Nothing likely to sneak up on Clemson
CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson safety Denzel Johnson is very familiar with the routine leading up to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game.
Like most of his Tiger teammates, he’s been through it before.
No. 2 Clemson (12-0) is seeking its fourth consecutive ACC crown, and the Atlantic Division champion has a big edge in experience over firsttime Coastal Division winner Pittsburgh (7-5) on Saturday night. Johnson, a redshirt junior, said players know exactly what effort is needed at drills and meetings this week to be primed to play for another ACC title.
There’s a difference, Johnson said, between well-prepared and comfortable.
“As far as comfort, not at all, we’re never satisfied,” Johnson said. “We’re just treating this like any other game, just the next game.”
A game in which the Tigers have feasted on first-time opponents.
The Panthers are the fourth different Coastal team Clemson has faced since its ACC title streak began in 2015. The Tigers topped North Carolina that year, Virginia Tech in 2016 and Miami a year ago.
Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott often doesn’t have to tell players what’s next as the week progresses.
“They know what to expect out of each other,” he said.
The consistency in routine is something Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney has built into his program since he got the full-time job after the 2008 season. Players can’t perform at their best each game if they think some games are bigger than others, Swinney believes. So he’s kept the focus on the Tigers and not an opponent, the start time or the stakes.
A victory over Pittsburgh would make Clemson the ACC’s first team with four consecutive championship game victories. It also would propel the Tigers back into the College Football Playoff for a fourth consecutive year and give them a chance at their second national title since 2016.
“I think experience is definitely the best teacher that you can have,” Swinney said. “We have a very veteran team. We got a lot of great leaders. We got a lot of guys, a bunch of guys on this team that have won three conference championships. That certainly doesn’t hurt.”
Elliott thinks players appreciate knowing how the week’s preparation is going to unfold. He’s also confident that if adversity arises during the title game, Clemson’s veterans can call on how the team has handled it in past games.
“I think the guys have confidence in the routine,” Elliott said. “Obviously, they’ve got to go out and execute four quarters and play at a high level. But I think they understand what our week’s going to look like.”
Pittsburgh Coach Pat Narduzzi may be one of the few in his program to have been through a conference championship game experience. He was Michigan State’s defensive coordinator when the Spartans played and won the Big Ten title in 2011 and 2013. He accepts the Panthers can’t match Clemson’s past ACC experiences.
“Clemson has obviously been there before. This will be nothing new to them,” Narduzzi said. “I think it’s going to be important for our football team to obviously stay focused and locked into why we’re there, what our job is.”
A big part of that job is slowing down Clemson’s surging offense. The Tigers gained 744 yards in a 56-35 victory over South Carolina on Saturday, the seventh consecutive game they’ve won by 20 or more points.