By Will Vandervort.

By Will Vandervort

ATLANTA — It’s kind of hard to believe there is a football game Monday night in the Georgia Dome after the “love fest” displayed between Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and LSU head coach Les Miles.

Though the two head coaches will have their teams lining up against each in Monday’s Chick-fil-A Bowl (7:30 p.m. on ESPN), in what Swinney described at the Sheraton on Sunday as a “physical tussle,” the compliments were flying back between the two on Sunday was very unique to say the least.

“I think this Coach is a heck of a guy,” Miles said of Swinney. “As much as I hate to admit it, I would not mind if he coached my two sons. I met his wife and his family and I would not mind if they wanted to hang out with us. Now I’m not ready to go vacationing, yet.”

Swinney was quick to come back and keep the fun banter going.

“I like him,” Swinney said. “Once I found out he was not going to kiss me, I really liked him then.”

The two, who addressed the media for the final time before Monday’s game, really like the other’s teams too. Swinney again talked about LSU’s power running game and physical defense, while Miles spoke about Clemson’s up-tempo offense and its special set of skill players.

“You are at the point now, where you are like, ‘Okay, let’s get on with it and play this game,’” Swinney said. “It’s an honor to be sitting up here with Coach Les Miles, now all we need is Terry Don Phillips here with us.”

Phillips played a big role in why Miles and Swinney will be coaching in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Phillips hired Miles as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State when he first came on board there as the athletic director in 1995, and then hired him as his head coach a few years later. Of course every bodies knows Dabo Swinney’s story and how he became Clemson’s head coach.

“Terry Don Phillips hired an assistant coach a number of years ago and said we are going to give you a chance to see if you can be a head coach,” Miles said. “He did the same with Coach Swinney and we both like to think in some way that we are indebted to that man and we would like to say thanks.

“Thanks that he took the chance on two assistant coaches and now they are happening to play each other in this very prestigious bowl game.”

And now it is time to kick the game off and end this “love fest” for at least 60 minutes on Monday night.

“We are looking forward to playing this game and playing a very quality opponent in Clemson. Now, it is time to play,” Miles said.

Finally!