Posted by: Josh Kendall on January 14, 2013

Dabo Swinney opened his season wrapup press conference with a public service announcement of sorts - encouraging reporters to make New Year's resolution to "lose five or 10 pounds."

Clemson's coach then turned to more serious matters, taking the final step in the program's development.

"We are going to study ourselves. We are going to study other people and we are going to keep trying to close the gap on being the best out there because that's our goal," Swinney said. "We want to be the best. We don't want to be one of the best, we want to be the best, and I think we're headed in that direction."

The Tigers program is built around the "standard of best," Swinney said.

"The thing we talk about here is the standard of best, everybody trying to be the best they can be," he said. "My best is different from your best, whatever God has given us, making the best of the opportunities on and off the field. That's the message we try to ingrain into these guys throughout our program."

Clemson's win over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl was a huge step in the right direction, Swinney said.

"You can't win 12 until you win 11. You can't win the national championship until you learn to win games like this," he said. "Everything is an opportunity to learn. Everything is an opportunity to grow. We are always studying, always trying to get better."

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Josh Kendall is a staff writer for CoachingSearch.com and has covered the SEC for more than 15 years for papers such as the Athens Banner-Herald, Macon Telegraph, and The State. He’s the father of two boys who he’s hoping don’t inherit his wide receiver frame and offensive guard feet. Follow @EyeOnCoaches on twitter and send your feedback to josh@coachingsearch.com