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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL AT THE CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: CLEMSON VS OKLAHOMA

December 29, 2015

Miami Gardens, Florida

DABO SWINNEY: Well, it's great. I thought we were going to be out on the field, so this is good. Nice and air conditioned in here, and looks like we're getting closer to game time. It's been a good week so far.

Q. Has this been a normal game week?
DABO SWINNEY: A normal game week, no. I think we've tried to create a normal game week from a preparation standpoint and kind of a mentality as far as how these guys get themselves ready to play. We've tried to do that, so from that standpoint, today is Thursday to us. It's a team Thursday, and that just kind of helps our guys mentally kind of stay on the same cycle as far as preparation, but all the rest of it, this isn't our normal game week. Normally on a Thursday we might have about three media guys roaming around, so this is a little different.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DABO SWINNEY: Not much of a challenge at all to be honest with you. I mean, they're in the Final Four. This isn't the Russell Athletic Bowl. This is the Capital One Orange Bowl, Final Four. Everybody earned their way here, and we've just spent, whatever, three weeks studying their film, and this is an incredibly talented team. They were an incredibly talented team last year, but our team understands because we've been on both sides of it. You get two or three turnovers real quick, one of them a pick six, and next thing you know you've got some quick scores. You get behind like that against a good team, it can get away from you. That's what happened in that game. We weren't that much better than them. We were that day, but the score wasn't indicative of the talent. So we had great respect for them last year, but the season that they've had this year has been phenomenal, and when you watch their team, you know, defensively they're very experienced, got a bunch of guys back from the team we saw last year, I think nine of 11, and then offensively they've been as good as anybody in the country. They've been as balanced as anybody in the country, and they've got a Heisman caliber quarterback, as well.

Not much of a challenge at all. Players know good players, so we've got great respect for Oklahoma.

Q. Can you talk about the atmosphere and the spotlight, being in such a big game?
DABO SWINNEY: Just like we've embraced the whole season, really. It's just kind of the next game, the next step for us. We've just tried each and every week, we've tried to just really focus on what's directly in front of us, whoever that opponent is, whatever we've got to do to get ready and just try to focus on winning that game. So it's really not any different. We have a formula that we believe in as far as how we prepare, both at Clemson prior to coming down here, and then while we're here. We try to make sure that we have a good itinerary and good balance so that these guys can enjoy the process, as well, and enjoy being a part of this playoff. I want them to enjoy it.

You know, I don't want them to look back and say, man, I wish I had enjoyed that when I had that opportunity because it's such a this is such a small moment in their life. This season, these four or five years that they have in college is such a small moment. So we try to be very purposeful in making sure these guys are having some fun along the way, too. But when we go to work, we work hard. But as far as embracing it, we do that, but we really have just kind of prepared like we have for all the other games.

Q. What do you want to take (inaudible)?
DABO SWINNEY: Just what we thought we would see back in camp. We thought he would be a guy that would get better as the season has gone on, as his confidence grew. I thought Jeff did a great job of kind of bringing him along early, and as he was ready to handle more and more, he's just done a phenomenal job. He's a great young player, young talent, still got a lot to learn, but got a very, very bright future. But he's obviously been a very impactful player for us even though he's a true freshman.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DABO SWINNEY: Yeah, they do some things similar to what they did last year, but definitely schematically they're just different, much more balanced in what they do. A lot of 10 personnel. They play fast. And then Baker Mayfield is the difference maker. He's a game changer.

Q. What does Baker Mayfield bring?
DABO SWINNEY: His ability to make a play go from three and a half, four seconds to like nine. He's just that's a very challenging thing. It looks good on the board and you've got everything stopped and defended on the board and you've got the pocket contained, but you've still got to tackle the guy, and he's a hard guy to tackle. He's very strong. He's not a big guy, but he's powerful and he's got a great lower body, very strong, hard to get on the ground. He and the back are both the same, and it's hard to tackle them. So he's just got great instincts for the game. He's a great competitor, a great winner, throws the ball well when he's creating plays outside of the pocket and buying time. It's hard to cover great athletes for a long time, so you've got to do a great job of keeping him in the pocket and not letting him extend plays. But that's easier said than done, so that's what jumps out at you is he just makes plays. They've got an excellent scheme in how they involve him. He's going to run the ball. He's going to be effective in that. He understands their system. He has great understanding of where everybody is and the little nuances of the position. He's got a great feel for that, as well, just a great competitor.

Q. What was it like to meet Dan Marino?
DABO SWINNEY: Yeah, I think the coaches were more excited to be honest with you, because they all know Dan Marino, but I don't know if they saw him play a lot. They've probably seen some clips. But pretty cool for me. I grew up watching Dan Marino, so it was neat to be able to have a chance to visit with him.

