Lord of the Ring

by Brendan Paschal

Everyone is making a big deal out Dabo Swinney not giving Kelly Bryant a 2018 National Championship ring. First of all, it’s not a big deal. In fact, it’s not any sort of deal. This is simply an indication of how desperate everyone is for football to return. People are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Here’s what should have happened. Swinney should have called up Bryant and offered to give Bryant a ring. Bryant would then respectively decline. Both hang up the phone, and that’s that. Instead Swinney decided not to give Bryant that option.

When asked why not Swinney responded.

“There’s nothing else for me to say, he wasn’t on the team. Simple as that. We played 11 games after he left, I think, played 15 games. I love Kelly but you got to be on the team. He certainly could’ve been here but he wasn’t. That’s the way it is.”

Two Sides

My brother, Christopher, and I are torn. Because we can see both sides of the argument. On one side Swinney is absolutely right. Bryant bailed as soon as he realized Trevor Lawrence was the future. Like Swinney said, he wasn’t there. That is a lot of football between September 22, 2018 and January 7, 2019. Clemson certainly could have used Bryant against Syracuse when Lawrence went down with an injury.

Furthermore, this seems a whole like the participation trophy argument. You know the one where every 8-year-old kid gets a trophy after the soccer season simply just because mommy and daddy shelled out $175 just for their “little angel” to run in circles on Saturday morning while daddy nurses a mean hangover? It begs the question – why does that kid deserve a trophy for being a complete and utter moron?

The kid did nothing exceptional. In fact, on the contrary. All he did was participate. Now, take that to the college level and amplify it to the national scale. All Bryant did was participate.

More Than Participate

False. Bryant is part of the reason why Clemson went 15-0. One of those first four games was against Texas A&M. While Lawrence was still trying to adjust to the national spotlight the Clemson had to travel to College Station, TX and face an SEC defense. Trading drives in the first half was not effective, and hardly is. However, it was when Lawrence struggled in the start of the second half that Bryant took over. He finished 12-17 for 205 yards a touchdown pass and lead the team in rushing yards with 54 and another rushing touchdown.

After the game Swinney said, “There’s no doubt that I thought Kelly there in the fourth quarter settled in…He gave us the experience we needed in that moment to come out of here with a win.”

Swinney admits that Bryant gave Clemson the W. That’s one of the 15 wins from last year. In such a competitive four team playoff where every win matters does Bryant’s performance alter Clemson’s chance to make the playoff? Probably not. But maybe. Did it help guarantee they’re spot in the playoff? Damn skippy.

This whole thing is splitting hairs, but at the end of the day, I think Swinney should have at least made the offer. Worst case scenario it’s like “The Pen” scene from Seinfeld.

If Bryant did take the ring then Swinney comes off as the bigger man and his fans can whisper smugly how Bryant had the audacity to take the ring. One extra ring wouldn’t have been any chip off Clemson’s shoulder. I bet they are expensive, but Clemson’s budget is also absurd. At the end of the day Swinney should’ve called up Bryant and said “take the ring.”