College Football World Reacts To Dabo’s Playoff Comments
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has been an outspoke critic of the impending College Football Playoff expansion, but his latest comments were among his harshest yet.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Swinney blasted the proposed 12-team model that has become the frontrunner for the new postseason format. The two-time national championship-winning coach claimed that his team wasn’t in favor of the possible change and that he believed there weren’t enough good programs to fill out a 12-team bracket.
“Our team isn’t for it. They don’t want to play more games. And to be honest with you, I don’t think there’s 12 teams good enough,” Swinney said, via 247Sports’ Anna Hickey. “The more you expand it, the less important the season becomes and the more you become the NFL. I think the bigger question is where is college football going from a structural standpoint.”
The Clemson head coach also said he wasn’t a fan the four-team format, citing his preference for the original BCS model. However, it was his comments on expansion got the attention around the world of college football.
Here’s just a few of the reactions to Swinney’s comments from college football media members, who found themselves fairly split on the remarks:
he's not wrong. but as we've talked about over and over, that's not really what it's about. https://t.co/DWwPBRpMYu
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) July 20, 2021
nah Dabo's energy seems to be much more about liking "the way it was". https://t.co/VQcanFOG0o
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) July 20, 2021
Almost everything Dabo says is wrong. It’s an amazing skill. https://t.co/kE7cabzG2M
— Mekka Don (@MekkaDonMusic) July 20, 2021
On expansion. Hey Dabo wait until you lose to a Pac-12 Utah or a MWC Boise St. or even an Indy BYU then you’ll be convinced there are 12 teams good enough. What a condescending comment. pic.twitter.com/izKRQoUVjX
— Chris Maathuis (@sports8) July 20, 2021
Many fans (and perhaps some media) don’t want to hear this: Dabo is right about players’ concerns over more games. Being a CFB player year-round is a major physical and mental grind. Playoff expansion will happen but they should reduce the number of regular-season games. https://t.co/VGWZAeg8XW
— Jon Solomon (@JonSolomonAspen) July 20, 2021
Dabo has said some silly stuff but saying there arent 12 teams good enough to win the playoff is not off base. I dont think there are 3 teams good enough to win it most years. https://t.co/I79JDppeS8
— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) July 20, 2021
Swinney makes a valid point by saying that each and every year, there’s rarely 12 teams good enough to compete for the national title. However, the new model should be able to solve other problems, such as the annual debate over leaving deserving teams out of the playoff.
A larger College Football Playoff will also draw more support because it will lead to more games and increased revenue. Although players and coaches might not be happy about having to play more, it’s highly unlikely that they will be able to slow down momentum for expansion.
The BCS mode clearly had its flaws and the four-team College Football Playoff experiment obviously needs to be improved. A 12-team format might not be the answer, but at least it’s a move toward change.
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