A decade ago, Dabo Swinney was resolute in his belief that the ACC had everything Clemson needed.

With summer rumors rampant that Clemson might bolt with Florida State and perhaps others to the Big 12, Swinney scoffed at those notions and said there was no doubt the Tigers could achieve anything and everything they wanted in the ACC.

What unfolded from there proved him correct: The ACC became a player on the national college football stage, with Florida State winning a national championship and then Clemson becoming a sustained superpower.

There's no way to know what might have been different had Clemson been part of a bloc of schools that joined the Big 12, instead of West Virginia going it alone. But given the astounding success Clemson has achieved in the playoff era, Swinney seemed to know what he was talking about.

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It would be really interesting to hear his candid thoughts on this topic now. Because right now feels a lot different than a decade ago as it relates to the ACC's place in the world.