It’s been two years since the Clemson Tigers have participated in the College Football Playoff. On Thursday, coach Dabo Swinney addressed a narrative that his team is no longer relevant nationally.

Does he use that as motivation?

“Listen, people talk about Clemson,” Swinney said. “We’ve had 12 really, really good years in a row. Some great years in there.

“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, the former Alabama walk-on, though, like most coaches, wants to keep the focus on the first game of the season.

“That’s not going to happen if we don’t win the opener and win the state championship and win this league and win the closer,” Swinney explained. “That’s all we’re focused on. 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.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.