By Dave Holcomb
SouthernPigskin.com

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Dave Holcomb on Dabo Swinney being against College Football Playoff expansion.

Dabo Swinney is the biggest high-profile coach in the ACC.

Hes amassed a winning percentage greater than .800 in 14 years at Clemson. The Tigers are 47-3 in their conference over the last six years. During that time, they have won a record six straight ACC Championship Games.

Against rival South Carolina, Swinney has led Clemson to six straight victories — one shy of the series record seven set in 1940.

If there is a single ACC coach that fans should value an opinion (a football opinion) of, its Swinney.

Except Swinney is just like every other college football coach in the modern era. Everything he says is calculated, and he uses the media to his advantage. His comments against expanding the College Football Playoff are no different.

x9cI know when it went to four, it was going to become all about the playoff, and when it goes to 12, its going to become more about the playoff, but its inevitable,x9d Swinney said on July 20 according to ESPN. x9cSome people will say, x98Well, youve been in the playoff. If we can get in with four, were going to get in with 12. Our odds arent going to go down, so its not about that.

x9cOur team isnt for it. They dont want to play more games. And to be honest with you, I dont know if theres 12 teams good enough. So youre going to play more games just to play more games. And I think the more you expand it, the less important the season becomes and the more you become the NFL, as far as all right, youre in the playoffs? Well, you know, why play Trevor [Lawrence] in this game if youre already in? All of a sudden youre not in the top 12 and kids just arent playing.x9d

Swinney doubled down on his opinion at ACC media days. Per CBS:

“I can just visualize being in Tampa after beating Alabama with one second on the clock, and then being out there at Levi Stadium, you’ve been in a championship game, you’ve been in a playoff game, you’ve been in a national championship game. Now you sit there and look at these guys and say, All right, guys, we got one more. You’re just spent. You’re exhausted. What it takes at that level. People say, It’s just one more game. To me, that is a total lack of appreciation for what it takes to win a game, to prepare for a game, to play in a game of that magnitude.”

Having never coached or played college football, Ill defer to Swinney in how difficult it is to prepare for a game. Another playoff game will no doubt be more mentally and physically draining.

It wasnt that long ago that 14 games was a lot for a college football season. With more playoff teams, programs may have to go 16-0 to win a national title.

But Swinneys take cant be seen as completely objective.

There arguably isnt a team in the country with an easier path to the College Football Playoff every year. Again, the Tigers have lost just three ACC games since the start of the 2015 season. The ACC has good competition but no other elite program right now like Clemson.

In the SEC, Alabama receives challenges from LSU, Auburn and Georgia (although the Bulldogs have yet to beat Nick Saban).

Clemson doesnt get that in the ACC. When the Tigers lose inside the conference, its a fluke — it happens on a Friday night on the road or against a program thats technically not an ACC team (Notre Dame).

So why would the Tigers want playoff expansion? Yes, their chances of making the playoffs doesnt decline with a wider field. But it doesnt really increase either. Theyve already made the playoffs six straight times with a four-team field.

And the likelihood of a playoff loss before the championship game greatly increases with expansion.

What Swinney is really saying is it becomes harder for him and Clemson to win a national title with 12-playoff teams. Dont make it harder on him.

Swinney loves to use the NFL in his arguments against whatever he dislikes about proposed changes at the college level. So let me use the NFL as an example too.

The Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints would have loved a 4-team playoff system last year. In such a format, the top two seeds in the NFC would have met at Lambeau Field and the winner gone to the Super Bowl.

But with 12 teams (now the NFLs expanded 14), that didnt happen. Fifth-seeded Tampa Bay peaked in January and beat both New Orleans and Green Bay on the road.

The college equivalent would be a No. 10-ranked UCF or Cincinnati beating Clemson in the College Football semifinals. Of course Swinney doesnt want to see that matchup if he doesnt have to.

I dont blame Swinney for holding an opinion thats going to benefit his program. That makes him no different from any other FBS coach.

But lets not pretend that what he has to say about College Football Playoff expansion is anything less than completely self-serving.