Let’s be honest: college football these days is a mess, with tampering and recruiting drama around every corner. But every now and then, you see a little bit of real respect at the top.
At ACC Kickoff media days on Thursday, new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin did something you don’t see much anymore. Instead of taking shots at Clemson or Dabo Swinney, Franklin went out of his way to praise Swinney and talk about their long-standing friendship. That’s not something you hear every day in this league.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
Franklin comes to the ACC after a long run at Penn State, where he made a name for himself beating top-10 teams. He’s a real threat for Swinney and Clemson now. But even with all the pressure and noise in college football, the Swinney and Franklin families have stuck together. Sometimes, they’d rather hang out with each other than deal with the rest of the coaching crowd.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin admitted candidly. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
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Clemson fans know Swinney doesn’t hand out respect to just anyone. There are plenty of coaches out there who have crossed the line—just look at Ole Miss coach Pete Golding and the mess he made with the Luke Ferrelli situation.
Swinney runs a clean program, built on culture, not shortcuts. He doesn’t just hand out friendship or respect. Franklin has earned it, and he knows exactly what Clemson has built in the upstate.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” Franklin said.
All the friendly talk is nice in July, but come October 24, it’s business. Clemson hosts Virginia Tech in Death Valley in a game that could decide who gets to the ACC Championship. This one is going to matter.
And let’s not forget, Clemson owes Franklin one. The Tigers’ last game was a tough 22-10 loss to his old Penn State squad in the Pinstripe Bowl. That rainy day in New York still stings.
Swinney’s defense gets another shot at Ethan Grunkemeyer, the former Penn State quarterback now leading the Hokies. He lit up Clemson for 260 yards and two scores last time. You can bet the Tigers’ defense wants payback.
Franklin wants to show his team belongs at the top of the ACC. Swinney is out to remind everyone that Clemson still sets the standard in this league. They might be friends off the field, but come October, it’s all about who owns the ACC—and Clemson isn’t giving up that crown easily.
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