Swinney hopes to hang rare loss on Meyer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Urban Meyer was giving the abridged version of the core values he has instilled in Ohio State football, the pillars upon which he has built the Buckeyes.

There is 4 to 6, A to B, in reference to the effort expected on each play. Power of the unit focuses on each position group. Competitive excellence, which sort of speaks for itself.

“You mean the gameday underwear, that’s not the key ingredient?” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney chimed in, getting a smile from Meyer.

“I’m not saying I don’t wear them,” Meyer responded.

Swinney and Meyer shared the stage Friday morning for the final news conference before the No. 3 Buckeyes (11-1) and No. 2 Tigers (12-1) face off in the Fiesta Bowl. The coaches exchanged handshakes before posing for photos with an ostentatious trophy that goes to the winner of Saturday night’s game — along with a trip to the College Football Playoff championship game.

The 52-year-old Meyer has a résumé few who have ever coached college football can match. No current coach who has at least 10 seasons of experience has a better winning percentage than Meyer’s .854. He has won three national championships, including the first College Football Playoff title two years ago.

At the beginning of this week in Arizona, Swinney compared Meyer to Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne and joked about how he needed to quickly read Meyer’s book to gain some insight.

Swinney, 47, talks about Meyer with reverential deference, but he is on the short list of current coaches who can claim Meyer-levels of success. Clemson needed more work when Swinney took over during the 2008 season than Ohio State did when Meyer became coach in 2012. But since 2011, Swinney is 68-14 (.829), including a victory against Ohio State in the 2014 Orange Bowl, one of only two postseason loses on Meyer’s record (10-2).

The only thing Swinney and Clemson have not accomplished during this run, the greatest in the history of the program, is a national championship.

Clemson returns to the playoff for a semifinal in the stadium where they lost 45-40 to Alabama in January. University of Phoenix Stadium is also the site of Meyer’s first national championship victory. His Florida Gators won the 2006 BCS title in Glendale, routing Ohio State.