First, it was Bring Your Own Guts.
Now, it’s buy all the freakin’ Clemson stock you can buy right now.
One of the best motivators in college football, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney knows exactly what he’s doing. Not everything from Swinney is as carefully executed as his postgame remarks to the sideline reporter — just ask Tyler from Spartanburg — but there’s an obvious method to his madness.
After Clemson’s B.Y.O.G. game, in which it defeated Notre Dame 24-22, the Tigers went on one of the greatest runs in college football history. Perhaps Swinney was trying to spark something similar. After all, he was questioned by Tyler in Spartanburg why Clemson pays him over $11 million to go 4-4.
With its least amount of scholarship players available for Saturday’s game — Swinney later said his team was down 10 starters/key contributors — Clemson was able to pull off an upset win over No. 15 Notre Dame.
“We ain’t had much go our way this year, but the one thing that has shown up every week is the heart and the fight of Clemson,” Swinney told ABC’s Molly McGrath following Clemson’s 31-23 win over the Fighting Irish. “And I know we’re down and everybody’s throwing dirt on us. But if Clemson’s a stock, you better buy all you can freakin’ buy right now.”
"I know we're down and everybody's throwing dirt on us. BUT IF CLEMSON's A STOCK, YOU BETTER BUY ALL YOU FREAKIN' CAN BUY RIGHT NOW."
Dabo Swinney after his unranked Clemson team upset No. 15 Notre Dame 31-23. pic.twitter.com/eyNT7QVYR9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 4, 2023
Love him, hate him, it was a classic Swinney moment. As college football enters its professional wrestling era, it’s always good to have a heel. And Swinney is more than willing to play that role. His failure to adapt to the modern age of college football is why Clemson was virtually eliminated from the College Football Playoff after its Week 1 loss to Duke. But now, after a win over one of the top teams in the country, Swinney wants those who may or have may not jumped off the bandwagon to buy all the “freakin'” stock you can buy right now.
Perhaps we need to see how Clemson finishes out the season before we splurge on stock for a team having its worst season in over 13 years.
