head...even after he whipped Bama. He literally knew to the decimal point what Bama's margin of victory was.
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