Dabo Swinney reflects on Orange Bowl experiences, Y2K memories

As Clemson gets set to take part in the Orange Bowl against No. 6 Tennessee, its seventh New Year’s Six bowl under coach Dabo Swinney, the 15th-year Clemson coach took some time reminiscing about previous Orange Bowl experiences.

Including the absolute terror of Y2K.

“Lot of great memories here at the bowl game. My first one was in ’99,” Swinney said. “I remember it was turning Y2K and my wife was pregnant with my middle son, who’s now 23 next month, so it was turning and you remember the whole world was supposed to like end, I think. And everything was going to like shut down. There was, like, ‘You better go get some cash.’ Those of you over 50, you can remember that.”

Y2K, of course, referred to the anticipated issues computer systems that logged dates for years with two digits, instead of four, would have as the year flipped from 1999 to 2000.

The panic and mass hysteria ended up being mostly unfounded, but Swinney can still recall the emotions and actions leading into it. Particularly because it accompanied one of the favorite stories of his as a football coach: A showdown with Tom Brady in his final college game.

Alabama and Michigan met in the 2000 Orange Bowl, a game played on New Year’s Day after everyone woke up fine following the Y2K crossover.

“I remember whatever hotel we were in and we were playing Michigan,” Swinney, who was a receivers coach at Alabama at the time, recalled. “And I remember just standing there as the clock was ticking midnight. I was like, ‘Well, maybe this is it. It’s about to happen.’ It’s kind off like when Chevy Chase went to the Grand Canyon and he’s like, ‘Yeah, Rusty, this is the Grand Canyon. All right, let’s go.’ Nothing happened, and I was like, ‘Let’s go to bed.'”

Something tells us Swinney won’t be treating this year’s Orange Bowl trip like Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Clemson hoping for more positive Orange Bowl experiences

Clemson’s last trip to the Orange Bowl came in 2015, a 37-17 win over Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The Tigers aren’t in the playoffs this time around, but will be hoping for a similar result.

Swinney still has fond memories of that Orange Bowl experience in 2000, even if the Crimson Tide came out with a 35-34 overtime loss to Brady’s Wolverines.

“But that was an amazing game. That was Tom Brady’s last game, and we came out on the short end of that,” Swinney said. “We missed an extra point in overtime, but he took them down the field with about a minute and a half to tie the game, if you can believe that or not. That’s one of my notables in life, I was coaching against Tom Brady in his last college game and I didn’t even know who he was, really, other than he was their quarterback.

“Lot of great memories, good and bad, on the field. But nobody does it better than the Orange Bowl, and we’re just thankful to have the opportunity. Our team has worked hard, as has Tennessee, and I’m sure it’ll be a great week and a great competition.”

Clemson and Tennessee are slated for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Dec. 30 at the Orange Bowl, with a national broadcast on ESPN.