Following Saturday’s Orange & White Game at Death Valley, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was asked if the idea of winning two national championships in a row motivate this year’s team.

“You know what,” Swinney replied. “That is not even in our conversation.”

In the College Football Playoff era, no team has won back-to-back national championships and no team has done it in the Associated Press’ Poll since Alabama did it back in 2010 and ’11. In fact, since the AP began crowing national champions in 1936—the official beginning of the poll era—just 10 times has the defending national champion repeated.

It has happened just three times since 1980.

But none of that matters at Clemson. Winning the national championship is not and has never been a goal in the Swinney era.

“We never talk about winning a national championship. It never comes up in our conversation,” Swinney said. “It just doesn’t. I just want us to be the best version of this team. That is how I evaluate every team.”

Though he has two teams that won national championships in 2016 and ’18, Swinney points out the 2014 team, which did not even win the ACC Atlantic Division, is still one of his favorite teams at Clemson.

Why?

“They did not win a national championship, but man were they so committed. They were a fun group to coach,” he said. “That defense was number one in the country. I don’t think any less of them than the team we had last year. Just different dynamics. You had injuries. You had different things. I just evaluate them on their commitment, their focus, genuine selflessness of the team, the accountability, those things. That is what matters to me.”

So, while everyone else outside the program will be picking Clemson as a favorite to repeat as national champions in 2019, the Tigers will be focused on their goals, especially their daily goal.

“Our goals, they stay the same. There is nothing up there that says win the national championship,” Swinney said. “Sometimes, those are things you don’t control. We can go undefeated and maybe they don’t vote us into the playoff or something. Does that mean we had a bad season? No.

“I don’t ever go into it that way. Our players, they dream big and all of that, but last year our team had big goals, but it is my job to create a daily focus and to make sure that our daily commitment is greater than any goal we have. That is really what I look for. If I see that daily commitment, then I can live with whatever result we get.”

Back-to-back AP National Champions

Minnesota: 1940, 1941

Army: 1944, 1945

Notre Dame: 1946, 1947

Oklahoma: 1955, 1956

Alabama: 1964, 1965

Nebraska: 1970, 1971

Alabama: 1978, 1979

Nebraska: 1994, 1995

USC: 2003, 2004

Alabama: 2011, 2012