Dabo Swinney year-by-year record at Clemson

So, we've all heard it when noticing that Harbaugh is 0-4 vs OSU, 2-7 vs OSU+ND+MSU, 1-3 in bowls, & hasn't won a division championship, never mind a conference, or CFP birth: hah!... He's no Dabo Swinney. Well, I delved deeper in Dabo's record (& what he's done at Clemson is phenomenal; arguably the best coaching performance in taking a team from the dregs to NtlChampion powerhouse, maybe only Urban Meyer at Utah & Boise compares, (Saban had Alabama, so, I mean...)) (and let me also stipulate up-front: Harbaugh brought UM back from dumpster fire to 10-3 consistently, and .500+ records v. MSU, PSU, UW, all the conference except tOSU, & no more laughing-stock losses, but, and it's a huge but: we want more, we want that next step to & over the top: damn straight we do!)  ...but, anyway, I delved, and I was surprised: Dabo's record looks a lot like Harbaugh's actually year-to-year: (source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabo_Swinney)

2008Clemson4–3[A 1]3–2T–3rd (Atlantic)L Gator

2009Clemson9–56–21st (Atlantic)W Music City24

2010Clemson6–74–4T–4th (Atlantic)L Meineke Car Care

2011Clemson10–46–21st (Atlantic)L Orange†2222

2012Clemson11–27–1T–1st (Atlantic)W Chick-fil-A911

2013Clemson11–27–12nd (Atlantic)W Orange†78

2014Clemson10–36–22nd (Atlantic)W Russell Athletic1515

2015Clemson14–18–01st (Atlantic)W Orange†, L CFP NCG†22

2016Clemson14–17–1T–1st (Atlantic)W Fiesta†, W CFP NCG†11

2017Clemson12–27–11st (Atlantic)L Sugar†44

2018Clemson15–08–01st (Atlantic)W Cotton†, W CFP NCG†11

What?! you say. He won a division championship his first full year, 2009, for starters. Yes, yes he did. With 2 conference losses, 9-5 season overall, and losses to both Clemson's 2 rivals: FSU (their OSU) & USCar (their MSU, only: LOL!), and a bowl win over Kentucky (supposedly good that year).

But surely he turned it on in 2010 and never looked back from there? Nope, 6-7 his second year, with two more losses to FSU and a bowl loss (Meineke Car Care, to USF).

Yes, yes, you say, but then he started winning his conference and never looked back, just in his 3rd year, 2011. Well... right you are, he won a conference championship! In the ACC..., with 2 conference losses and a 10-4 record overall, two more losses to their two rivals, FSU (legit still) and USCar (a top-20 team that year, actually): 0-6 now in year 3. Oh, and another Bowl loss, 1-2, a 33-70 (!!, not a typo) drubbing to W. Virginia...

Year 4, though, 2012 it was clear Clemson was BACK! (Back? If there, they were NOW there, hadn't ever been there before, but I digress...) 2012 was indeed a landmark year, 11-2, _tied_ for ACC (ahem) champs again, but once more and still: 2 more losses to FSU & USCar (0-8, if you're keeping track), and a bowl win in the Chick-fil-A against LSU (impressive). Maybe DS's record starting to look better than JH?  DS at this point has 1 division & 1 conference championship already, but won those on basically same records as JH's (and worse cumulative record), in the ACC Atlantic, and same 1-3 bowl, and worse 0-8 rivals, so: DS probably better? But not a laughably easy call, as many of us, including me before I looked, thought.

From 2013, year 5 (and a half, if you count the 7 games in 2008, 4-3), the ascendancy was complete, right? Well... Actually... That year and the next, the results: 2nd in ACC, no division titles, 11-2 (7-1) and 10-3 (6-2), which slightly better than JH yr 4 maybe?, and again 0-2 vs FSU & USCar in 2013 (that's 0-10 vs rivals) and finally, in 2014, a win v (mighty /s) USCar, but still a loss v. FSU (1-11 vs rivals).

Yeah, whatever RJWolvie, Harbaugh apologist, we know Clemson is dominant and always beats its rivals, wins ACC for sure, and competes for national championships, every year, and Dabo did that so fast, why can't Jim? Well, actually, it really does finally come together and more clearly into focus around then. 2015. Year 7. 14-1 (8-0), CFP, NCG (tough loss to AL). And they haven't looked back.

So, my point? Actually, DS to same point in his career had...maybe?...maybe a slightly better record (not win %, JH's is better, but record of comparable achievements? Maybe. But it's sure not a laughably easy comparison. DS' achievements, by which we rightly put him as among the best, arguably the best, among active coaches: those don't begin to take any kind of discernible shape until at least year 4(& a half) and not fully clear until year 7 (& a half). Before 4.5, JH arguably has a better record, but never mind...let's go back to blaming him for not turning 12 prior years of 0*-12* vs. OSU (really, you want to count win over 6-7 Fickel sanctioned team?), 7 prior years of dumpster fires (& 1 miraculous 11-2 year), for failing to turn that around into where Clemson is today (13 years post Dabo becomes HC) by now (short recruiting cycle & 4 years & 2 games)?

NOPE. The real questions are: do we think JH & UM are on a trajectory even somewhat like what DS' turned into? If not, do we think we can get onto such a trajectory with a change away from JH after this year, say, if it doesn't go "well"? Those are legit questions. I ponder them myself, but: The notion that JH has failed here is, in a word, LUDICROUS!, as also is, it turns out, the false-upon-closer-inspection notion that DS (and my guess is any other) has achieved such a turnaround into NtlChamp contenders elsewhere in less time than JH has had here.

...maybe this shoulda been a diary. (First time post; more of a TED talk, I guess, but had to get it out of my system after having done that deep dive.)