Q. Talk about their fast tempo and the challenge of that.
DABO SWINNEY: Well, that's what we do, as well, so we practice that way every day in practice. Our defense practices that way. Everything we do is fast, so the tempo part of it, we've seen a lot. We just played North Carolina, who's probably the fastest team in the country in what they do.

I think with our league and the schedule we play, we see a little bit of everything, so that part of it is not going to overwhelm us. It's more the personnel. It's one thing to play fast, it's another thing to play fast with a lot of good people, and that's what they have, so that's more our focus.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DABO SWINNEY: Well, I guess it's God given. Yeah, I was dancing when I was coaching receivers at Alabama. We'd win, I'd get in there and dance with my guys. Not anything different than we've done ever. It's just for whatever reason, people have paid attention more to Clemson this year.

Q. Is there anything that separates Deshaun from other great quarterbacks?
DABO SWINNEY: His poise. His poise is remarkable. I think that is a rare quality, especially in a young player. It's one thing to have great skills, size, strength, ability to run, understanding of what you're doing, be able to make all the throws. Those are very measurable things. But his poise is uncommon, and then I think the other thing with him is how he prepares. Very uncommon. To see a young guy that prepares so relentlessly like he does, I mean, he is relentless in how he prepares each and every week, and I said this last year when he was a true freshman, it was like coaching a fifth year senior. That was the conversations that we would have. His aptitude for the game, just off the charts.

Q. What do you know about the stadium renovation project?
DABO SWINNEY: Not very familiar at all other than coming up the escalator, the guy was telling me that they're putting a roof on this thing, so I didn't know that, but I guess it's something to do with getting the Super Bowl. Media people got wet last time in the Super Bowl, and got to keep all the media dry. Let the players get wet.

Q. Talk about the players getting the first look at the stadium.
DABO SWINNEY: Well, a lot of them got to see it earlier, those that got up early to go to the FCA breakfast this morning, and then we've played here. We were here earlier in the year, so they've been here. But I'm sure we'll kind of take a gander out there before we get back on the bus.

Q. What's your impression of the stadium?
DABO SWINNEY: Awesome. It's a fast track, man. It's a fast track, great weather, and we enjoy playing here.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DABO SWINNEY: For us it was Travis Blanks, and for them it was Ty Darlington, their center. They did an awesome job, both of them, and then Charlie Ward was the featured speaker.

Q. (Question regarding Coach Venables).
DABO SWINNEY: Yeah, I think he's certainly got a good feel for just their program and who they are and the personnel and things like that. But I mean, they have a philosophy that's been laid out for 13 ballgames or 12 ballgames now offensively, and same thing defensively.

That's really what we focus on more is getting ready for what we see on tape.

Q. That week off the North Carolina game, can you talk specifically what that was like for you with Deshaun Watson going through those various awards?
DABO SWINNEY: It was great. You know, I think that it was a blur, literally, because we're trying to balance recruiting and going to all those different functions. But I mean, it's a blessing to be able to I went up to New York for Hall of Fame and then went straight to Houston for the Lombardi and did some recruiting along the way, and then in Atlanta for the ESPN show and to see Deshaun win the Davey O'Brien Award, and then back on the road recruiting, and then back to New York for the Heisman. I'm just like everybody else, sit around and watch the Heisman and see the old pictures on the wall, and to be able to be there, that was pretty cool to me, and meet guys like Marcus Allen and Tony Dorsett and to see one of your players as a finalist and to meet the other finalists, I mean, it was awesome. It was a blessing to be a part of it. Got a chance to spend some great time with my good friend David Shaw, he and his wife Kori. We had a great time, went out to dinner, so it was a lot of fun. Came back, got back to work.

Q. Have you ever been in a situation like this, to be on this stage, what's it like for you?
DABO SWINNEY: It's great. There's nothing negative about it, that's for sure. We wanted to be here. There's 128 teams, I think, in Division I, and we all wanted to be in the Final Four. So to be one of those four, I think, is just speaks to the type of team that we have and the season that we've had. But at the end of the day, it's still just football. We've just been trying to focus on getting ready to go play four quarters and try to play well. We've got a tough challenge. So do they. And all four of these teams. You're splitting hairs here. These are four great teams, and that's going to come down to a few plays, and we're just trying to make sure we're the team that makes those plays.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DABO SWINNEY: Yeah, it's real important. I said a couple weeks ago, I'll probably never coach another team, and I'll probably not have any player play on another team that loses the turnover margin six times and is undefeated. I've never been a part of that. So yeah, that makes you pull your hair out as a coach, but the positive is we don't have to play perfect to win.

