Forget easing into the season. Dabo Swinney knows exactly what's waiting for his No. 4 Clemson Tigers on August 30: "Big boy football."
Joining The Jim Rome Show this week, the Clemson head coach couldn't contain his excitement for the massive season-opening showdown against the No. 9 LSU Tigers, a matchup that will immediately shape the College Football Playoff landscape.
"It’s going to be an epic battle," Swinney said. "They’re really, really good. We know we have an opportunity to be a good team... Both big-time quarterbacks that are going to be pros one day. Both teams have a lot of skill, big dudes in the trenches."
With ABC's top crew of Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler on the call for a night game in Death Valley, Swinney knows the atmosphere will be electric.
"It’s just going to be a classic college football environment right out of the gate," he said.
'We'll Play the Dallas Cowboys'
The game marks Clemson's first home opener of the decade, a fact not lost on the head coach, who had grown weary of starting every season on the road or at a neutral site since 2019.
"This is our first home opener since 2019," Swinney said. "I told my AD, ‘Look, we’ll play the Dallas Cowboys if we could just play at home once this decade.’ So I’m happy about that."
Klubnik's Moment
Leading the Tigers into that battle will be senior quarterback Cade Klubnik, a player Swinney praised for his development and loyalty.
"He could have gone anywhere he wanted to. He stayed here, he’s developed, and we’ve hung in there with him, and now he’s set up to really go have a great season and a great career," Swinney said. "He’s going to be a great pro one day... He is a special young leader for us."
With oddsmakers setting Clemson as a 3.5-point favorite, the stage is set for a heavyweight fight with immediate national implications. As Swinney put it, "It's going to be fun."