Dabo Swinney, the self-described former “crawl-on” as a player, was on top of the college football world, having won Clemson’s first national championship since 1981. But even during his moment of triumph, the head coach knew that while the accomplishment was life-changing, the moment would be fleeting.
"You never arrive," Swinney said during Clemson’s press conference the morning after defeating Alabama 35-31 in Tampa, Florida. “You're always striving to get better. What's next?"
What’s next is things only get tougher, especially regarding the 2017 season. Every opponent will be hungry to dethrone the kings of college football, and no one will be sympathetic when the Tigers lose.