The biggest upset in college football this weekend occurred in South Bend, Ind., as unranked Notre Dame dominated No. 4 Clemson in a 35-14 blowout.
It was the best win of the season for the Fighting Irish (6-3) under first-year coach Marcus Freeman, while the Tigers (8-1) suffered their first loss of the season.
After the game, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney blamed himself for the Tigers’ poor performance.
“I don’t want to overstate it, but this is a very disappointing day and it’s my responsibility,” Swinney said, via All Clemson. “We gave up a touchdown on offense, a touchdown on defense and a touchdown on special teams. That’s the first time that’s happened since I’ve been a coach. We just got outcoached in every facet of the game and that’s on me. That’s my responsibility.”
With the loss, Clemson’s hopes at making the College Football Playoff took a serious hit. While the team is still alive in the conversation with just one loss, a weak ACC combined with so many other zero- or one-loss teams likely means the Tigers will need help to make the playoff, even if they win all their remaining games.
Swinney understands there are high expectations at Clemson, which is why he took accountability for what happened on Saturday.
“I feel the burden from Clemson Nation because it’s my responsibility to win every game, and I didn’t get it done tonight,” he said. “Simple as that. Nobody else to blame but me.”
Clemson almost assuredly will drop in the next College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday. Although Clemson has virtually no margin of error for the final three games, Swinney said the team will not fold in the face of Saturday’s loss.
“We still have the opportunity to do a lot of things on the season,” Swinney said. “In my 14 years, we’ve only had one undefeated season, and it’s hard. Nobody likes to lose. But again, you do it long enough, you’ll have a day like this. All you can do is respond.”
Clemson returns home to play Louisville on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. That matchup is followed by home games against Miami and South Carolina.
More CFB Coverage:
- Notre Dame Deals Clemson a Humiliating Loss Rarely Seen in Swinney Era
- Brian Kelly, LSU Earn Moment of Validation in Beating Bama
- Where Top-10 Dust Settles After a Playoff-Altering Day
For more Clemson coverage, visit All Clemson.
