CLEMSON -- Nine days before the season opener last year, Dabo Swinney was asked how many offensive linemen he felt comfortable rolling out against Georgia.

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"I think we've got nine guys today that I feel good about," he said. "I think they're very functional, and I think we're right there at 10, 11. We've got a 10th guy that's kind of right there -- he might not be quite ready for where we need him this game, but he's right there. And then we've got an 11th guy that I think is pretty close too. So I feel pretty good about it."

When push came to shove in Charlotte, with Georgia's defensive line doing almost all of the pushing, Paul Tchio was the only backup who played with 19 snaps while alternating with freshman Marcus Tate.

For much of the season, the staff simply wasn't confident enough in the depth to use it in competitive situations. And given the white-knuckle nature of so many games last year, there weren't many opportunities to get the backups experience in garbage time either.

A year later, Swinney is again bullish on the depth of this offensive line.