You know, I think there's a confidence that comes with that. Bad play happens, our guys just keep playing, they're like, we'll figure this thing out, and it's four quarters, so there's no panic with this team.

So that's the positive. But we went into the championship game, and that was a big hope was that we could kind of turn that around, and we did. We won the turnover margin. It was definitely a big part of the game, and it'll be huge in this game. I mean, it was big last year. They had five turnovers, we had none, and that's why the game was the way it was, because we're a good team. If you give us the ball five times, you're get being beat. We give them the ball five times, we're getting beat. That's a huge part. So we want to play a clean game and hopefully win that margin. In particular the turnover margin and the big plays. You know, if you can win the turnover margin and have at least two more big plays than the opponent, you win like 98 percent of the time. We've kind of been an enigma to that this year, but we like that formula, and so hopefully it'll go our way.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DABO SWINNEY: Well, I love Mack Brown, first of all, and I didn't know him, but I called about three coaches, and I had just gotten the job, and I said, okay, I want to take my staff somewhere. Everybody, I took everybody, GAs, strength coach. I wanted to go and study two or three programs. A couple of those programs wouldn't let me come. I won't name any names, but they weren't interested in that.

I didn't really know Mack, and he's like, yeah, come on. So I really I knew a couple I knew Muschamp, I knew Major Applewhite, I knew a couple coaches on staff, and I really wasn't expecting a lot from Mack as far as like his time, so we load up and we go out there for about three days, and it was an awesome experience. Their staff was so gracious to my staff, and we spent great time talking ball and all that.

But I was hoping to get 30 minutes, 45 minutes with mack, and I had kind of a list of things that I wanted to talk to him about. We spent about four hours, and I still have my Mack Brown file in my office, and like I said, I had all these I was so appreciative of that and so just moved by how he handled himself and learned a tremendous amount from that trip. Took a lot back to Clemson. You're always trying to learn different ways, so that was a great experience, and it really led to a friendship.

Mack and I have been great friends now for the last going on eight years. Really good friends.

Q. What did you talk about?
DABO SWINNEY: Yeah, you know, we talked a lot about managing a staff and scheduling. We talked a lot about recruiting. We talked a lot about my personal schedule. A lot of times things get maybe outside people wouldn't think it's a big deal, but when you're a first time head coach and kind of getting going, it was almost like he was reading my mind. I couldn't even hardly get the question out of my mouth, and he had answers for me been there, done that. He gave me the cliff's notes a little bit on some issues.

I have other great mentors, but it was kind of a fresh perspective from a guy that I really didn't know, and he'd been running a program like Texas for a long time. He gave me some great advice, and again, a lot of it was just how probably one of the most important things was how I manage my time, and just making sure that I keep my priorities in order. It was time well spent for all of us as a program.

Q. What's the plan this year with two guys in the backfield?
SHAQ LAWSON: I feel like we've just got to be aggressive and did the same thing last year, with just being able to handle two guys at a time. Both are outstanding backs. I was very impressed when I watched on film how he runs. He's going to be a great player. He's a great player right now, but he's going to be a better back. Perine, apart from running, he's been doing it since last year. We've just got to come in and bring our "A" game and be ready to tackle them.

Q. Does it feel like there's a little bit of heat between Clemson and Oklahoma going into this game?
SHAQ LAWSON: Oh, yeah. I heard they did a lot of trash talking the other day, one of their D lineman. We ain't saying nothing because we've been through that experience before where teams talk trash, like Miami. We're just going to let our game do the talking and handle ourselves. They've improved after the last year, so that's how I feel. It's something between the two teams.

Q. You were smiling a little bit. Do you like it when other teams talk like that? Is that motivation?
SHAQ LAWSON: Oh, yes, sir, I do, I love that a lot. I like to talk myself. As long as you are able to back it up on the field no matter how you talk. It's going to be a fun game. They already said they're going to talk the whole game, so we're just going to be ready for it.

Q. Speaking of talking trash, I heard Brent Venables has talked a little bit of trash during practice. You may or may not have gotten a hit on him.
SHAQ LAWSON: Yeah, yeah, he's been talking trash to us. He's very competitive when he does that scout team quarterback. One day I had I didn't intend to hit him, but I actually did hit him hard, and he got up and shook it off like he went hard, and he didn't have no pads on, so it was crazy.

Q. How is he as a quarterback?
SHAQ LAWSON: Oh, he can't pass the ball, but he will try to take off running fast.

Q. How do you accidentally hit somebody hard?
SHAQ LAWSON: I was running too fast, and I couldn't stop, and then I just hit him. But I pulled up. I really didn't hit him hard, but when I hit him he bounced back up like it didn't hurt. I'm like, man, that's got to hurt. He ain't got no pads on.

