When Clemson opened up spring practice this time last year, all the questions centered on the Tigers’ ability to get past a heartbreaking loss to Alabama in the national championship game.

This year, as Clemson begins spring practice this afternoon, the questions are focused on if the Tigers will have a hangover after its last-second victory over the Crimson Tide in the title game on Jan. 9.

“We just build our program with a windshield mentality,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said on Wednesday. “Whether you win or lose, it is always about what’s next.

“Whether you have just really a bad moment or an incredible high, it is always about what’s next. That is just what we have instilled and part of what we do with that, is we start over. We don’t assume anything. We reinstall the core values of our program. That is who, the what, why and where in how we do things.”

That approach has worked out pretty well for Swinney and his staff in the past. Clemson bounced back after last year’s loss to Alabama to win the national championship this year, and the year before that they road on the coattails of nine straight wins to end the 2014 season to reach the national championship game in 2015.

“It’s back to work,” Swinney said.

The Clemson coach says he has already seen a lot of energy from his 2017 team during their mat drills last week.

“There is a done of energy. I think that went really well,” Swinney said. “There was some change and change brings energy and excitement. There was new opportunity for a lot of people.

Swinney said he is already seeing his team take shape and practice has not even started.

“It was really, really good. I think guys are eager to get back out there and get back to work,” he said. “They all understand what it takes. I have not seen any kind of hangover or anything like that.”

And it is doubtful they will.

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