It wasn’t that long ago that Clemson was basically untouchable.
From 2015 through 2020, Dabo Swinney turned the Tigers into one of the two or three best programs in college football.
National championships. College Football Playoff appearances. NFL quarterbacks. Dominant defenses.
Clemson was a machine.
Now?
It feels like we’re watching a completely different program.
The Tigers have spent the last several years failing to meet the standard Dabo created, and last season might have been the most disappointing example yet.
Clemson finished 7-6 in 2025, a completely unacceptable record for a program that still expects to compete for ACC and national championships.
And eventually, we have to stop treating these seasons like anomalies.
Clemson hasn’t seriously competed for a national championship in years.
That’s why Saturday’s opener against Lane Kiffin and LSU feels so important.
This isn’t just another Week 1 game.
It’s an opportunity for Dabo to remind everyone Clemson still belongs at the big-boy table.
The Tigers will have a new quarterback in Christopher Vizzina, and asking him to walk into LSU and immediately fix everything isn’t exactly fair.
But Clemson doesn’t get the luxury of patience anymore.
Dabo is entering his 18th full season as Clemson’s head coach. He’s already accomplished more than almost any coach in college football history.
The question now is whether he can get Clemson back to that level again.
Because another eight- or nine-win season isn’t going to convince anybody.
And another 7-6 disaster would create even bigger questions about where this program is headed.
Clemson doesn’t need to become the Clemson of 2018 overnight.
But we need to see signs that program still exists somewhere.
Saturday night against LSU would be a pretty good time for Dabo to show us.
