As Clemson prepares for another high-stakes showdown with an SEC powerhouse, an uncomfortable statistic looms: the Tigers are 3-7 in their last 10 games against the conference. When asked about that trend on Tuesday, head coach Dabo Swinney gave a candid assessment.
"I would say probably turnovers, not doing some of the little things we need to do," Swinney began. "And probably played some good teams."
Swinney was quick to credit the quality of the opposition in those losses.
"Sometimes you just gotta give the other team [credit]," he said. "I think Texas is pretty good. Georgia, pretty good. Texas and Georgia are playoff teams."
While he acknowledged Clemson's own "critical mistakes and critical errors in games like that," he also pushed back against the narrative, suggesting the statistic can be viewed in a vacuum.
"You can pick and choose those stats however you want," Swinney added. "I mean, we've got some [wins]... in totality, I think we've done pretty well."
Regardless of past results, Saturday's game against LSU provides a massive, immediate opportunity for Swinney and the Tigers to get a marquee SEC win and change the narrative heading into the 2025 season.