CLEMSON | Before Wednesday, 23 days had passed since Dabo Swinney visited with the local media.

This was abnormal only in the sense that this season wasn't followed by a parade and stadium celebration that features Swinney filling up fans' hearts and reporters' notebooks.

This past season, of course, ended with the biggest of gut punches on the biggest of stages. And afterward, as Swinney went through his formal postgame press conference in New Orleans, we and most other Clemson reporters were in the locker room interviewing various players and assistant coaches.

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So while more than three weeks had passed since Clemson was overwhelmed by LSU in the national championship, there were still a couple of questions that hadn't yet been answered.