I went to the Clemson-LSU game this weekend because my wife and her family are Clemson graduates and lifelong Clemson fans.
Before I get into why I think Clemson should seriously consider moving on from Dabo Swinney, I want to say something:
Every LSU fan we met at the tailgate was awesome.
Seriously. Great people, great atmosphere, and everyone we talked to treated us with respect.
Now…
HERE WE GO.
I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER SEEN CLEMSON GET EMBARRASSED LIKE THAT
I have watched a lot of college football.
I have watched Clemson win national championships. I’ve watched them play in huge games. I’ve watched them lose some huge games.
But I don’t think I’ve ever watched Clemson get completely embarrassed the way they did against LSU.
IT WAS TERRIBLE.
And it wasn’t just one thing.
It was EVERYTHING.
The offense looked like it had no identity.
The offensive line got pushed around like they were getting bullied on the playground.
The quarterback play was terrible.
And the defense?
MY GOD.
LSU put up more than 600 yards of offense.
More than 600.
This is Clemson.
A program that has spent the better part of the last decade calling itself one of the elite programs in college football.
You’re supposed to be a powerhouse in the Power Four.
So how in the hell does your defense get absolutely torched like that?
IT FELT LIKE A FUNERAL
I was sitting in the Clemson section, and during the second quarter I started looking around.
Me and only a handful of Clemson fans were still standing up, hoping for a stop, cheering for something, ANYTHING.
The rest of the section?
Quiet.
It felt like a funeral home.
And honestly, I felt bad for the Clemson fans around me.
These are people who have watched Clemson become one of the best programs in the country.
They’ve watched Dabo build something special.
And now they’re sitting there watching their team get dominated in every phase of the game.
That’s when I started thinking:
Something has to change.
DABO, THIS IS NOT THE 2010s ANYMORE
https://lsusports.net/news/2026/09/6/football-smothers-clemson-in-season-opener-51-10
This is where I really want to get into it.
Dabo Swinney deserves an enormous amount of credit.
Two national championships.
Multiple College Football Playoff appearances.
He turned Clemson into a legitimate national powerhouse.
Nobody can take that away from him.
BUT THAT WAS THEN.
College football has changed.
The transfer portal is here.
NIL is here.
Roster management has completely changed.
The teams that want to compete for national championships are adapting to it.
And Clemson?
It feels like they’re trying to win 2026 college football using a blueprint from 2016.
YOU CAN’T DO THAT.
Dabo’s stubbornness used to be part of what made him successful.
Now I think it’s becoming one of Clemson’s biggest problems.
You don’t have to like NIL.
You don’t have to like the transfer portal.
You don’t have to agree with what college football has become.
But if you want to compete at the highest level, you have to adapt to the game you’re actually playing.
STOP TELLING US ABOUT THE TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
https://clemsontigers.com/clemson-football-family-staff
And this is where I think Clemson fans are getting tired.
Yes, Dabo won two national championships.
Yes, he built Clemson into a powerhouse.
WE KNOW.
Clemson fans know.
College football knows.
Nobody is taking that away from him.
But you can’t keep pointing back to what happened in 2016 and 2018 every time somebody questions the direction of the program.
Fans aren’t asking:
“What did Dabo do ten years ago?”
They’re asking:
“What is Clemson doing right now?”
And right now, Clemson doesn’t look like a national championship contender.
They look like a program trying to figure out what happened to the one they used to be.
AND THEN THERE’S THE COACHING STAFF
This is another issue Clemson fans keep bringing up.
Dabo has a history of bringing former Clemson players into coaching positions.
I understand the philosophy.
You want guys who understand Clemson.
You want coaches who believe in the program.
You want to build from within.
BUT BEING A GREAT CLEMSON PLAYER DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY MAKE YOU A GREAT COACH.
At some point, you have to hire the best coaches available, not simply the guys who played for you.
And then Clemson brings back an offensive coordinator from years ago, and suddenly the offense looks like it’s stuck in another era.
Where is the creativity?
Where is the innovation?
Where is the offense that scares elite teams?
Against LSU, I didn’t see it.
I saw an offense that looked completely outmatched.
Dabo Swinney can be a Clemson legend and still not be the right coach for Clemson anymore.
Those two things can both be true.
FIRE DABO?
After watching Clemson get embarrassed by LSU, I’m there.
YES, WRITE THAT 60 MIL CHECK CLEMSON!
This isn’t 2018 anymore.
Adapt.
OR GET OUT OF THE WAY!
-Cock
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