Congratulations.

This playoff is a little bit different because of the amount of time or the lack of time that you have between conference championship game and the semifinals.

How do you plan to address that and have your team arrested yet in peak form?

Yeah, it's very different.

I mean, it's we just talked about that this morning.

It's It's basically like an open date.

It's almost identical to what we way just had with Notre Dame.

Uh, in fact, I think we've got a couple of less days than we had in preparation for for Notre Dame.

So way play in 12 days.

We got 11 days to get ready, but we got a couple of days.

You know that that you got to give them off in there.

So just gotta maximize our time.

And literally, it's It's not a bowl mentality.

It's normally we would be awful week after the A C C championship game and then have it probably three or so weeks to get ready.

Uh, so it's just treated like an open date and, uh, and get ready, maximize your time.

Uh, and we're excited about it, you know, at the end of the day you're in the playoffs.

And, uh, that's, uh, that, you know, our goal was to win the A C C championship.

And if we did that, we knew we'd have an opportunity to be in the playoffs.

So just proud of this team.

And, you know, we got one goal left, and that's when the closer if we could do that, it's gonna be a special special ending.

The opponent in the semi final on the Sugar bowls, one that you know well, having played Ohio State in the playoff a year ago, what's your reaction to seeing the Buckeyes again?

Particularly again against the Buckeye team has only played six games up to this point.

Well, I mean, not surprised, because that's you know what the committee has has demonstrated over the past few weeks.

So, you know, that's the decision the committee made.

And, uh, you know Hey, uh, congratulations to those guys.

I mean, we're excited to weigh.

All know, Ohio State is a incredibly talented team, and, uh, you know, we look forward, Thio a great matchup.

We had a heck of a game with them last year, and and I doubt it will be anything different.

This year is gonna be a great competitive game.

Both teams fighting probably come down to a few plays, and, uh, you know, we'll be, uh we'll be looking forward to it.

Uh, back in New Orleans, Coach, you've always been terrific at making your team feel like they're the underdog with the were on the other bus, and these guys are so much better now.

You're the favorite, and the numbers come out the way you guys played yesterday.

Uh, people think you're great now, so there's not gonna be this underdog role.

How you gonna motivate your team?

Mhm.

Well, I mean, really, Just do what we've been doing.

I think we've won more games than anybody in the last five years.

So we have been an underdog very much.

We've pretty much been a favorite in just about every game outside of just a couple.

So we just do what we do.

I mean, we respect every opponent we have to have great preparation.

Uh, you know, we have to be, you know, practice with purpose.

Uh, you know, great effort with an emphasis on techniques.

Everybody's got to be committed.

You gotta be committed, you know, on and off the field to get yourself ready.

You know, in every regard, mentally, physically, you name it so really just nothing different.

I mean it, Z, this is something that we we know We're gonna get everybody's best shot every single week.

And, uh, that's been the case for a long time.

So, you know, we're just excited to be back in it and look forward, Toa competing against a great team coach.

I wanted to ask you about your offense.

I think coming into this year, we all knew.

Trevor Lawrence and Travis Ctn and Amari Rodgers.

I think a lot of people forget there were a lot of new faces at the start of the year yet four new offensive lineman Tee Higgins got drafted.

Justin Ross has a neck injury.

He's out.

You've had, ah, lot of less experienced players.

Lots less productive players over the years really step up and make some big plays for you As the season has gone on, How pleased have you been with the players around Trevor Lawrence and those guys and how your offense has really come through?

Especially late this year?

It's been incredible.

And again to me that even further emphasizes the greatness of Trevor Lawrence.

Uh, and that, you know, uh, if you had told me back in March that we weren't gonna have Justin Ross in Gotta and Frank lattes in for all in most of the year, you know, I don't, uh And then tell me that we're gonna go on throw for more yards than any team in Clemson history.

You know, this team broke the 2016 to Shawn Watson.

Mike Williams.

All those guys, you know that are all in NFL now.

Eso I wouldn't have believed it.

Uh, eso the credit goes to you know, these guys stepping up, man, Cornell and Mari have been amazing.

Uh, the emergence of E J are tight ends.

What?

What we've done with Travis et en in the passing game.

What he's done this year, rushing and receiving hasn't been done since.

Say Kwan Barkley on it's only been done four times in 20 years, you know?

So he's been unbelievable.

