Dabo Swinney's downfall began when he ranked Ohio State 11th; plus winning on logistics, and a rare Big Ten banger: Doug Rants

Another 10 thoughts on the Buckeyes and college football

Ohio State beat Clemson in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the end of the 2020 season, and the Tigers haven’t been the same since. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State)

COLUMBUS — Another 10 thoughts about Ohio State football and college football, as we’ll give you every weekend.

1. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney went off the deep end in a news conference this week, defending himself and his program after the Tiger's’ first 1-2 start to a season since 2014.

   “If Clemson's tired of winning, they can send me on my way, but I'm gonna go somewhere else and coach,” Swinney said, among several rants. “I ain't going to the beach. Hell, I'm 55. I've got a long way to go. Y'all gonna have to deal with me for a while. I've got a long way to go.

   “If they want me gone, if they're tired of winning, they can send me on my way, because that's all we've done is win. We've won this league eight out of the last 10 years. Is that not good? I'm just asking.

   “Is that good? I don’t know if that's good or not, to win your league eight out of 10 years, to go to the playoffs seven out of 10 years, be in four national championships, win it twice. Yeah, we're a little down right now. Take your shots. But I’ve got a long memory, in case y'all don’t know."

   Wow, chill Dabo. When you’re picked No. 4 in the preseason with a veteran team, and then lose to LSU and Georgia Tech in the first month, there’s gonna be some blowback.

   This isn’t a new idea for Ohio State fans … but dagnabbit, I honestly think the Buckeyes might have broken Swinney and Clemson with that 2020 College Football Playoff semifinal win.

   Or maybe Swinney broke himself, with a little nudge from the Buckeyes.

2. You could argue Clemson’s rise into the elite tier of college football began with the 2013 Orange Bowl win over Ohio State. I wrote a story before that game about Clemson fans traveling with $2 bills, because they wanted bowl sites to know they spent money. They just wanted to be invited to nice bowls. Clemson was still quaint. Then the Tigers beat the Buckeyes — Swinney’s fifth win over a Top 10 team in his six seasons, his third bowl win, and his first major bowl victory — and Clemson wasn’t quaint much longer. Two seasons later the Tigers played for a national title, and three seasons later they won it all.

3. And then … before the 2020 playoff semifinal rematch against the Buckeyes, Swinney ranked Ohio State 11th on his ballot in the coaches poll. I thought he had motivated the Buckeyes. And he had. But he also might have cursed his team — or shown some of the hubris that has turned into a curse for his team.