Dabo careful of CFP’s ‘unintended repercussions’

David Hale, ESPN

• Staff WriterJul 16, 2024, 02:28 PM ET Close College football reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012. Graduate of the University of Delaware.CLEMSON,
• S.C.– Dabo Swinney used to state he ‘d be in favor of college football returning to the BCS era for the postseason, and while he’s altered his tune a bit as the sport heads into its first season with a 12-team playoff, he said he watches out for prospective “unexpected consequences”he visualizes as an outcome of the increased focus on the playoff.Clemson’s coach stated Tuesday he expects the shift to a broadened playoff could

  cause regular in-season opt-outs from players or groups sitting their stars if a playoff berth is already secured.”You’ll most likely see some guys, if you’re 4-4 and out of the playoffs, will most likely avoid to Arizona and train [for the NFL], “Swinney said. “You’ll see some circumstances like the NFL, where if the Ravens are in the playoffs and have it locked up with one more game that truly implies absolutely nothing, do you play Lamar [Jackson] in that game?”Editor’s Picks

  1 Associated Unlike the NFL’s last week, however, Swinney noted a team’s decision to rest stars at the college level might affect historic competition games.

  “Possibly you’re 11-0 and have a competition game,” Swinney said, “however you have your most significant foe the next week in a championship game and if you win that game, you’re going to get a [playoff] bye. Those are things that you’ll see play out all through college football.”

  Swinney said college football has actually become more “NFL-like” with playoff expansion from 2 groups to 4 to 12, (and, he stated there’s an expectation it will broaden again in 2 years), shifting the focus from winning every game throughout the regular season to winning enough to make the playoff.In Clemson’s case, the Tigers open this season versus Georgia in a matchup that includes sufficient hype however, because of the broadened playoff, also doesn’t likely doom the loser to long shot playoff chances.

  “From our standpoint, the mind hasn’t changed; we’re all-in trying to win every game,” Swinney stated. “However as coaches, you have viewpoint. Big win, tough loss, you have actually got to proceed since you wish to have a great season. … When you play the very best of the very best, you’re not going to simply stroll in and win every time. That’s not the real world.”

  If anything, Swinney thinks games versus groups like Georgia eventually benefit any team wanting to construct a playoff résumé. He stated strength of schedule will likely end up being an even larger concentrate on which groups make the playoff and where they’re seeded moving forward.The SEC and Big 10

  are currently getting a larger slice of playoff revenue based upon the expectations those leagues will put more teams into the postseason, however Swinney stated he’s not worried about arguments that a three-loss SEC group, for instance, would have a better case than a one- or two-loss ACC team due to the fact that Clemson consistently schedules challenging nonconference games against the SEC and Notre Dame.That’s where the impact of the Georgia game might be felt this season, Swinney said. A win gives Clemson an upper hand progressing, but even a loss– assuming it’s not a blowout– might be a boost to the Tigers’ overall résumé. The key, obviously, is that Clemson performs well on the rest of its slate, too.

  “It’s a big game, and you’re coming right out of eviction playing a team like that,” Swinney stated. “You discover where you remain in that moment for sure. However you can’t let that moment define the rest of the season, even if you win it.”