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It is not going to be a dream season for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers.
Clemson started the season with a surprising loss to Duke, won two in a row and then came up short against then-No. 4 Florida State. While a College Football Playoff spot probably is not in the cards, Clemson is likely to do more than enough to be bowl eligible and keep fans in the seats.
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Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney during a college football game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Oct. 7, 2023 at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Swinney welcomed the adversity and took issue with how the praise only seemed to come when the team was undefeated. He said Monday of those who criticize the team through tough times that it is "such a terrible mindset" and welcomed the adversity to find out who is with them and who is not.
On Tuesday, he told reporters about the game.
"I don't think anybody's satisfied with 4-2," Swinney said, via Greenville News. "I guess nobody has a sense of humor anymore around here. That's just kind of the world we live in. … It's freaking hard to win, and to win consistently is almost impossible.
"If people don't understand that, I can't help them. I just made a comment of, a little adversity along the way, you hate it, but the one positive is it makes you grow. You also learn who's with you, and that's good."
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Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney high-fives fans during the Tiger Walk before their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 7, 2023 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Swinney added that most of the fan base treats the team well but did not like how the outliers are downers.
"I love our fans. Again, 98.5% of them are amazing. But the other 1.5%, they create a lot of the problems. They're part of the problem, not part of the solution. … I've had plenty of criticism along my way, and it's just part of it. I know what's real and what's not real.
"If anybody doesn't believe in us after what they've been able to witness the last 15 years, they're not going to believe in us. It doesn't matter to me."
The Tigers have six games left on their schedule, starting Saturday when they hit the road against Miami. The team also has ranked opponents in Notre Dame and North Carolina left on the schedule.
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Wake Forest defensive back Caelen Carson, #1, pursues Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, #2, during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, in Clemson, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Swinney has been the most successful coach in Clemson history. He has 165 wins and two national championships.