As the ACC constantly battles narratives about its strength on the national stage, particularly in the lead-up to the College Football Playoff, Clemson's Week 1 clash with LSU has been touted by some as a crucial statement game for the entire conference.
But for Dabo Swinney, that's just noise.
"It's important for Clemson, that's all that matters to me," Swinney said bluntly when asked about the game's importance in the larger scope of the ACC. "I mean, like, everybody else creates all the narratives and makes all those stories. I'm just, I just, honestly, it's important. That's what I focus on. I don't make it any bigger than that."
Swinney reiterated his long-held philosophy that every single game on Clemson's schedule is treated as the most important one.
"Every game we play is the biggest game of the year. And most coaches will say that, some mean it, some don't. I mean it," Swinney asserted.
To illustrate his point, he cited a past near-upset against a Group of Five opponent.
"Every game next week, we're going to play a Troy team that almost beat us twice right here, our national championship team," he recalled. "That's a really good team."
For Swinney, getting distracted by external narratives about conference strength or national perception is counterproductive to what he's trying to build day-to-day.
"All the other narratives, all the other stuff that people write about, talk about, I don't, I don't get distracted by that. It really has nothing to do with what I'm trying to do on a daily basis."
His focus remains laser-sharp on the task at hand: winning the next game, regardless of the opponent or the external implications.