PHOENIX, Ariz. — There is a reason why Clemson is 14-0, ranked No. 1 and playing Alabama for the National Championship Game on Monday night.

Since their first game of the season against FCS foe Wofford, the Tigers have embraced the mentality that the next game is the biggest game of the year. Each week they have been put on “upset alert” or “trap game” status.

“I always tell people if you don’t think it’s big then lose it and you’ll find out how big it was,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said during Saturday’s Media Day event at the Phoenix Convention Center. “So every game is really a championship game, you have to develop that mentality to be consistent and the only way that you have a chance to be a great program is to have longevity with that consistency, and that’s why we are where we are.”

Monday’s game against the Crimson Tide truly is the biggest game of the year – it’s the biggest one in college football. It’s No. 1 vs. No. 2. It is the National Championship Game.

“This truly is the biggest game of the year because this is it. There is no other game next week unless I can talk these guys into a 16th game and a scrimmage or something like that,” Swinney said smiling.

Since that isn’t likely to happen, Clemson has all of its attention on Alabama.

“We’re excited about it. We have great respect for Alabama. How can you not? They’ve been the standard in college football for a long time,” Swinney said. “Our guys are just focused on trying to get themselves ready to play because that’s what it’s going to take.

“None of the rest of the stuff matters. It’s going to be about protecting our quarterback and blocking at the point of attack. Can we tackle Henry, can we pressure their quarterback? Can we cover? It’s really the fundamentals of the game, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

And it is all based on that one game at a time mentality.