One of the key traits of Dabo Swinney is his ability to face ridicule without hesitation.

Let’s roll back to 2013. This was shortly after Clemson faced off against Florida State in a pivotal evening game. The Seminoles were headed towards a national championship, while Swinney’s team seemed to be entrenched in a pattern of disappointing performances where they couldn’t seem to rise to the occasion when it truly mattered.

Reflecting on a crushing loss where his team fell 51-14, Swinney stated, “If we played 10 times, we’d win five, they’d win five.”

This was an audacious claim to make following such a significant defeat, characteristic of Swinney’s persona: boldly defiant, wildly optimistic, and unwaveringly stubborn. That’s why Swinney, a former walk-on from Alabama who has made a name for himself, prefers to be seen as an ‘over-believer’ rather than just an ‘overachiever.’

“I’ve faced criticism since day one on the job. What’s different?” he remarked this week. “I’ve faced criticism for 16 years and yet we keep winning.”

However, unless Clemson pulls off the unexpected, Swinney may not end this season with a sense of vindication after their first-round College Football Playoff game against Texas this Saturday.

Oddsmakers have labeled Clemson as the biggest underdog this weekend. Had they not secured a last-minute victory over SMU in the ACC Championship, they would have missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. This is a remarkable scenario for Swinney, who previously led the team to six straight playoff appearances and two national championships, as most of this current squad is about to experience such significant stakes for the first time.

“It’s a major achievement for them,” Swinney acknowledged.

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This moment also holds significant value for Swinney, especially after facing relentless criticism over the past four seasons, both externally and from Clemson fans. A little over a year ago, Swinney reacted defensively to a caller during his coach’s show—addressing a concern that his performance wasn’t worth his $11.5 million salary.

“I often remind people, what’s unique about Clemson? While some places have expectations, at Clemson, we have appreciation,” he expressed during that heated five-minute response. “We’ve won so much that now, even when we win, people complain, criticize the coaches, and question everything. It’s disappointing, especially from fans.”

Swinney’s defensiveness was expected.

When he said eleven years ago that Clemson was closing the gap on Florida State after a significant loss, no one believed him. Yet, he led the Tigers to eight victories out of their next ten meetings against the Seminoles and claimed eight ACC titles compared to Florida State’s three.

Initially doubted, Swinney guided Clemson into the playoffs, raising skepticism about his ability to overcome Nick Saban. However, the Tigers defeated Alabama twice in the national championship, including a staggering 44-16 triumph to cap off a perfect 15-0 season.

As the landscape of college football changed with players now able to earn money and freely transfer, Swinney faced scrutiny over his traditional approaches. Yet, Clemson has once again made it to the playoff, just as Swinney insisted they would be.

“We just registered our 10th win for the 13th time in 14 years, and this is our seventh CFP appearance. Despite all that, people still want me to conform to everyone else’s methods,” he remarked after the ACC championship game.

“We’ve achieved victories on the highest stage against the best teams, and now if we don’t win a championship, there’s talk of firing everyone. It’s the same tired narratives that emerge each year after a loss. All we hear is negativity about how we perform and the way I am perceived, yet we just keep winning.”

You have to commend Swinney because this season, for most of the time, Clemson appeared less like a playoff-contender team.

The Tigers were completely overpowered in their season opener, losing 34-3 against Georgia. They underperformed in a 33-21 home loss to Louisville. By the season’s end, they weren’t even the top team in South Carolina as the Gamecocks won their in-state showdown for the second time in three years.

The signs are evident: Clemson has been winning, yet they’ve fallen from being a top-tier team in college football. Various factors have contributed to this decline.

Following a stellar period of producing NFL talents like DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, and Tee Higgins, it’s been a while since Clemson could claim the “Wide Receiver U” title. Their quarterbacks have largely failed to meet the lofty expectations set by their recruiting status. After maintaining a consistent coaching staff for many successful years, Swinney has finally encountered a loss of key personnel.

While rivals of Clemson have been enhancing their teams using transfer players, Coach Swinney has chosen not to engage with the transfer portal, opting instead to cultivate the talent of players he originally recruited from high school.

This strategy hasn’t always worked out well. When players are leaving through the transfer portal but not being replaced, it becomes increasingly difficult to sustain the program as he did a decade ago.

However, there are indications that Swinney’s strategy may be evolving. Just this week, Clemson acquired wide receiver Tristan Smith from Southeast Missouri and Will Heldt, a notable pass rusher from Purdue.

These two players mark the first time Swinney has tapped the portal for anyone other than backup quarterbacks. This shift suggests that Swinney, at just 55 years old, is not ready to step away from the game and criticize how it has changed.

This change is positive. Despite sometimes appearing rigid and contradictory — he has vocally opposed the commercialization of college sports even as his salary continues to rise — it would benefit college football if he adapted and made another strong effort with Little Old Clemson. Regardless of opinions about him, Swinney is always an engaging figure in the sport.

Before the ACC championship, he stated, “Anything can happen. I think we were the first to finish 15-0, so maybe we could also be the first team with three losses. That would certainly upset some people. You all might have to reconsider a lot of what you say daily. That would disappoint many, but why not?”

Although it seems far-fetched now, it’s not the first instance of such bold claims. As Dabo has repeatedly demonstrated, nothing is off the table unless you voice it.