Q. How did your teammates react?
SHAQ LAWSON: Everybody started laughing because we know how Coach V is. Nothing fazes him, so everybody just started laughing. We seen when I hit him and everything, and he just got back up and went to the next play, and it was fine.

Q. What was going through your mind when you see him go down? Were you saying, please get up?
SHAQ LAWSON: I was like, man, I hope I didn't kill my coach.

Q. (Inaudible.)
SHAQ LAWSON: Oh, yeah, I seen what he said. He can feel that way. They've got a lot of weaknesses that we're going to expose there, too. That's how he feels about the game. We're just going to be ready to play. I guess he seen some of the stuff on film and everything, but we don't got to worry about that. If we play how we played the first five games of Clemson football, we'll be straight.

Q. He says you guys aren't as good as you were last year. What's your thoughts on that?
SHAQ LAWSON: Oh, I feel differently. I feel like we're about the same as a defense last year. I mean, we've just got to show what we're going to do to them and stop the run.

Q. Do your eyes light up when you look at the Oklahoma lineup and see two freshman tackles starting on the offense?
SHAQ LAWSON: Yes, sir, I kind of did. They're both very talented players. Brown is a big kid, going to be a very great player down the road. I really didn't know that was a freshman until I started getting into game prepping situation. But a freshman on a big stage, he's going to be ready to play me because of who I am, and how I've been playing this year and stuff like that. So it's going to be a great match up between both of us.

Q. How difficult was it for you? I know you were playing, but still, you were kind of having to bide your time the first couple games. Was that a difficult time?
SHAQ LAWSON: No, I've been waiting patiently all my life, startling out when I had to go to Hargrave Military School. I was just patient, and then I knew when I came here I was playing behind an All American like Vic Beasley, so I was just patient the whole time, and when I got through that patient part and made the most of my time, when Vic left, Vic kind of helped me out with that because he had played behind some great players before his time and everything.

It wasn't really hard. I just knew I had to wait my turn and make the most of my opportunity.

Q. Everybody kind of plays the respect card now. Oklahoma is certainly doing that. I was just curious, with you guys, even though you've been No. 1 all year, everybody is waiting for you to lose. Do you get that feeling?
SHAQ LAWSON: Oh, yeah, we've had it all year. We hear every week we're going to lose to a small school, anybody. That just motivates us when we see that on TV during the week, just motivates us to get ready to play and do what we've been doing all year in these games we've been in.

Q. Have you given any thought to the finality coming up for you?
SHAQ LAWSON: Oh, no, I've not thought about it. I've just been focused on these next couple games. I'll probably get that feeling out of the locker room when it's all said and done, how I'll feel about leaving these guys. I'll really miss them and everything and all the coaches and everything. I'm just going to miss them. It really hasn't hit me yet, so I can wait until after the games.

Q. You were talking about those young tackles a minute ago. Are you a lot more freed up now that you're out of the shoulder harness? How are you feeling?
SHAQ LAWSON: I don't know yeah, I can play with a shoulder harness or not. I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'm getting comfortable with both. It don't really stop me. I feel free when I play anyway. If I know my task and my game plan, it frees me up anyway.

Q. When you hear them say they're going to expose you on Thursday night, how do you respond to that?
BEN BOULWARE: I don't know. Hopefully he doesn't expose us. I'm not one to bring up any controversy or make any headlines. He can say what he wants to say, but you can't talk your way to a win. You've got to play the game. You can talk all you want to, but that's obviously how they're trying to win the game. You've got to play the game. You've got to line up and beat the man in front of you, so we'll see on game day.

Q. How is your shoulder?
BEN BOULWARE: It's feeling good. It's back to 100 percent, so it's feeling good.

Q. When was it feeling the worst?
BEN BOULWARE: Probably the USC game. Then it was feeling a little better at the UNC game. It's just feeling good now.

Q. What was that thing that you were like strapped in?
BEN BOULWARE: It's like a sling, and it's like strapped to my front of my shoulder pads, and it's strapped to the back, so I really can't move it at all, which helped my arm out that I had some extra padding in the front of my shoulder pads and in the back, just for like extra support. It helped out as much as possible, but it's feeling good now.

Q. Is it like a labrum type thing?
BEN BOULWARE: No, it was more my collarbone. I hit my collarbone and strained that muscle right there or that ligament, whatever it is, and strained the ones near my AC joint.

Q. So you're just wearing it as a precaution?
BEN BOULWARE: Yeah, I'm just wearing it because I want to. I'm kind of getting used to it now, so it helps out, to might as well be safe.

