Decade of decline: following their Week 9 defeat
Decade, even on January 13, 2020, the official end of collegiate football’s tenth season, Dabo Swinney maintained a generally positive attitude. Even though his Clemson team had just lost the College Football Playoff final game to LSU handily, there was still life in the air. That night, not only did Clemson face a historically renowned squad, but Swinney’s programme seemed so solid and entrenched that it was hard to envision anything going wrong.
“It wasn’t our night, but man, what an unbelievable year,” he commented. It’s true that this decade has been incredible. A really remarkable ten years. Looking forward to beginning this new one.”
Although Alabama was undoubtedly the programme of the 2010s, Clemson was unquestionably the next best thing. Over an eight-year span, two national titles, two more runner-up places, and a record of 101-12 had established Clemson as a formidable force and elevated Swinney to one of the sport’s most captivating personalities.
If he had left his coaching post that evening or joined the NFL, the monument would have been completed by now. But why wouldn’t Swinney be enthusiastic about the upcoming ten years of Clemson football, given that he had just turned fifty at the time? Right there in his own little upstate kingdom in South Carolina, he had all he could have wished for, including a highly successful programme and an entirely loyal fan base.