The hype is deafening. National championship expectations, a No. 4 preseason ranking, and whispers of a perfect 16-0 season. So how does Dabo Swinney keep his Clemson Tigers from getting lost in the noise?
With a simple, three-word mantra: "Win the One."
As Clemson enters the final two weeks of fall camp, Swinney revealed the team's official motto for the 2025 season—a philosophy designed to combat the immense pressure and focus the team on the only thing that matters: the present moment.
"Sometimes you can get overwhelmed with the enormity of what you got to do, what’s to come and expectations, noise... a long season," Swinney said this week. "We need to just be one... and then just win one. When I say win the one, I think that’s how you don’t get overwhelmed."
'One Heartbeat, One Spirit, One Purpose'
For Swinney, the phrase has a dual meaning. First, the team must be unified—a singular entity moving with a common goal.
"We got to be one. Like truly be one. One heartbeat, one spirit, one purpose," he explained.
From there, the focus shifts to winning the moment. While the outside world debates a 16-0 record, Swinney is narrowing the team's focus to an almost microscopic level. It's not about winning the next game; it's about winning the next task, no matter how small.
"We don’t have to win the ten, let’s just win the one,” Swinney said. “And not even the game, it’s just the practice, the meeting, this meal, this night's sleep… just the mentality of like let’s just win the one.”
In a world of constant criticism and sky-high expectations, "Win the One" is Clemson's shield. For a team with its eyes on a national championship, the path there isn't paved with grand proclamations, but with the disciplined, moment-by-moment execution of one simple idea.