Q. How would you describe OU's running backs?
BEN BOULWARE: Both of them are very powerful. They're downhill runners. They're probably like old school running backs. Big dudes, athletic, and for them being so big, they have very good straight line speed, so they're all around great running backs.

Q. And going up against Dalvin Cook and people like that?
BEN BOULWARE: They're kind of different backs. I think Dalvin is obviously an All American type running back. He's a great running back. I think Dalvin is a little more shifty. Perine and Mixon obviously have that shiftiness to them, too, and I think they rely more on their power. It's a little something different, but hopefully we'll adjust to it and get acclimated to it.

Q. And Mayfield, putting pressure on him
BEN BOULWARE: Yeah, we're just going to kind of not let him run around as much as possible because I think he makes a lot of plays when he gets to scramble and get outside the pocket and just get on his feet. He's obviously a great player, Heisman contender, so we want to that's one of his best abilities is his legs. He obviously has a great arm, too, and he's kind of Manziel esque, so I think we want to keep him in the pocket and don't let him run around like he wants to.

Q. You said you can't talk their way into a win. What was that a reference to?
BEN BOULWARE: There's a bunch of smack talk going around from their side. They can do that if that's what they want to do, but you've still got to play the game. They can talk all they want to, but on Thursday, come Thursday night, you've got to strap up and play the game.

Q. Have you interacted with any of them personally?
BEN BOULWARE: Yeah, I talked to them. We had our interviews yesterday. They walked in when we were leaving, and we saw each other, and it was like, well, might as well spark conversation. I saw Mayfield, and last year in the bowl game, we had like a little dance off, and I was just like, we're going to be dancing this year. I'm looking forward to seeing you, and the ponytailed lineman, I was like, I'm looking forward to you dancing this year. They're good dancers. I was just trying to be funny. We talked for maybe 30 seconds. That's all it was.

Q. Are they better dancers than football players?
BEN BOULWARE: They're pretty dadgum good football players, too.

Q. Are you surprised how much they've been talking this week?
BEN BOULWARE: I'm really not worried about it honestly. They can talk all they want to. We're focusing on us. We're focusing on Clemson and our game plan and focusing on doing anything possible to get the W on Thursday. We're really not worried we're obviously here, but we're not worried about it.

Q. Talk about the running game and how important that's been for you guys this year. Talk about the development of it and how it's turned into this powerful part of your offense this year.
WAYNE GALLMAN: I'd say the whole development started with the offensive line and the work that they put in over the summer and during the season. It's that mindset that really set the ground game.

Q. And what about the record they have right now; you have a chance to set that school record, all time, just your place amongst Clemson running backs?
WAYNE GALLMAN: Man, that's special for me, man. As we're getting closer to it, it means a whole lot more to me because at first I didn't even know I was that close, so now, just seeing how close I am, I'm glad to be one of those names.

Q. How are you handling all this? Obviously when you see the scale of how big this is, what's this like for you?
WAYNE GALLMAN: Feels like I'm out with my family at a beach resort. You've really got to take in times like this because you really don't get times like this. That's the fun part about it is having this experience with all my friends, my teammates. I'm glad we got a chance to do it.

Q. The Oklahoma defense, I guess what's the key to being able to set the tone and run the football early on them?
WAYNE GALLMAN: To be able to do anything against them, we've got to have the drive, we've got to come to play with a chip on our shoulder and just be ready to play.

Q. What do you think about those guys compared to a year ago?
WAYNE GALLMAN: I would say they're faster, a good team, got a good mindset. They're in the Final Four for a reason.

Q. Any of the guys on the O line that you're closest to, just the way the camaraderie has developed with those guys?
WAYNE GALLMAN: I'd say everybody on the team has camaraderie. That's a big credit to what Clemson offers, because it's just a family feel.

Q. I know there have been a lot of undefeated teams in college football, but nobody has ever gone 15 0 and y'all are two games away from doing that. Is that something you even discuss or does it get back to what Dabo is talking about where the next game is the biggest game?
WAYNE GALLMAN: Yeah, that's pretty much what Coach Swinney, what he tells us. We take every game like it's a championship game, and that's the only reason we're here, because of that. Just also our practice habits, really dialing into the game.

Q. Does anybody at school ever bring that up, though, saying, hey, you guys are a couple wins away from being 15 0? When they bring that up do you kind of brush it off or is it something you actually think about?
WAYNE GALLMAN: No, man, we try to put all that stuff aside and just focus on the next game no matter who it is.

