Ohio State and Clemson will be facing off in the Fiesta Bowl as one of the two semifinal matchups of the College Football Playoff. Neither team is a stranger to all the playoff fun that was started just a few years ago. Ohio State won the inaugural event at the end of the 2014 season, and has been selected three out of the six years.
Clemson on the other hand, has won two national championships out of four tries, and is the reigning national champions from the 2018 season.
Needless to say, it’s two of the programs that have been on top of the college football world, and only one of them will be moving on after the titanic struggle in the desert night on December 28.
To whet your appetite, the two head coaches held a joint press conference earlier in the week to provide an initial preview of the event. Both Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and Clemson head man Dabo Swinney had the utmost respect for each program and was very complimentary in their comments toward the other.
In case you missed all that was said, we have the complete transcript for you thanks to what the Fiesta Bowl put together after the press conference was over. The comments appear in their entirety in the following. Click through and enjoy.
Next … Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney opening remarks
Moderator: Thank you very much. Welcome, everybody. We are extremely excited here at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl to announce and introduce the coaches for the 49th annual game, which is a College Football Playoff Semifinal this year. Ohio State is making its ninth appearance here at the Fiesta Bowl, and Clemson, who was here a few years ago and won here en route to the national championship.
So congratulations to Coach Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney. For those of you who missed it earlier, the game time has been confirmed. It is 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time local, 8:00 p.m. Eastern. It will be the second game of the double-header on Saturday,
December 28th.
Once again, thank you for everybody joining us here today. With that, Coach Day, welcome. Welcome in your first season to the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
COACH DAY: Thank you very much. And first off, I just want to say what an honor it is for us to be going to the Fiesta Bowl, one of the most prestigious bowls in the entire country, and its reputation precedes itself. And we are really excited about getting to Arizona. I just want to say congratulations to Coach Swinney and Clemson for an unbelievable season. And I have the utmost — and we have the utmost respect for what they’ve done, not only winning national championships, but then continuing that excellence.
It’s very hard when you are the top dog, and everyone is giving you the best shot to continue to do what they’ve done. So nothing but, again, utmost respect for those guys and looking forward to a big challenge. Not only are they talented, but they’re very well-coached.
Our team is excited about this challenge. We are excited to have an opportunity to play in the playoffs, and been working hard towards this goal. I thought we finished the season strong, especially the last three games. And we are looking forward to preparing for this game, getting out to Arizona.
Moderator: Thank you, Ryan.
Coach Swinney, go ahead with your opening remarks, please.
COACH SWINNEY: I would say a lot of the same. Just super excited to come back out to Arizona. It’s a wonderful experience out there at the Fiesta Bowl. They just do a great job. And obviously it’s a huge game for both teams, but it’s still been a great bowl-type experience out there in Arizona.
And again, looking forward to coming out. And congratulations to Coach Day and the Buckeyes. They’ve been unbelievable. Just one of the most dominant teams every week all year long. And that’s an unbelievable accomplishment. Talented on both sides of the ball. Just two great programs that I know that will have great will to win, and it’s going to be an awesome environment and a great game. No doubt about it.
It’s a blessing to be a part of it. We’re thankful. And just really looking forward to the whole experience out there. So appreciate everyone being on today. With that, we’ll take whatever questions you have.
Moderator: Thank you, Coaches. Just a couple of quick notes here. Clemson has a 28-game winning streak, which is the longest winning active streak in FBS; followed by Ohio State, who has won 19 in a row dating back to last year. So the top two winning streaks will go head to head here. This is only the second game of the 2019 season that will feature two of the top three ranked teams facing each other. The other one was LSU and Alabama on November 9th.
Next … Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney answer questions from the media
Media Question: Coach Swinney, you’ve been so dominant in the ACC this year. This question is about what Ohio State had to face, what happens when you’re in a close game? What would you say about that? And people have criticized the ACC this year. What would you say about that? How strong is the league?
COACH SWINNEY: Well, we did have one close game against North Carolina and had to battle ourselves off to find a way to win. So we have had one close game. But at the end of the day, this is a new season. And both teams have earned their way here. It’s not easy to win. There’s only three undefeated teams out there. There’s a lot of leagues.
