Clemson's Dabo Swinney Drops in New ACC Coaching Ranking

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It's probably only because of Dabo Swinney's resume that college football coaches around the country ranked the Clemson Tigers No. 23 in their preseason poll. 

Looking at the roster that is set to replace nine players taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tigers appear to be closer to the 7-6 team they were a year ago than nine spots away from the College Football Playoff. 

Clemson has unknowns at the quarterback position and on the offensive line. The winner of the quarterback battle between Tait Reynolds and Christopher Vizzina will play behind three new starters on the offensive line.

Still, Swinney has done more with a lot of loss. 

CBS Sports ranked Swinney as the No. 2 coach in the ACC, behind Miami's Mario Cristobal. Swinney was the top coach last year, but has fallen in prestige after a bad 2025 campaign and the Hurricanes’ recent trip to the national championship.

"Unlike Mario, there is a wide gulf in the way Dabo Swinney is rated by our expert panel," Chip Patterson wrote. "His track record is undeniable, dominating a decade to the tune of two national titles, two more runner-up finishes, and nine total ACC championships across a 13-year run. 

"But some of our panel is giving more weight to recent results, and the shortcomings of a team that produced nine NFL Draft picks present a different picture of where Swinney stands among some of his peers. In the ACC, he remains right at the top of the conversation, just no longer an obvious No. 1."

Cristobal's emergence is the result of recency bias, but that doesn't mean the ranking by CBS Sports is unfair. Miami has never made the ACC Championship Game under Cristobal. Clemson won the ACC championship in 2024, the ninth under Swinney. 

However, Cristobal has embraced the transfer portal and added elite help at quarterback that will allow Miami to contend for the CFP this year. 

While Swinney can point to the past to show why Clemson fans should believe him, Cristobal is doing what he can to ensure the Hurricanes stay relevant in the now. 

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