Clemson HC Dabo Swinney Proud of Joining Prestigious 6-Win List

The Clemson Tigers used to be known for competing for national championships under Dabo Swinney, the head coach that's tied for the sixth-highest salary in college football, is proud of reaching another, but less important milestone.

With the Tigers' 36-24 win over Florida State on Saturday night, Clemson improved to 5-3 on the season. Now, Swinney has his sights set on traveling to play Syracuse on Saturday to win game number six of the season.

During his news conference on Tuesday, Swinney told reporters that he's proud of the consistency Clemson has had during his tenure. Only the Tigers, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Ohio State have six or more wins since 1999. 

Swinney's comments might sound tone-deaf to a fan base that heard the head coach talk about how last season's 7-6 record was an aberration, but apparently that's one win better than the standard for Clemson. The Tigers don't necessarily need to compete for the ACC championship or College Football Playoff. They have bowls to fight for as well. 

Despite having three losses, Swinney was happy with the effort his players gave on the road against Florida State on Saturday. His goal is to "punch" Clemson's ticket to the postseason when the Tigers play the Orange.

The "postseason" word Swinney used might appear more generous than what it is. Frankly, a mid-tier bowl game is a disappointment for Clemson. The Tigers should be striving for more under Swinney. 

However, the head coach has to sell something, because the product on the field has not been great this season. There are only so many times Swinney can point to the past to boost his resume.

The final four games of the season for Clemson come against Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Duke, and South Carolina. 

The Orange have shown some fight in recent weeks, beating North Carolina in overtime on Oct. 24 and pulling off an upset of SMU on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets look completely lost this season.

The Blue Devils could wind up giving the Tigers fits. Clemson will be on the road in that game, and Duke's defense is pretty good. South Carolina is now ranked No. 23 and has come alive in recent weeks, beating Florida, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. 

A loss to Duke and South Carolina would really put a damper on Clemson's season, even if the Tigers have six wins by that point. Nothing would feel consistent at that point but mediocrity