Dabo Swinney Says ACC Isn't Protecting Clemson, Notre Dame Ahead of Title Game

Clemson controls its own destiny in the College Football Playoff race, but head coach Dabo Swinney continues to talk about other teams and conferences leading up to the ACC Championship Game against Notre Dame.

As David M. Hale of ESPN shared, Swinney scoffed at the notion the ACC protected the Tigers and Fighting Irish by reorganizing its schedule and giving both teams open dates on Dec. 12 as they fight for CFP spots.

"If the ACC was trying to really protect Clemson and Notre Dame, why would we even play a game this week?" Swinney said in response to comments from SEC commissioner Greg Sankey suggesting the ACC was doing just that with the move. "I mean, if six wins can get you in the playoff, shouldn't nine get you there? Shouldn't 10 get you there?"  

It was also a clear shot at the fact Ohio State—which, unlike his team, is still undefeated—will play just five games during the regular season because multiple contests were canceled following COVID-19 outbreaks.

Whether criticizing the NCAA's decision to give student-athletes Election Day off to encourage civic engagement or suggesting Florida State used COVID-19 as an "excuse" to cancel its scheduled game against Clemson during a pandemic, Swinney continues to generate headlines for his off-field comments this year.

This also isn't the first time he has taken a shot at the number of games the Buckeyes have played.

During an interview on The Rich Eisen Show, he said Texas A&M and Florida were more deserving of playoff spots than the Big Ten team because they played more games. That argument lost plenty of steam, though, when the Gators lost at home to a 4-5 LSU team, giving them two losses and making the Aggies' marquee win over Florida look less impressive.

There is no minimum-game requirement to make the CFP, and Ohio State will have an undefeated resume with wins over then-No. 9 Indiana and No. 15 Northwestern if it defeats the Wildcats in Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game.

By comparison, Texas A&M failed to make the SEC Championship Game, beat a winless Vanderbilt team by five and lost to Alabama by 28 points in its only game against a team currently in the CFP Top Four.

That the SEC's Sankey made the comments critical of the ACC is notable because both conferences have at least a chance to get multiple teams in the playoff field. There is surely some politicking involved as Notre Dame, Clemson, Alabama, Texas A&M and even Florida, if it beats the Crimson Tide, still have a chance to make the field.

While Swinney is clearly worried about perception and where other teams stand, all he has to do to clinch a spot is defeat Notre Dame in the rematch after losing the first matchup without Trevor Lawrence.