Clemson's Dabo Swinney Lands Strong Words From Stephen A. Smith

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Dabo Swinney isn't exactly on thin ice with the Clemson Tigers heading into 2026, but he definitely needs to have a better season than the one he had a year ago.

Clemson entered 2025 with national championship aspirations and was ranked No. 4 in the country, but went just 7-6 and lost to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl.

The Tigers will face LSU in their season opener for the second straight year on Saturday, and if Clemson can pull off an upset in Baton Rouge, it would certainly raise some eyebrows and get Swinney some of his swagger back.

Before the game, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith had some strong words for Swinney, who has become a polarizing figure in the sport.

"He’s lost 14 games in the last three years. He can complain about NIL and all of that stuff all you want to. But this is the game that you’re in and you’ve got to adapt. And I’m not saying that he hasn’t made effort to adapt. But clearly he’s an old-school kind of guy that longs for the days of old, where you don’t have to deal with the nonsense that he’s had to deal with," Smith said on First Take. 

Swinney has widely been criticized for his archaic roster-building methods, such as refusing to utilize the transfer portal (although that changed this winter).

The two-time national championship-winning coach has definitely tried to get with the times before in recent months, but he clearly isn't a fan of it.

"You know, with the culture of today’s game, name, image, likeness, and all that’s come with it. Players having agents, players having the right to transfer," Smith added. "So in other words, you were comfortable when your side of the fence had all the power. And now that it’s called for an adjustment, he’s having a hard time to adjust."

However, Smith thinks that Clemson might turn the tables this weekend, noting that there will be a sense of urgency for Swinney against LSU.

“And I think that because of the urgency of the moment, with Clemson having lost 14 games over the last three years, they better be ready against LSU. I think he knows it, I think they know it, and I think that’s what could have Lane Kiffin and LSU on upset alert," Smith concluded.

LSU is certainly the favorite for a variety of reasons. It is ranked No. 11 in the country, it is playing at home in prime time (a situation in which it rarely loses) and has an impressive roster that was beefed up on both sides of the ball over the winter.

But Clemson also has an intriguing roster with some fresh talent, and as Smith noted, there may be some extra urgency on the part of Swinney this fall.

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