Dabo Swinney’s ‘credibility’ won’t save him in college football’s new era

Dabo Swinney built Clemson into a college football powerhouse. But just as fast as he built the wall, the roof is engulfed in flames. The ever-evolving era in the sport seems to have surpassed the respected coach, as the Tigers fell to 3-4 with a 35-24 loss to SMU on Saturday. 

Even two national championships can’t shield Swinney from criticism or irrelevance. The once College Football Playoff contender at No. 4 to start the season is far gone now. The frustration is boiling over for Clemson, which is a place that has become accustomed to dominance, especially in the ACC. 

Swinney's repeated appeals to his track record surfaced again during Saturday’s postgame. But even 183 wins, three National Coach of the Year nods, nine ACC titles, and two national championships are starting to sound like history. 

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney seems very confident their process is still working. What would he say to fans that are frustrated with 3-4 and feel like it’s not? Here’s his full response to my Q on that after today’s SMU loss pic.twitter.com/dhSn9XkJ4m

“We hopefully have earned a lot of credibility around here,” Swinney said. But in the transfer portal and NIL era, credibility doesn’t win games. Being able to adapt quickly does.

Swinney, 55, remains defiant Clemson is still on the right track. He even said “we’ll win more championships,” despite the Tigers fifth straight loss to a Power Four opponent. 

A majority of critics argue Swinney’s resistance to embracing the transfer portal has left Clemson behind. While other elite programs have been retooling year after year, Clemson rides on by clinging to the traditional of college football. The truth is there's no winning program that has stay the same over the course of decades. Swinney's failure to step forward is a setting the program back. 

Even with Swinney saying he's "not going to the beach" if he's let go and plan to spend a while in coaching, the standard will have to change anywhere he goes. His 10-year, $115 million contract extension makes any coaching change highly unlikely, with a buyout exceeding $60 million. But that financial safety net doesn’t mute the conversation. 

However, he’s not backing down. “There ain't no quit in this bunch,” Swinney said. “We’re going to fight our butts off to the end.” The biggest question that's left is one Clemson's administration will have to answer. Is Swinney fighting against his opponents or against the future of college football itself, trying to prove his way still works?

In this new era, even legends must evolve or be left behind.

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