Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said it was clear a better team had won after Ohio State’s Clemson went 49-28 in the playoff semifinals at the Allistot Sugar Bowl on Friday. But Sweeney’s respect for where he placed bullets on his ballot in the USA Today coaches poll will not change.
Swinney criticized Ohio State for finishing 11th in the playoffs, a decision he said he made only after playing six games for the Buccaneers, and he said after Friday’s defeat that he had doubts that inspired him.
“I have no regrets and I have nothing to do with the motivation to vote,” Swinney said. “Both teams were very motivated to play.”
Swinney reiterated that his ranking does not mean underestimating the talent of Ohio State, but instead decided not to put any team in his top 10 with less than 9 games.
After the game, Ohio State coach Ryan Day said his team is excited to play, partly because of the rankings, but even more so because of memories of Clemson losing his puff loss last year.
“I don’t know if we’re more excited about the opportunity to play in the national championship,” Day said, “or we’re changing to losing.”
Day said he had no harsh feelings about Swinney’s ranking, and after Friday’s game, the Clemson coach told him, “Go out and win it all.”
Swinney dismissed any notion that Ohio State added motivation to win, saying his team was ready and focused, but he could not run well on the talented Buccaneers team.
“They’re a great team,” Swinney said. “[The ranking] Ohio had nothing to do with the state. I said they are good enough to beat us, good enough to win the whole dang. But to anyone who didn’t play at least nine games in my poll I didn’t think I was going to put them in the top 10, so I wouldn’t change that because I had a chance we could play them. So I have no regrets about that. The only excuse is not doing a good enough job to prepare my team. But I have no regrets about that. “
Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert said a high ranking by Sweeney would certainly not have changed the result, but it would have helped make Friday’s impressive performance a little salty.
“Anything inspires you, no matter what he says or what we say,” Rookert said. “This is the biggest stage of college football. If it doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what you’re doing here. We definitely heard what he was saying and used it as inspiration, but on stage, platform playoffs and beyond. The chance to grow, that’s the motivation in itself. Now we just have to keep that energy going. “
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