By Rock Westfall
You can love Dabo Swinney and pull for him. You can admire his values, program, and record. However, nobody is sold on his Clemson program being in the elite class anymore. As I have mentioned here numerous times, Clemson does things the old-fashioned way. Its emphasis on academics, brotherhood, citizenship, and responsibility is to be commended. But the Dabo World culture is no longer producing championship football. And THAT is what Swinney will ultimately be judged on.
On Saturday, the Clemson Tigers were mauled 34-3 by head coach Kirby Smart’s Fast and Furious Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia may lead the nation in traffic violations and reckless driving, but nobody cares because they win. And THAT is what Kirby Smart is ultimately judged on, even more than the tragedy caused by Georgia’s life in the fast lane.
Clemson’s defeat to Georgia was a shocking turn of events. The Tigers, who were once considered a formidable force, were hopelessly outclassed against the presumptive national champions. Georgia led only 6-0 at halftime, but Clemson’s inability to make plays and capitalize on UGA’s slow start was frustrating and telling. There was a sense that, eventually, Georgia’s superior talent would take over, and it did with a 28-3 romp in the second half.
Clemson was outgained 447-188 in total yards, a stark difference that highlighted the challenge they faced. The Tigers committed only one turnover, and Georgia had seven penalties for 70 yards compared to Clemson’s three for 15 yards. Thus, the game came down to a startling difference in personnel.
Clemson’s loss to Georgia was a stark reality check to their national championship aspirations. While they may still have a chance in the ACC and for its College Football Playoff slot, the defeat has cast a shadow on their potential for even an at-large CFP bid. It’s a heavy blow to their championship dreams, and will leave a lingering sense of disappointment.
The loss to Georgia raises significant questions about the future of Clemson and Dabo. It’s a wake-up call, demanding an immediate reevaluation of the current approach and the consideration of necessary changes. It’s time to address why Clemson has fallen and what steps can be taken to rise again.
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It’s Recruiting, NIL, & ACC More Than the Portal
Everyone loves to rip Dabo Swinney for his lack of transfer portal usage. There is some merit there but ultimately, the portal is not the cause for Clemson’s fall. Instead, it is a noticeable drop in recruiting quality. Last year, Clemson’s recruiting class finished 14th in the national rankings. The Tigers ranked 11th in 2023 and 14th in 2022. Previously, they ranked in the Top 5 or better for three consecutive seasons.
This pattern shows that the more important NIL became, the worse Clemson has done. Most recruiting services rank Clemson’s NIL collective in the high teens, in the same neighborhood as the Kansas Jayhawks, Louisville Cardinals, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Iowa Hawkeyes.
It’s no coincidence that Clemson is playing more like its NIL neighbors than the nation’s elite. It also hasn’t helped that Swinney is not an NIL enthusiast and has publicly said so numerous times. He grudgingly accepts it but prospects can see its half-hearted. Then they comparison shop.
In Swinney’s defense, if the portal were the key to winning big, Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes would be stampeding college football. Yet they are not. Clemson needs to step up the NIL and improve recruiting to get back in the national championship picture.
Additionally, the ACC brand has been badly tarnished. The league is considered second-rate despite its Power Four status. The ACC lacks the revenue of the Big Ten and SEC and also has seen two of its biggest brands, Clemson and Florida State, sue to leave the conference.
Beyond all of that, Swinney has gotten stale at the job. He is stubborn to a fault and refuses to change. He seems comfortable with his Dabo World culture and record and seems above having to correct course. Swinney comes off as believing that he does not have to change and that his values are more important than keeping up with the Kirby Smarts of the world. Swinney won’t acknowledge that college football is vastly different from when he was leading Clemson to the College Football Playoff each year and winning two national championships.
https://twitter.com/AriWasserman/status/1829959475304026271
Swinney’s Program is Now Indefensible
During the loss to Georgia, Clemson’s lack of playmakers and speed on the field was revealing. At times, the Tigers appeared to be playing in slow motion, and there was never a sense that they could score with regularity against a Georgia program loaded with top-ranked recruiting classes and five-star talent.
The offense was an embarrassment against Georgia. QB Cade Klubnik had 142 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, while the Clemson offense ran for 46 yards with a 2.0-yard-per-carry average. Also, Clemson didn’t have a receiver go over 80 yards.
Brandon Streeter was fired as OC by Swinney after the 2022 season, but there has not been significant improvement under Garrett Riley. More likely, the problem is not the OC as much as it is a drop in quality personnel since 2021.|
After the game, Swinney remained defiant.
“People are gonna say whatever they want to say,” Swinney said. “We do what’s best for Clemson year in and year out. And when you lose like this, they have any right to say whatever they want. So, say whatever you want to say, write whatever you want to write. It comes with it. It’s a part of it. When you get beat like that, that’s on the head coach. Complete ownership of an absolute crap second half. Sometimes you get your butt kicked, and we did today.”
Swinney has refused to adapt, and now his program looks like it is ready to die. Apparently, Dabo is fine with that if he goes off the cliff with his flag held high.
The time has come to ask if Swinney would do better with a reset somewhere else and if Clemson would as well.
