The Clemson Tigers are in crisis mode after falling to 1-2 on the 2025 season with a 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech on September 13. A team that entered the year with College Football Playoff expectations has now stumbled out of the AP Top 25, and once again head coach Dabo Swinney is under the microscope.
Swinney, now in his 18th year leading the program, didn’t shy away from criticism when he spoke to reporters on September 16. In a response that reportedly lasted more than eight minutes, he defended his record and fired back at those questioning his future.
“Perspective is important,” Swinney said, according to CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles. “If they want me gone, they’re tired of winning, they can send me on the way, because that’s all we’ve done is win. So if they’re tired of winning … we’ve won this league eight out of the last 10 years. Is that not good? I’m just asking, ‘Is that good?’ I don’t know if that’s good or not, to win your league eight out of 10 years, to go to the playoff seven out of 10 years, to be in four national championships, win it twice.”
Clemson’s historic run of success also includes 11 straight seasons with double-digit wins and seven AP top-10 finishes. Since 2020, though, the Tigers have lost at least two games in every season, including four in each of the last two years. Their 2023 campaign was Clemson’s first single-digit win season since Swinney’s second year in 2010.
“Yeah, we a little down right now. Take your shots,” Swinney said. “But I got a long memory in case y’all don’t know. We’ll be all right. We’ll bounce back. This is a program built to last, always has been, always will be. And if you don’t believe in us because we’ve lost two games … you didn’t believe in us anyway. So it don’t matter.”
Clemson Has Fallen Out of AP Top-25
The Tigers began the year ranked No. 4 but slid to No. 8 after a season-opening 17-10 loss to LSU. Following the three-point defeat to Georgia Tech, Clemson dropped completely out of the Top 25.
Now every game feels crucial if the Tigers want to climb back into contention. Their only remaining ranked opponent is No. 7 Florida State on Nov. 8, but with seven of their final nine games in ACC play, the margin for error is slim. Clemson’s lone conference loss so far is to Georgia Tech, which leaves a path — albeit narrow — to stay alive in the ACC race.
Would Clemson Fire Dabo Swinney?
Swinney holds a career record of 181-49 and is the winningest coach in school history, surpassing Frank Howard in 2023. He made it clear that if Clemson ever decided to move on, he’d continue coaching elsewhere.
“Hey, listen, if Clemson’s tired of winning, they can send me on my way, but I’m going somewhere else … I ain’t going to the beach,” Swinney said.
But the odds of a firing are slim. In 2022, Swinney signed a 10-year, $115 million extension that runs through 2031. His annual $11.13 million salary is among the highest in the country, and his buyout is estimated at $60 million — the fifth-highest in college football, per USA Today.
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