Q. Which guy on the team ate the most pizza?
WAYNE GALLMAN: Probably Eric Mac Lain or Jordan Leggett.

Q. And how about you?
WAYNE GALLMAN: No, I only had two pieces.

Q. When you look at this offensive line, how many fresh faces, not a ton of experience, and how well they're regarded in the ACC, as somebody who's running behind them looking for holes, why have they been so successful as a unit?
WAYNE GALLMAN: I think we just all feed off each other. You know, the offensive line has a really tight camaraderie. They pump each other up pretty much every play, and they also get us up when we're down. Me and Deshaun when we run the ball, we make a couple physical plays, that also drives them to get that extra push.

Q. 1,300 plus yards for you this year. What works so well for you?
WAYNE GALLMAN: Really just running and having fun and not really thinking about pretty much anything.

Q. When you look at Deshaun and how he's emerged as a leader, particularly when he was dealing with so many injuries last year, what's made him the lethal quarterback that he's become?
WAYNE GALLMAN: Just being poised and really just taking it all in and that every game is a championship game, and he's done a good job with that, just leading the offense.

Q. When you've watched film on Oklahoma, Eric Striker is one guy that everybody points to as the leader of Oklahoma's defense. When you look at film can you point out a couple of areas where you feel there's going to be an opportunity to find a crease and take it to the house?
WAYNE GALLMAN: Really, hopefully that play will come. It's all going to be provided by just those basic hits, just a couple running plays to get the ground game going. Maybe a crease will come. I just know their defense; they're very fluid. They move from side to side really good, and they're a pursuit type of team. When that big run comes, it's just going to be based off of a hit them and go.

Q. How does OU's defense compare to some of the other teams you've faced this year?
WAYNE GALLMAN: They're pretty good, but we've played some pretty good ones. Boston College was pretty much the hardest defense I've played all year. If they can add up to that, we'll see.

ERIC MAC LAIN: It had nothing to do with the coaches, honestly. I love the passion and drive Coach Swinney had. Obviously he's a very enthusiastic guy. But really it was just the things that I saw with the players, things that I saw with support staff, I saw the potential for greatness was there, and really I just knew if we could bring it all together, we'd be in this position some day, and luckily it came my senior year.

Q. And to be a dynasty you've got to win it all?
ERIC MAC LAIN: Exactly, so hopefully this will be the spark plug.

Q. I was over there talking to Shaq. It's no secret Oklahoma is talking a little bit this week. Shaq likes it. He said he enjoys it. I don't know if you've got a take on it. Is it something you enjoy? Does it motivate you?
ERIC MAC LAIN: Yeah, I think it's the game within the game. I love talking a little bit of trash talk. But it can get out of control sometimes. I think that guys maybe go a little bit too far with it. You know, my main thing is to try and get you out of your game. That's what I'm going to try and do. So that plays right into my cards, so that's great. But if 91 wants to talk the whole game, we'll have great conversations.

Q. Going back to Shaq, I heard he took out Coach Venables the other day.
ERIC MAC LAIN: We just heard it. We're on separate fields. I guess he was rolling out or something and Shaq knocked him out, and I'm sure he loved every bit of it. He probably gave Shaq a big hug after hitting him.

Q. How about the match up for you guys, you mentioned 91. What are you looking at up there?
ERIC MAC LAIN: I think odd fronts are obviously difficult to deal with. I think that they can really disguise things and bring different things from areas maybe you're not used to. We do a great job with preparation. Our coaches do a heck of a job with just making sure that we know everything that they do. The goal is that there will be no surprises on Thursday, and I think that we've done a great job so far, and we're looking forward to it.

Q. Were they running an odd front last year?
ERIC MAC LAIN: Yeah, so they ran that. That's their kind of cup of tea. They ran down four a couple times against Texas and Texas Tech. They've shown a couple things, and I think we're ready for it.

Q. Is there anything you can take from last year?
ERIC MAC LAIN: Not really. I mean, the motivational levels I guess were different. It was a lower tier bowl. They didn't want to be there is what everyone says. End of the day, athletes don't want to lose, so that only will get you so far. We're just excited to be in this Orange Bowl.

Q. I guess it's safe to say everyone wants to be here.
ERIC MAC LAIN: I hope so.

Q. This time around.
ERIC MAC LAIN: I don't want to hear that excuse ever again.

Q. For a senior, this is the dream. How fortunate do you feel to be in this position?
ERIC MAC LAIN: Without a doubt. All the glory to God for getting me into this situation. I just love that I've been able to do what I can for this team, the leadership role, really trying to guide these young guys and prepare them for where they're going. We always want them to be better than we were, so it's going to be exciting to watch this Clemson dynasty grow.

Q. Have you even been able to think about the finality of this week and hopefully next week? Has that crept in yet?
ERIC MAC LAIN: I don't think so. Coach Swinney does a great job of really making us focus one week at a time, one game at a time, and we can't look too far ahead, but we're just focused on Oklahoma.