There’s no undefeated MAC or Sun Belt or Conference USA or any other league. I don’t care what league you’re in, it’s incredibly difficult to win, to win them all. And our league has got 10 bowl teams, has been very competitive. We’ve got a track record over the last nine years that kind of speaks for itself. And I think our team, in particular, has shown up with great focus and preparation each week with great respect for every opponent and have found a way to win.
So you can only play the schedule that you got, and that’s what we’ve done. And we’ve earned the right to get into postseason. And we know at this point, you’re playing the best of the best. It doesn’t really matter if you are ranked first, second, third, or fourth. This is the four best teams that has played throughout the season.
And these games are usually just a few plays. We know that the margin for error is very small and it’s going to take 60 minutes of great football to have a chance.
Media Question: How much have you seen Ohio State this year?
COACH SWINNEY: I have seen them several times, actually. I think they played a lot of noon games this year. I have had a chance to see them several times with the way our schedule has been. And it’s just impressive. I mean, impressive. Just built in the trenches.
They’re good up front on both sides. They’ve got as good a players there is in college football coming off the edge. Their quarterback has been amazing. They’ve got great skill outside and great backs that can run the ball. So this is a very complete team, very well coached. And it’s going to be a challenge.
Media Question: Dabo, maybe just a formality, I wanted to confirm is Braden Galloway available for the postseason and will you plan to use him, if so?
COACH SWINNEY: Yeah, still waiting on just confirmation of his clearance. So hopefully we’ll get that and if he’s available, we’ll use him.
Media Question: Dabo, wanted to ask you, you mentioned the game against North Carolina. What do you think it is that your team learned in that game, and in the first month of the season in general, that has allowed you guys to be as dominant as you were for the last two months?
COACH SWINNEY: Well, we were dominant those first four games, too — every game by a big margin. And then we had the one close game at North Carolina. We know the things that we affirmed, that is if you lose the turnover margin, and you don’t make the plays that are there, and the
other team is playing at a high level, you know you’re going to get everybody’s best.
You give up a couple of big plays. You don’t do the little things right, hit your gas, tackle, anybody can beat you. And for us, we were having too many turnovers, that’s the one thing, the first five games of the season. But really the first four, we really played extremely well — very, very well. And then the North Carolina game, we had a rough day. But we overcame and it was actually encouraging to see our guys respond.
Next … Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney answer questions from the media continued
Media Question: With what your program has done, Coach Swinney, obviously the wins you guys have had in recent years, when you think about that 2016 Semifinal against Ohio State, winning that game didn’t win you a national title. But how would you fit that 31-0 win into this era of Clemson football and maybe did it play any kind of important role in you guys proving to yourselves what kind of program Clemson could be?
COACH SWINNEY: I think we already knew who we were. We had a lot of success prior to 2015 — or 2016. Obviously in 2016 played for the national championship out there in Arizona. We were able to take the next step in the playoff and get back to the national championship game to have a chance to beat Alabama. But we made big plays. We were able to capitalize with a few big plays. That game just got us back to the national championship for back-to-back years.
Media Question: There’s always a lot of talk this time of year of this playoff possibly one day getting bigger. I’m wondering what you think of the idea, if you were in a position now where you might have to play three more games, how do you think — including one two weeks from now, how do you think your team would be able to handle that?
COACH DAY: I think it’s definitely something we should consider, not that it would be easy to play three more games. But I definitely think that we should consider taking the conference champs in the Power 5 programs. I just think that’s a cleaner way to do it. I know there’s certain issues we would have to work through, not that now is the time to focus on those type of questions and thoughts. It’s now time to just get ready for the game. In the off-season, I think it’s definitely something we should continue to talk about.
Media Question: This question is for Coach Day. I’m curious, Coach Swinney gave us a pretty good scouting report of your squad. I’m curious what you’ve seen when you watch Clemson.
COACH DAY: Well, first off, you see a tremendous amount of talent. On the offensive side, Trevor Lawrence is as good a quarterback as there is in the country, and he’s been on the biggest stages and obviously one of the winningest quarterbacks that will go down in the history of college football
when it’s all said and done. Etienne is as good a running back as there is in the country.
And then those receivers, Higgins and Ross and those guys are just dynamic on the perimeter. And they stretch you out a lot of different ways on offense, and they do a great job of it. They’re sound, but they also stretch you out by making you defend the entire field.
