Clemson Tigers Fans Just Got Eviscerated — Was it Deserved?

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The Clemson Tigers were once the gold standard in college football. Or, at the very least, they challenged Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide for that title.

Between 2015 and 2019, Clemson made it to four National Championship Games, winning two of them. Dabo Swinney appeared to be on his way to GOAT status.

But over the last six seasons, things have taken a dramatic turn for the Tigers.

Clemson has not won a playoff game since January 2021, and last year, the Tigers went just 7-6 and lost to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl. That marked their worst finish since Swinney's second full season as head coach in 2010.

Heading into 2026, Clemson fans do have some optimism. Yes, Christopher Vizzina is a major question mark under center, and the Tigers did lose a bunch of key players in the NFL Draft. But Clemson is loaded with weapons, and the defense has some terrific pieces.

So, could the Tigers actually be a sleeper this coming fall?

Not so fast. At least not according to ESPN's Paul Finebaum.

Finebaum has made no bones about his disdain for Swinney, who he no longer feels is a good coach. He also has made it clear that he dislikes the Clemson fanbase.

In fact, during a recent interview with Brooks Austin, Finebaum tabbed Tigers fans as the "most annoying" fanbase he deals with on a regular basis.

“Overall? Clemson fans are just absurd, because they think they’re relevant," Finebaum said. "I get asked a couple times a year, what do you think about Dabo Swinney? And my answer’s the same, and they all start tweeting, ‘Oh man, Dabo Swinney living rent free in Paul Finebaum’s brain.’"

Finebaum then took another swipe at Swinney, saying that South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer is beating him (Swinney has gone 3-2 against Beamer in five meetings).

The fact that Finebaum decided to absolutely blast Clemson fans is not surprising. He has been at war with the fanbase for quite some time now, and it's abundantly obvious that he doesn't think Swinney is worth discussing as an elite coach any longer.

To be fair, the Tigers' reputation has taken a massive hit over the last few years, so there may actually be some merit to Finebaum questioning their relevancy.

We'll see if Clemson can bounce back and prove Finebaum — as well as many others — wrong in 2026.

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