Clemson’s Dabo Swinney had a plan in place when he took over the head football coaching job eight years ago, and that plan came to fruition last night when the Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide, 35-31, with one second remaining in the game.
He cried, screamed, hugged, laughed and let it all out last night, silencing all of the doubters and haters with his signature win. But there’s one person in particular that he had to give it to, and he pulled no punches in his post game presser as he went right for Fox’s Colin Cowherd verbally.
First let’s rewind to November when Colin said this on his radio show:
“Clemson’s a fraud. Clemson is going to get their ears boxed by whoever they play. They should have three losses, maybe four. I don’t buy into Clemson. They’re the New York Giants of college football. I don’t care what their record is. I don’t buy into them. And I had Clemson in the final four, so I should be rooting for them. I got no dog in the fight here. I think USC is the second-best team in the country and Vegas agrees.”
Now let’s return to the present where Dabo had the mic and went off:
At the end of the day, we left no doubt tonight. We wanted to play Alabama because now y’all got to change your stories. You got to change the narrative. Y’all got to mix it up. The guy that called us a fraud? Ask Alabama if we’re a fraud. Was the name Colin Cowherd? I don’t know him, never met him. Ask Alabama if we’re a fraud. Ask Ohio State if we’re a fraud. Ask Oklahoma if we’re a fraud.
The only fraud is that guy, because he didn’t do his homework. I hope y’all print that.
Word. Print that.
And to make sure everyone got their just due, Dabo let the Heisman community know that they got it wrong too when they didn’t award the trophy to his QB, Deshaun Watson.
He didn’t lose out on the Heisman; the Heisman lost out on him. They lost out on an opportunity to be attached to this guy forever. But this guy, his class, his humility, this was his Heisman tonight, and this was really what he wanted. This is what he came to Clemson to do.
The lesson here? Don’t come for Dabo unless he calls you.
