Dabo Speaks for Last Time Before ACC Championship Game

By Zach Wagner

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney met with the ACC Media for the last time before his team travels to Charlotte, North Carolina for the ACC Championship Game on Saturday Afternoon. Swinney and the Tigers will be looking to avenge a 47-40 double-overtime loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from November, Clemson’s first loss in the regular season in 36-games. 

Swinney: "Focus Friday here for us today. We literally just got off the practice field and are looking forward to going up to Charlotte."#CLEMSONSPORTSNEWS

— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) December 18, 2020

Swinney told the media, “this is what we work for all year. This is our team’s next goal, to win this league. It’s time to go play now.”

Swinney: "It's the next game for us. The only difference about this one, is they hand out a trophy to who ever wins it."

Clemson is looking to win its SIXTH trophy in a row.#CLEMSONSPORTSNEWS

— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) December 18, 2020

After Swinney exited the Zoom conference call, he stated that the team would be showering up and grabbing some lunch before boarding the buses to head to Charlotte. Once they arrived in the Queen City, they would travel to Bank of America Stadium to check out the venue and take some pictures. Once the photos were taken, the team would travel to the hotel and treat it as any normal Friday for an “away” game, “chapel, dinner, film, movie” before heading to bed to rest for the biggest game of the 2020 season for the Tigers.

Following Notre Dame’s Head Coach Brian Kelly’s answer earlier in the morning about not wanting to participate in the College Football Playoffs if the players families could not attend, Coach Swinney echoed that of the Fighting Irish’s head man in charge:

Coach Swinney says there are tons of other venues that you can have fans and an atmosphere for the kids that have worked hard all year.

"Why not "punt" and push back those venues to another year."#CLEMSONSPORTSNEWS

— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) December 18, 2020

Swinney: "It makes no sense to put these kids on a plane, fly them all the way out to California, and play in an empty stadium."

"Theres plenty of stadiums around here that can host fans and most importantly, families."#CLEMSONSPORTSNEWS

— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) December 18, 2020

Clemson also had 17 players walk across the stage yesterday to receive their College Diplomas. Swinney said he was super proud of those players who graduated and “that’s what college is all about, setting yourself up for the rest of your life.”

Swinney: "So proud of our guys that graduated yesterday. That's what coming to college is all about, setting you up for the rest of your life."#CLEMSONSPORTSNEWS

— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) December 18, 2020

Swinney: "We have 23 graduates on our roster that will take the field tomorrow and into the postseason. That's just awesome to think about."#CLEMSONSPORTSNEWS

— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) December 18, 2020

Clemson and Notre Dame round two will kick off on ABC at 4 P.M. tomorrow. Clemson becomes just the first-ever power-five team to make its conference Championship Game SIX times in a row once the ball kicks off.