But results are results.

“We lost three games by 11 points,” he said. “We lost two games on the last play of the game. We are 151-7 all the way back to 2010 when we lead in the fourth quarter. Two of those seven were last year.”

Being on the wrong side of the one-score games is uncommon compared to the Tiger teams of old, which Swinney admits could have been the difference between the two previous national championships he had in 2016 and 2018.

“I’ve had some 12-0 teams that were four plays from being 8-4, all right? We didn’t win the close games,” he said. “We didn’t finish in the fourth quarter. We didn’t run the ball effectively. We played the worst pass defense in my coaching career.”

“So that’s my fault, but it’s football stuff. It’s football stuff. That’s our focus.”

The 2010 team that he alluded to had similar buy-ins, regardless of record. Swinney still saw six players selected in the 2011 NFL draft, and this past draft had nine Tigers head to the pros.

But in 2011, as the story goes, the criticism around the head coach changed. Swinney thought if there was another poor season that year, he wouldn’t be the Clemson head coach.

Fifteen years later, though, he remains on the podium representing the Paw.

“Hey, we came back the next year. We won the ACC, won 10 games,” Swinney said. “If you go back and look at the predictions probably going into 2011, I will be willing to bet we weren’t picked to win the ACC.”

For his players who return, which included linebacker Sammy Brown, edge rusher Will Heldt and tight end Olsen Patt-Henry, who joined him in Charlotte, it’s also a change of perspective.

“Olsen has never had a season like that,” Swinney added. “Sammy has been there two years. He won a championship, went to the playoffs, and then we stunk. He’s got two seasons to draw experience upon.

Will, heck, he won more games last year than he won at his whole time at Purdue, I think.”