And then on defense, very, very difficult to prepare for multiple fronts, multiple blitzes. I think Brent Venables does as good as anybody in the country. Again, very talented, but he’s schematically very sound and they get those guys to play really, really hard.
Media Question: Coach, of the two squads, you guys have had the more difficult schedule. How does big-game experience factor in? How do you imagine that will help you going forward?
COACH DAY: Well, I think both teams played in big games. You don’t go to Ohio State or Clemson without playing in big games. That’s just kind of how it goes. So I don’t think the stage will be too big for either side. And our guys and certainly Clemson’s guys have played in this arena before. So I don’t think that will factor in.
Media Question: For Dabo, have you seen emphasis in the past where experience in the postseason has been a benefit for either individual players or, I guess, for the program as a whole when you go into the next year’s postseason?
COACH SWINNEY: It worked out pretty good for us. I think it just comes down to who plays the best.
Next … Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney answer questions from the media continued
Media Question: This message is for Coach Swinney. I noticed last night Amari [Rodgers] didn’t play just as much as we are used to seeing him and Justyn [Ross] after maybe the first half had a big cut on the sideline. I’m assuming it was precautionary for both players and they will be fine going forward, but just wanted to check with you.
COACH SWINNEY: Those guys are (indiscernible).
Media Question: Coach Day, for you, what areas of growth did you see in your team over this three-game stretch where you were playing top 15 opponents week in and week out?
COACH DAY: I think the way that the season played out early in the season, our guys really — we found ourselves in lopsided games where they didn’t really play much in the second half other than the Wisconsin game. And even then, we had our 2s in there the last couple drives.
So as we got into those three games at the end of the season, we found out what our team was made of. And we had to change the momentum swing in that Penn State game. I thought we handled the environment great up north. It obviously went down in this game last night and then had to rally. And we responded in a big way in that third quarter.
So you want to know how your team handles adversity when things don’t go well, it’s easy when things are going good and guys can get out in front of things. But when things don’t go well, how do you respond? I think that shows your character, and I think that was on display last night.
Media Question: You used the phrase. If you had to put it into words, what is your team made of?
COACH DAY: Well, I think you’re talking about a team who has a lot of love for each other, a lot of great leadership, a lot of maturity, discipline. And it goes back to toughness and love. And those are the two things that we hang our hat on. And I think the chemistry and these guys pulling for each other in the end makes a difference, it makes us each special.
Media Question: A couple of weeks ago, about Tee Higgins and Travis Etienne being snubbed by the national award list, how good was it to see Simmons get the recognition he deserves today winning the Butkus Award?
COACH SWINNEY: First time we have had a Butkus winner here. He’s certainly very deserving. And it was pretty cool to be able to announce it today and have Dick Butkus’ son there to present it, and for his family to come down from Charlotte and be there as well. Really great moment and just made the day even more special.
Media Question: Ryan, you mentioned today Brendon White missed the game yesterday for personal reasons. What are his chances of coming back for the playoff game?
COACH DAY: I don’t know. We’ll kind of get that figured out this week. We’ll sit down, have a conversation, kind of go from there. But I don’t really have an update right now.
Media Question: Dabo, just going back a week to your win over South Carolina, you seem to take aim at the current system a little bit or maybe the rankings, I don’t know which. You’re 13-0 again. 28-game winning streak, defending national champs. Yet you’re seeded No. 3. Have you considered just as recently as six years ago the previous system that matched two teams, that you might be left out of the whole deal?
COACH SWINNEY: I don’t sit here and think about it. Yeah — (audio difficulty). You don’t control it now and you didn’t control it then. We have the opportunity, I think. We have been in a playoff game every week for 13 weeks at Clemson. So it’s been great.
Media Question: This is the first time it’s happened, but how strange is it to be in this playoff and your alma mater’s not in it?
COACH SWINNEY: Don’t feel bad. They will be back real soon. They will be fine. They are an unbelievable team. Coach [Nick] Saban’s track record speaks for itself. It didn’t work out for them this year. But I’ll guarantee you, they’ll be back. No doubt.
Moderator: Thank you to everyone for joining us here this afternoon. We’re looking to an exciting game on December 28th and game week starting the 23rd of December.