We've had thio, uh, you know, manufactured different ways.

And and but again, it all goes through Trevor Lawrence and that just to me, people don't really understand how special he is.

So, uh, it's been an incredible year, really proud of our staff and our team for finding a way.

People have no idea what, uh, football teams have navigated this year and how they've had to sacrifice and commit on and to play 11 games and to be 10 in one and a C C champs and to have all these guys out, but yet still do what we did offensively, man, I'm just, uh, you know, really proud of this group, coach.

Speaking of guys that air out No one Turner, the most experienced guy in your secondary gets a targeting cause I'm not gonna I'm not gonna ask about the targeting rule with that needs to be changed that stupid.

That's for another time.

Another day.

You just you just decide.

But it said it was.

I'm just I'm just saying we need to get that fixed later on.

But talk about what that impact means going into the next game, and you could see on the sidelines you guys were pretty fired up about it right away.

Yeah, well, Miss Nolan, there's no question.

I mean, he's been a quarterback force He's a great player.

I mean, you know, and what a great example he is.

You know, he had no, no, no.

Division One offers.

And here we are, talking about him on the playoffs Sunday.

Nolan Turner and no Division one offers.

But here, this kid has has had an unbelievable career.

Uh, he'll be drafted one day, and he's played as well at safety for us this year is any safety we've had and eso.

He'll be a big Miss Force.

But the silver lining in 2020 if you will, is, you know, we've had to play more people than ever.

We've started 23 different people on defense this year.

That's the most by far.

Uh, since since coach Venables has been here for sure, we usually average about 16 a year.

So we've had a lot of guys get a lot of experience, you know, we're getting landings, and we got Landon Zander's back yesterday.

First game.

He's played in a while.

Xander's you know, Joseph Charleston's gotten a lot of experience.

Ray Thornton, Tyler Venables.

Uh, you know, RJ Mickens.

So we've been able to grow some guys up, get some experience, creates um, depth there that we feel good about.

So thankfully, he's not out the whole game.

But hopefully those guys will step up and do a good job so he can get back out there in the second half.

Dab o The one thing that a global pandemic cannot stop is is a pizza party on Sunday and Clemson.

The question that a lot of people want to know is, what type of pizza did you go with today for yourself?

Oh, I'm I'm a I'm a pepperoni guy, no doubt.

I mean, I'll even go double pepperoni if I get a chance to order that, uh, just just just pepperoni.

Keep it simple.

As you guys know, we had crispy cream yesterday and pepperoni pizza today.

That's about as good a weekend as it gets If you're old boy from Alabama, e about your diet these days.

But you got crispy cream yesterday and you got your doubling down on the pepperoni.

Not champion phase.

That's not championship.

Good genes.

Good genes got their carb loading for Ohio.

So Hey, look, don't listen to these guys.

You look to be in the peak of phone.

He does.

Hey, works out every day.

He told me.

I will say Hey, Hey, Kurt.

Kurt?

Yeah.

Hey, Kirk.

Hey, Kirk.

I will say this.

Them herb street boys were tearing that pizza.

What?

You know, that was a good pizza day.

The oh, what do you?

Kirk and Kirk?

What do you do?

Kirk?

Kirk, I wanna know.

Like, do you Do you not?

Do you not talk to them like for two weeks?

How does this work like y'all?

Just not well, you'll see each other for Christmas.

Or do they just cut you off for the next 12 days?

No, I will not.

Just talking question.

I won't say anything.

They talk to Mom.

I'm out of it.

Devil.

Congratulations.

I'll make it the playoff again.

Way.

Appreciate it.

A in this.

Great.

It's awesome.

You're this great guys in this great that we're at this moment.

We're getting a chance toe.

Have football in a playoff.

It's awesome.

I think it's it.

ISS I mean, with all the things that the entire country in the culture and sports fans have been through, been difficult.

It's been controversial, but at least we get to play and we get the pizza and we get to hear about the hurt Street boys trying to go back and win themselves a ring and be able, Yes, show it off to Mom and then there's a lot of and there's a lot.

There's a lot of people out there hurting, and no doubt there's a lot of people out there hurting.

And I know that football brings joy to a lot of people, and, uh, that means a lot Thio To me, it means a lot to this team and and these guys have unbelievable sacrifice this year for all these teams involved.

Eso Congratulations to everyone and they don't look forward to a great postseason.