Dabo Swinney denies there is added enjoyment of knocking Alabama out of College Football Playoff

Dabo Swinney did not take any extra enjoyment out of Clemson, essentially, knocking rival Alabama out of the College Football Playoff.

The two teams squared off numerous times during the four-team iteration, splitting the four matchups. Clemson won two national titles over Alabama while the Crimson Tide won a title and a semifinal game in their victories.

Get your team’s official College Football Playoff watch from AXIA by CLICKING HERE: “Watches that tell so much more than time”

But with Clemson stealing the final spot in this year’s 12-team bracket, and SMU knocking Alabama down a spot, Swinney practically said, it is what it is.

“I mean, that has nothing to do with it,” Swinney said. “Somebody’s not gonna make it, or whatever, but I just think that a team shouldn’t be punished for playing in the championship game that’s already in. I think it just sets a really bad precedent. I don’t think teams should be rewarded for not making their championship game, but teams are punished for making their championship get teams that are, you know, we’re in, like, SMU, they’re eighth, they’re in, but now all of a sudden, you go get beat in your championship game, and you get punished for that, but you got the same record as teams that that didn’t make their championship. I just think that’s a bad precedent.” 

Dabo Swinney happy with Clemson in playoff, no punishment for conference championship

Swinney is of the mind that you should be rewarded for playing in a conference championship game of course, not be punished for playing an extra game in a loss. But he was aware that Clemson’s only scenario to get in was to win the ACC with three losses already this season.

“And, you know, we can talk all about what changes need to be made and this and that, but, you know, like, I mean, honestly, the championship games, I’ve heard all about the seeding and all that stuff,” Swinney said. “I mean, like, you can’t punish it. If a team is going to have to play an extra game, 13 games, then you have to give them a bye. You can’t ask the team that’s playing in a championship to then turn around and play another game when they’ve won their championship and got the bye. 

“You know, I mean to me that that doesn’t make any sense. I mean, otherwise, just do away with the championship games. Make the championship weekend the first round, and then you just seed it, you go from there. But you know, somebody’s always going to get left out. I’ve been a part, like I said, it’s our seventh playoff and, you know, we’ve been to six Final Fours, so I’ve been a part of that.”