CHARLOTTE — Following an impressive streak of six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances from 2015-20, Clemson hasn’t been featured in the four-team playoff field over the past two seasons.

The Tigers have reached the peak of the college football mountain multiple times under Dabo Swinney, winning national championships in 2016 and 2018. But with the two-year absence from the playoff, some on the outside of Swinney’s program looking in are quick to say that Clemson has lost its national relevancy.

Swinney was asked about that notion on Thursday at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff and whether or not he uses it as motivation and a chip on the shoulder entering 2023.

“Listen, people talk about Clemson. We’ve had 12 really, really good years in a row. Some great years in there,” said Swinney, who has led the Tigers to 12 straight seasons with 10 or more wins dating back to 2011.

“It’s hard to get to a final four when there’s 133 teams trying to do it. We’ve been there as much as anybody. If not going eight years in a row means we stink, well, I guess we stink, but maybe we can get back there this year and be able to say we went seven out of the last nine years. That would be a pretty cool accomplishment.”

Swinney added that in order to accomplish that and make the playoff again this season, the Tigers have to focus on doing what they need to do to be able to check off the team goals they have each year.

“That (making the playoff) is not going to happen if we don’t win the opener and win the state championship and win this league and win the closer. That’s all we’re focused on,” Swinney said. “None of the rest of that stuff really just — what we can control, and that’s our prep, our mindset, how we attack each day.”