Q. What makes this one different?
ERIC MAC LAIN: Just the fact that it's the College Football Playoff. Other than that, we're treating it as just another game. We've been saying that all year. Once you get in the big games, you can finally stop lying to people and saying every game is a big game. But we're just happy to be here and really do our best.

Q. What's been your favorite experience so far?
ERIC MAC LAIN: Probably just hanging out with the guys. We're always at Clemson, always uptight. It's been cool to see everybody just kind of relax, hang out at the beach, go to the games and stuff like that, so it's been cool to just see everybody hang out.

Q. What was it like seeing (inaudible)?
ERIC MAC LAIN: You know, he's an athlete. It's pretty impressive as you guys can tell with his dance moves. He's a phenomenal athlete. Just seeing his competitive drive on the court was pretty cool.

DESHAUN WATSON: I had a pretty good relationship with Coach Richt, but they didn't really show too much interest until my last year, my senior year, and about that time I was already locked in and committed and getting ready to graduate early, so I was just wanting to focus on my senior year. That was pretty much it from there.

Q. Blake was the same way, right?
DESHAUN WATSON: Right.

Q. Did they show a lot of interest in him?
DESHAUN WATSON: I'm not sure, really. I can't really tell you about his recruiting. I just know that he was very big on Alabama and Tennessee, and that's probably the only thing that I really know about that.

Q. Do you think it's because both of you guys have been like a dual threat guy?
DESHAUN WATSON: I'm not sure. I guess none of us I guess we just wanted to get out of the state or something. We fell in love with a different school rather than Georgia. I can't really speak too much on that.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DESHAUN WATSON: I was on the sideline. Yeah, I was on the sideline with the team. I was at bowl practice and rehabbing, so I was there watching it.

Q. What did you think? Were you surprised that it went the way it did?
DESHAUN WATSON: No, I knew that Cole was going to have a great game, and I knew our team was going to play good. Clemson has been successful with or without me, so it's not a one player or one man show. It's about the team. You know, even if you take me out of this game, I think we'll still be successful and can win.

You know, it's not all about me, it's about the teammates and coming together as a unit.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DESHAUN WATSON: We have confidence regardless of the situation. We don't really of course last year was a big step for us, but I mean, this is a whole different year, and we know that we can play, and we know that we're here for a reason. So we're going to have confidence regardless.

Q. How does it change with the National Championship and the stage of this game?
DESHAUN WATSON: Nothing really changes. It's still a ballgame. It's just a little more hype around it, bigger media days, and different activities going around. Just more distractions, but it's still 100 yards, still got to execute and perform at a high level.

Q. Do you ever get a sense that it is a little bit like (inaudible)?
DESHAUN WATSON: No, I don't try to make it that game, and I just focus on my job and what I've got to do for my team to help us be successful and win. He's going to do his part. Mayfield is a great player. He got them to this point, and I'm going to do my job. We're not going to think about who's going to have the best stats and go back and forth with that, because whoever does that is going to lose focus on the real job.

Q. Are there particular players that you're going to be looking at?
DESHAUN WATSON: No, I'm still going to do our job and we're still going to do our plan and perform at a high level. We've played good defenses before, so at this point of the game, it's four of the best teams in the country, so everyone is good. We've just got to go out there and perform.

Q. Last year when you were playing the Russell Bowl, Coach Swinney said he felt like this team was a College Football Playoff caliber team going into this year. What have you seen this year that has you here?
DESHAUN WATSON: We've just finished plays. The last couple of years, I haven't really been around much, but being recruited and being committed for so long, Clemson has just been a couple plays away from the National Championship. Last year we were a couple of plays away from being in the College Football Playoff.

You know, that was probably the biggest difference, that we finished games, and instead of not capitalizing on those opportunities with those plays, we did this year, and we're at that point, 13 0, and having a chance to play for the whole thing.

Q. Were you back in Gainesville over Christmas?
DESHAUN WATSON: I was.

Q. Were people talking about Clemson at home?
DESHAUN WATSON: All over. I've seen a lot more orange than red, so that was a good thing.

Q. Really?
DESHAUN WATSON: Yeah. Gainesville, it's a great town because they're going to be supportive of anybody, and it really doesn't matter where they play at. If you came from Gainesville, then the whole town is going to be behind you. It was all good.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DESHAUN WATSON: Favorite part was probably the beach party yesterday. That was probably the best, getting on the jet skis. That was my first time getting on a jet ski in the ocean. It was kind of rough, but that was probably the funnest part.

