Dabo Swinney turned a simple question this week into a 13-minute defense of his program’s past success, but national voices aren’t convinced.
On3’s Josh Pate says the head coach is up against the lofty standard he created — and without changes, Clemson may never return to championship heights. Pate questioned whether Swinney’s resistance to the transfer portal and reliance on in-house development can still deliver elite results, noting that this year’s team was built to showcase that philosophy. Instead, the Tigers are 1-2 and already out of the AP Top 25, leaving serious doubts about whether the “Clemson way” can compete in today’s college football landscape.