CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Dabo Swinney learned last season how quickly a season can go sideways.
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season → learn → ?
Swinney’s two decades as head coach in Death Valley have been filled with big moments, huge wins, conference championships and even national titles.
But Clemson’s recent fall from college football’s elite class coupled with his so-called stubbornness to adapt in the NIL/transfer portal era have brought out the critics who contend the college game has passed him by, with some even contending that Clemson should consider buying out the remainder of his $57 million contract.
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Clemson → fill → contract
He hears it.
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He → hear → it
He knows the pressure.
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He → know → pressure
Perhaps that’s what made Saturday’s 28-20 win over Bill Belichick and North Carolina — one in which the Tigers overcame a 14-point first half deficit and a 2 1/2-hour weather delay — so meaningful to him.
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Tigers → ’ → him
“I have been coaching since 1993 and there are certain moments in my career that I think about, whether at Alabama or here, that are etched in my mind that I will never forget them — and this will be one of those moments
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this → coach → moments
,” Swinney said.
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Swinney → say → ?
Swinney said his team showed an “unshakeable belief” in itself.
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team → say → itself
And he’s right.
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he → ’ → ?
They never gave up.
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They → give → ?
That can go a long way.
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That → go → way
Had Clemson lost to North Carolina at home for the first time in 25 years a sky-is-falling scenario would have almost certainly engulfed the program, at least from the outside.
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scenario → lose → outside
And doubt might have crept in.
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doubt → creep → ?
This win, while certainly not against the strongest opponent, kept alive Clemson’s chances of returning to the top of the ACC mountain after finishing seventh in the conference last season.
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win → keep → conference
Every loss in a 17-team conference can be devastating when only two get the right to play in the championship game in Charlotte, North Carolina, in December and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
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two → get → Playoff
Make no doubt it, Belichick also needed a win — badly.
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Belichick → make → win
His NFL resume stands alone.
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resume → stand → ?
He won six Super Bowls as head coach in New England, but his two-year stint with the Tar Heels has been incredibly disappointing on the field and marred by investigations and staff resignations off it.
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stint → win → it
The Tar Heels started this season with two wins.
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Heels → start → wins
Snapping a seven-game losing streak against Clemson surely would have provided some much-needed momentum.
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Snapping → snap → momentum
Instead, the Tar Heels have a week to regroup before facing No. 3 Notre Dame on Oct. 3 in a game that potentially could make or break Belichick’s future in Chapel Hill.
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that → have → Hill
“Every game is a learning experience,” Belichick said.
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Belichick → say → ?
“Win or lose, we learn from all of them.
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we → win → them
Things we do well, we want to keep doing.
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we → do → ?
Things we need to do better, we need to improve them.
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we → need → them
That’s all the way across the board.
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That → ’ → board
Swinney said he feels for Belichick because he’s been on the other side and experienced tough losses like Saturday.
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he → say → Saturday
For the better part of the six-hour game it looked like North Carolina was the better team.
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Carolina → look → game
But on this day it was Swinney’s Tigers who showed the tougher resolve down the stretch and walked away happy and hopeful.
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who → show → stretch
Swinney said his players “grew up” on Saturday.
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players → say → Saturday
He said they showed the toughness and resilience that his staff has been looking for.
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staff → say → that
Whether that carries over to the remainder of the season remains to be seen.
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carries → carry → season
The Tigers head West to face California on Friday night.
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Tigers → head → night
But at least for a week, the pressure surrounding the program has subsided.
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pressure → surround → program
“Those games are not fun to be part of, but if you’re going to be a great team you have to win some like that,” Swinney said.
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Swinney → go → that
“If you’re going to be a great program you have to win some like that.
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you → go → that
Sometimes that is what it takes for a team to really grow and believe.”
___
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team → take → what
The Aporia
