Dabo Swinney’s optimism a welcome diversion from doomsday scenarios

Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t have time for any doomsday scenarios and is optimistic the season will not be affected by COVID-19.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney is only thinking about the best-case scenario and doesn’t want to envision a scenario where the college football season doesn’t start on time.

Swinney’s optimism is not new for anyone who’s followed his career arc from interim head coach to arguably the best coach in college football. The man who coined “bring your own guts” after a thrilling win, Swinney mindset is always about positivity and optimism.

So with many, including ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit expressing concern about the viability of the 2020 college football season beginning on time due to the coronavirus pandemic, or even being canceled in its entirety, Swinney doesn’t want to hear about any doomsday scenarios.

“That’s just my mindset. I’ve got one plan, and that’s to get the Tigers ready to play in late August, early September,” Swinney said, via ESPN. “I’ll leave it to the smart people to figure out the doomsday scenarios. We’ve got one scenario, and that’s to run down that hill and kick it off in the valley.”

Clemson might be the preseason No. 1 team In the AP Poll when that comes out this summer. Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne and the Tigers are scheduled to open their season on Thursday, Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech.

Swinney is working with that date in mind.

“My preference is let’s get to work and go play,” Swinney said. “That’s the best-case scenario, and I think that’s what’s going to happen. I don’t have any doubt. I have zero doubt that we’re going to be playing and the stands are going to be packed.”

Swinney coined a new motto for the Tigers, transforming their nickname to T.I.G.E.R.S, meaning This Is Gonna End Real Soon.

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It’s a great catchphrase and it’s important to remain optimistic and continue to work as if the schedule will not be affected by the ongoing concerns about the global pandemic sweeping the nation at an alarming rate.

The truth is Swinney doesn’t know anything about this. Neither does Herbstreit. No one knows anything, except for the medical professionals who are learning new things every day, every hour.

College football fans want a 2020 season to begin on time and continue uninterrupted, but we don’t know the feasibility of this in early April. We may not know in early May. We may not know until the day summer camp is scheduled to begin.

But if you ask Swinney, he’s optimistic and believes in people and uses history as an indicator. Although, storming the beaches of Normandy and walking on the moon might strike the wrong chord with some. But that’s who Swinney is.

He believes in people and makes people believe in themselves, even if it’s a challenge to be this optimistic.

“This is America, man. We’ve stormed the beaches of Normandy. We’ve sent a rover out on Mars and walked on the moon,” Swinney said. “This is the greatest country. … We’ve got the smartest people in the world. We’re going to rise up and kick this thing in the teeth and get back to our lives.”

We won’t defeat the coronavirus by kicking it in the teeth but you can’t deny feeling optimistic and looking at the best-case scenario does help to get through the daily coronavirus pandemic news.

I really hope Swinney is right and the season kicks off in August and we have games throughout the fall and the bowl season and College Football Playoff culminates in January with the crowning of a national champion.

I don’t want to envision a world without college football this fall. I’m going to do my best to adopt Swinney’s optimism. It can’t hurt.

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