After glimpsing where they want to go, it's back to same 'ol, same 'ol for Tigers

Another week of same ‘ol, same ‘ol, says Dabo Swinney.

But what a sweet same ‘ol it is for the Tigers.

It’s another week, and another challenging preparation for the still-unbeaten, rare air-breathing Tigers, who, like their 1981 counterparts, are in the midst of a climb from humble beginnings into college football’s national championship conversation.

As SB Nation noted in a blog posted Sunday morning “we’re just going to have to get used to the idea of Clemson being a top-five team.”

Thirty years ago, Clemson’s climb into the national championship picture took time, and was dependent both on the Tigers continuing their week-by-week winning and upon teams ranked ahead of them stumbling.

Compared to where the 1981 team stood after winning its eighth game – No. 2 following the 82-24 Halloween Massacre of Wake Forest – this year’s Tigers are going to need more help from more people, in addition to helping themselves.

But two of the more unlikely obstacles fell on Saturday when Oklahoma slipped against Texas Tech and Wisconsin lost to Michigan State.

Of the two, Wisconsin’s demise is the more significant from Clemson’s waiting-in-the-wings spot in the BCS Standings.

Either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State was destined to lose, as will either LSU or Alabama in two weeks.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, appeared more likely to arrive at the end of its season unbeaten, and in challenging BCS position.

Both the Sooners and Badgers are for now safely out of the picture – with Oklahoma ranked no higher than ninth and Wisconsin 11th.

Clemson, meanwhile, climbed to No. 6 in both the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and AP Top-25, and, more importantly, to No. 5 in the official BCS Standings.

Clemson fares significantly better in the computer rankings component of the BCS Standings last week, as compared to the polls, and Clemson was tabbed No. 4 in the Sagarin Ratings – a five-spot jump over the previous week - behind Oklahoma State, Alabama and LSU. That’s something to keep an eye on if the Tigers keep winning and the BCS picture continues to unfold.

It’s quite possible, of course, to make too much of the 1981-to-2011 connection – an easy over-hype that can send those of us least vested jumping to conclusions.

Swinney started off his Sunday night teleconference by disavowing interest in anything poll-related that happens before December.

This morning, the Tigers will have their noses back to the grindstone, preparing for a capable Georgia Tech team that despite its back-to-back losses presents difficult preparation challenges (in addition to owning a well-earned reputation as a big-game nemesis for Clemson).

But Swinney took obvious pleasure in meeting many of the Tigers’ 1981 team members for the first time on Saturday, and in introducing, or reintroducing, the current generation of Tigers to the program’s preeminent trailblazers.

There are, he said, lessons to be learned, and role models to be followed.

“I told our team that there’s not many people out there, especially Clemson people, who understand where these guys are right now,” said Swinney. “And more importantly understand where they want to go. These guys (the 1981 team) have not only been where we are, they’ve been where we want to go…

“They’re enjoying our team, even though our style may be a little bit different. Hopefully we can get the same results. Who knows how good we can be? I don’t know that they knew how good they could be at this time.”