Dabo Swinney shares first thoughts on opening against Georgia football

not a lot other than you know I mean you know that there's people that that U like to make projections and things like that but in my experience uh I mean we've we've been unranked and won the league uh we've been ranked 12th and went all the way to the National Championship uh and we've been ranked high and didn't finish as well so you know it it's it's I think you gota it's fun I think it's more conversation creates conversation and Buzz about uh the upcoming season everybody's excited about but in college football you know it it's it's all about where you are in November and December uh not not where you are in July and August first of all you're excited to just play I mean in our world you know unlike baseball or basketball where you play every day or every other day football you know I mean you might have 15 16 17 days out of a year you actually get to play the game that you spend all this time working preparing you know training for and uh so it's always exciting to get that first game and then you throw in the fact that hey you're playing in a kickoff classic uh in a a neutral site you know in a great venue like Mercedes Benz and and uh and oh by the way you're playing the number one team in the nation uh you better believe it it uh that that add a little spice to it for everybody you know so it's a lot of fun eyballs a lot of TV sets tuned in uh you know a lot of viewers I people love college football uh you know you can just I mean you know you can you can just track college football in general and you can get some of the craziest matchups and people still will watch you throw in uh two teams that have won more national championships than any I mean we we we've won two national championships in the last what eight years and they have as well um you know and then it's Clemson Georgia that are about you know 80 miles apart uh with a lot of history a lot of tradition uh you best believe people GNA tune in to watch that one and you'll get a lot of people that'll just want to tune in to to see how this match Up's going to go but um it's great for college football I mean it's a it's a great stage uh it's a big time match up early on obviously the team that can find a way to win the game you create a lot of early momentum in your season I think I think it's how we built our program um you know it's obviously it's it's it's a challenge I mean it's when you go and you play games like this I mean you put yourself uh you know out there but I think that's how you teach I think that's how you you expose your your team to uh what it takes to win at the highest level that's and that's that's how we you know when we've I mean we've been to four national championships six playoffs um we've won this league seven out of the last nine years we were we the second most winningest team in the country the last 13 years Us in Alabama and a big I believe a big part of that is how we've scheduled over the years and so when we go and we've played these games over the years because of what we practiced against but also how we've scheduled you know these guys have a clear vision of what it's supposed to look like and going to look like when you get into these type of do if you're fortunate enough to get to that postseason deal you know it's not something you haven't seen before uh these are bright lights these are are big- time fan bases this is tons of passion and I think it's important for your fans to feel that and your and your uh but more importantly your team to feel that I mean you know I don't think the preseason number one team in the country has lost since 1990 in an opener so uh you know it's big to win any game uh out of the gate against in a game like this but you're talking about you know the number one team in the nation team that's lost two games in three years uh so I think it would be obviously huge uh for our players um and and a lot of wind in your sales early on uh certainly for our fans they you know excited and then it's Clemson Georgia and all the all the Rivalry stuff that goes with that so it's a big deal uh no doubt about it but but I tell you what uh you know we got App State the next week and uh you know you win the game you cele just like any other game you celebrate it you better move on quick uh because you know you'll get exposed um as you go through your schedule because every week has to be the biggest game of of the year that just has to be a mindset so I I think it's important we all know that hey this is an opener and it's a it's it's huge but you know they're not going to give us a National Championship uh trophy uh if we win the game and and so it's a long season ahead you know you look at all the tradition and history that's gone you know from from the Peach Bowl and kickoff Classics and obviously the SEC Championship I've been a part of I was a part of the very first one there uh when it was the Georgia Dome uh and I think that's really I think you know kind of put Atlanta on the map if you will from a from a a college football standpoint when you throw in the SEC Championship there and then the Peach Bowl and and uh you know the history that's that's G on through that and then you throw in this kickoff classic um it's uh it's a great City for sure it's a great sporting City absolutely I think I think perspective I think it adds perspective you know perspective is very important I think in anything that you do and and you want your work to be meaningful you know I mean this is something we're passionate about but but it's also uh you know that you're using this platform that we are all blessed with to play a game that you love uh to to bless other people and to help other people and you know there there will be a winner and a loser on the scoreboard that night um on the field but but I think uh you don't ever lose when you help other people win and I think that that you know when you when you have a kickoff for a cause like this you know you're using the game to help other people win you know and and when I say win I'm talking about you know winning life