Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney knows exactly what Terry Smith has endured as the interim head coach at Penn State.

The Nittany Lions fired longtime head coach James Franklin back in October after a 3-3 start, with Smith being named the interim coach while a national search was conducted. Like Clemson, Penn State was ranked inside the AP Top 5 heading into the season, and also like the Tigers, the Nittany Lions stumbled out of the gate.

Matt Campbell, the longtime head coach at Iowa State, has since been named the next head coach at Penn State, although Smith will lead the team in the Pinstripe Bowl.

With the two teams set to face off on December 27 in the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium, Swinney was asked for his impressions of Smith and the Nittany Lions, and the longtime head coach drew on his time as the interim head coach at Clemson and Tommy Bowden parted ways in the midst of the 2008 season.

“First of all, I have great respect for anybody who gets put in an interim situation. I have been there, done that,” Swinney said during the Pinstripe Bowl Zoom call on Tuesday. “It is an incredibly difficult task. All of a sudden, you are thrust into a completely different role. You have to redefine roles and responsibilities. You wear a lot of different hats. It is not easy, especially at a place like Penn State where there is a lot of people who care and are paying attention to everything you do.”

After dropping the first three games with Smith at the helm, Penn State has now reeled off three straight wins, securing victories over Michigan State, Nebraska and Rutgers to end the regular season.

“I just think (Smith) has done an amazing job and they have had injuries,” Swinney added. “Settling them down and finding a way to finish the season, just like we have. Disappointing start, high expectations. But football is hard, and it doesn’t always go your way. But most of the time, it gets worse when things go bad. But what you have seen at Penn State is the character of their program and the character of their players, because they have continued to battle.”

Swinney’s Tigers enter the matchup also riding a winning streak. After losing five of the first eight games, Clemson has now won four straight, including a 28-14 over the rival Gamecocks to close out the regular season.

“I think that is a great reflection of who Coach Smith is and the job that he has done,” Swinney said. “I think it is a great opportunity for both teams to go compete and try and finish your season with a win.”

Photo courtesy of Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images