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As stakes get higher in Clemson-Alabama rivalry, Saban and Swinney have grown closer

SportsPulse: From Nick Saban to Dabo Swinney, here are the best soundbites from the National Championship media day. USA TODAY

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Several years back, Dabo Swinney bought a beach house in Boca Grande, an island community in Southwest Florida where he could get away for a few weeks every year from all things college football.

Then Nick Saban moved into town.

“I’ve got kind of my own little world down there,” Swinney said. “It’s just quiet, nobody’s there. Then all crap breaks loose.”

The more visible piece of real estate they share, of course, is on the national stage in the College Football Playoff.