Early Thoughts from Austin: The future is bright, but defense has to improve

Swinney argues with an official (Photo by Merrell Mann). Early Thoughts from Austin: The future is bright, but defense has to improve

AUSTIN – Following Clemson’s press conference, I arrived back at my seat in the press box to find an informational sheet from the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on how to apply for credentials and a quick look at the media schedule.

This is a not-so-subtle reminder that in the Playoffs, winners move on, and the losers concentrate on Christmas.

The quick reaction here is fairly simple - Clemson fell behind 31-10 early in the third quarter but battled back to make it 31-24 early in the fourth quarter, but each time the offense would find success, the defense would allow…