Q. Is there an advantage to having played in this stadium?
DESHAUN WATSON: I wouldn't so much say an advantage. You know, we've played in it so we know how the stadium is, and the different things about the stadium. But I mean, we've still got to go out there and play, and regardless of where we play and that, we've still got to perform and execute, and if we don't do that, it's going to make it hard for us to win. I wouldn't say it's going to give us full advantage.

Q. How has Dabo helped you guys handle the pressure of being here?
DESHAUN WATSON: Just be who we are and continue to do the little things and execute on the big things. You know, it's really not pressure if you know what you're doing, if you know what position you're in and you know the situation. We really didn't have any pressure on us. We've just been consistent doing the little things and being Clemson and playing Clemson ball. I think that's why we've been so successful with that.

Q. He seems to be a coach, after games dancing and all that stuff. What's that mean to you guys as players, having a more relatable guy?
DESHAUN WATSON: It's fun. It's a guy that you can always just let loose and be around. It's not just about football, it's about life and just having fun and celebrating the wins. That's what it's all about. This game, especially at this level, if you're not having fun, it's going to be hard to be successful, so that's what he wants to bring to this culture and this program is have fun with it, lighten up the mood, and not make it too serious.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so why not have fun and enjoy the moment.

Q. What's he done this week for you guys, dealing with all this, the media, leading up to the game?
DESHAUN WATSON: Same thing he's been doing before: Regular meetings, motivating us, preparing us on the practice field, preparing us in the meeting rooms, and just really continuing to do the little things so we can perform at a high level Thursday.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DESHAUN WATSON: Just confidence and knowing what he's doing, getting the playbook down and just going out there and performing. You know, he has a lot of confidence, and that comes with preparation and just giving that time on the field on Saturdays and just really getting the feel of the game, and that's what he's been doing so far, so he's been doing a great job, and he's going to continue to do a good job.

Q. (Inaudible.) What do you think about media day?
DESHAUN WATSON: Just a chance to show our brand and show who we are and just really give credit where credit is due, and that's the coaching staff, the fans, and all the teammates and players that's on this team and all the hard work we put into it to get to this moment. You know, deep down it's a regular game, but at the same time it's a lot more hype around it, and we're playing for a National Championship. It's not really so much a regular game, but if you treat it that way, then you won't have problems or have any pressure or have any worries about putting too much stress on yourself.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DESHAUN WATSON: No, I mean, I could have did that at the beginning of the year. I just didn't have to. You know, the first three games well, the first two games I only played one half, so I couldn't really run that much, and then I started running more at Louisville, Notre Dame, and that's when it kind of continued to go. It just depends on the situation of the game and what the game plan is. That's the time I wanted to they wanted me to start running, so it was the coaches' call.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DESHAUN WATSON: Just the feel of the game. I'm not really sure. It just depends on the game plan and the situation. Just really how the coaching staff feels about this play call and what the defense is doing.

Q. What do you do to get yourself ready to play?
DESHAUN WATSON: I do the same thing. You know, I talk to my mom, listen to music, pray, and I just talk to some of the people around me, some of my old friends, and just be calm and just really tell myself, enjoy the moment. I've been doing this and dreaming about this my whole life, so why not enjoy it and celebrate this time.

Q. What does your mom tell you before bigger games, like say against North Carolina in the ACC title game?
DESHAUN WATSON: Honestly, she tells me no matter what the game is, she tells me the same thing: Be calm, be cool, collected, go out there, have fun, trust your reads, trust your eyes, and lead this team, because you're a leader. That's what we've been doing, and once I hear those words, she says, I love you and go get it. That kind of motivates me to go play hard.

Q. Is she one of the reasons that you're able to have that calm approach on the field?
DESHAUN WATSON: Yeah, I think so. That's the way she raised me, through the struggle and the bad times. She's always been calm and cool. Just seeing her do that, that kind of made me to do the same thing and it translated onto the field. She's a big part of that.

Q. Will she be here?
DESHAUN WATSON: She will be.

Q. Is she here yet?
DESHAUN WATSON: She's coming down today.

Q. Driving, flying?
DESHAUN WATSON: They're driving, but they like to stop at different places and see the whole ride, so they're enjoying the moment just like me.

Q. Have you ever seen her out in the stands when you score a touchdown? Do you know where she's sitting on game day?
DESHAUN WATSON: Most of the time I do. I'm not sure where they're going to sit this week, but I'll find out before the game and make sure I know where they're at.

Q. Do you ever give her a special gesture or symbol on the field so she knows
DESHAUN WATSON: I just really point at her, point at my whole family, but it's not really a certain thing that I do. I just point at them.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL AT THE CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: CLEMSON VS OKLAHOMA

December 29, 2015

Dabo Swinney

Shaq Lawson

Ben Boulware

Wayne Gallman

Eric Mac Lain

Deshaun Watson