Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Roles have reversed rapidly for No. 1 Clemson and South Carolina

Around this time last year, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney had to answer continued questions about his five-game losing streak to Steve Spurrier and in-state rival South Carolina. No matter how good the Tigers had been, South Carolina seemed to be one step ahead.

Now, No. 1 Clemson is about two football fields ahead, poised for a spot in the College Football Playoff while South Carolina stumbles to its worst season since 1999. What is remarkable, though, is the way the rivalry has turned so quickly. Clemson ended the long losing streak last year in Death Valley; the Tigers are 17.5-point favorites going into their game Saturday.

“Those older guys understand that it was something we needed to get corrected and get changed, and that senior class last year was pretty special because they got us back on the right track, the right side of things,” Swinney said. “We want all these guys to leave here with winning records against their in-state rival.”

Swinney beat South Carolina in 2008 as interim coach. But the Tigers’ rise to prominence coincided with South Carolina’s rise to prominence. From 2011-13, both were ranked in the Top 20 at the time they played. But Clemson found ways to lose. The Tigers were a combined minus-8 in turnover margin in those three losses.

Over that same span, Clemson lost a total of eight games -- five combined to South Carolina and ACC rival Florida State -- prompting many to wonder why the Tigers seemed to fail on the big stage against their big rivals. Any discussion about Swinney as a coach circled back to his losing record against both those schools. If Clemson beats South Carolina as expected Saturday, this would be the first time Swinney has beaten both the Gamecocks and Seminoles in the same season.

All of a sudden, Clemson has gone from the team that can’t beat South Carolina and Florida State, to the team that can’t lose, period.

“The outhouse to the penthouse and the reverse is really quick,” athletic director Dan Radakovich said recently when asked about the reversal between the programs.

Through the losing streak, Swinney always stayed upbeat, even though he could not go anywhere without being reminded that South Carolina had the upper hand. Finally, he has managed to change the narrative surrounding Clemson. The narrative in Columbia has been changed too, given the disaster this season has become. Not only did Spurrier resign midseason as the losses started to pile up, South Carolina lost to The Citadel last weekend.

"I don't even know their record now. I just know we're 11-0. That's how we roll around here," quarterback Deshaun Watson told reporters Monday.

Swinney, always quick with a jab for Spurrier during their many meetings, called what has happened to South Carolina “cyclical.”

“You just keep working, keep your head down, keep plugging along and just focus on the things you control, don’t let one game define you,” Swinney said. “That’s what we’ve done as a program. The teams we lost to at South Carolina were really good teams that a lot of people lost to, and they had a nice run.

“Sometimes those things are kind of cyclical. We’re just trying to be the best that we can be at Clemson. That’s a game that we haven’t done very well the past few years so it was good last year to be able to get back on top, but that was last year. It’s all about this game now, these four quarters. Everybody will forget about last year real quick, they’ll forget about last week real quick, if you don’t play well this week. That’s our mentality that we have, not just playing South Carolina. We want to put our best foot forward every game.”

Indeed, many are expecting Clemson to blow out South Carolina given the disparity between the teams. A big victory is even more important considering the College Football Playoff committee will be comparing resumes much more closely with only two games left.

Scoring margin will mean little to the Tigers, though. They just want to have a winning streak of their own over the Gamecocks.

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