What happened to Clemson? Frustration with Dabo Swinney grows as Tigers look unimproved in loss to LSU

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

What happened to Clemson? Frustration with Dabo Swinney grows as Tigers look unimproved in loss to LSU originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

LSU and Clemson both walked away feeling like they left something on the table when they met at the start of the 2025 season. As it turned out, the game was an omen for both teams, as each Tigers team endured a disappointing season.

If Saturday night's rematch is an indication of what's to come, LSU and Clemson are now on divergent paths.

LSU appears to be back. Many wondered how a loud offseason from new coach Lane Kiffin would translate to the field, but the talent Kiffin brought in seemed more than comfortable on the way to a 51-10 win.

Clemson, on the other hand, did not look improved after going 7-6 in 2025. Dabo Swinney's team was lifeless offensively, making a quarterback change at halftime with the game already out of hand. To reach their goals, Swinney's squad will have to turn it around quickly.

Here's a closer look at what's gone wrong for Clemson.

MORE:What's behind Lane Kiffin's social media disappearance?

What happened to Clemson?

After holding out for a long time, Swinney has started to use the transfer portal. It doesn't appear to be nearly enough.

While some wondered how the chemistry would work for Kiffin's brand-new LSU team, the talent of that squad simply bullied Clemson on Saturday. Clemson's defense was overpowered by LSU's array of offensive talent, but LSU's physicality on defense was even more of a mismatch for a Clemson offense led by the inexperienced Christopher Vizzina at quarterback.

The quarterback position continues to be what Swinney gets wrong. The succession plan was seemingly easy after Trevor Lawrence, with highly-touted D.J. Uiagalalei taking the reins, but Uiagalalei struggled mightily and Cade Klubnik only turned in one truly impressive season in three years as Clemson's starter.

Swinney anointed Vizzina as Klubnik's successor after three years watching and waiting. While Vizzina might be owed more than just a half on the road against LSU before his career is judged, it's worth wondering whether Clemson might have been better off investing in the quarterback position from the outside for the first time in the Swinney era.

Vizzina wasn't the only problem on Saturday night, as Clemson finished the first half with -4 rushing yards. Swinney's offensive line was bullied by LSU's defensive front, and that comes down to a mismatch of size and talent for a program that hasn't quite adjusted to the new world of college football.

MORE:Michigan-Western Michigan clock controversy, explained

Dabo Swinney record by year

Clemson was a powerhouse of the 2010s, winning a pair of national championships and losing just five games from 2015-19, but the Tigers have now lost seven games dating back to the start of last season and 15 games since the start of the 2023 campaign.

MORE: Malachi Toney, Jeremiah Smith declare Heisman War on each other in Week 1 wins

Worst losses in Dabo Swinney era

Saturday's loss was the worst, by margin, under Swinney at Clemson:

Pre-championship losses to West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl and eventual-champion Florida State during the 2013 regular season were Swinney's most demoralizing losses before Saturday's dismal display. A 31-point defeat at the hands of Georgia to open the 2024 season was previously Clemson's biggest loss after Swinney's two championships.

MORE:Tennessee stages massive Dolly Parton singalong during season-opener

Would Clemson fire Dabo Swinney?

It's tough to ask a program to fire a two-time national champion coach, particularly when that program wasn't winning championships before he arrived. With that being said, the scene on Saturday night was clear: the school that refused to stay put and went all-in on a new coach last fall was much-improved, and the school that stayed the course was, well, stuck in the same position, if not worse.

Clemson hoped Swinney opening up to some use of the transfer portal this offseason would change the program's direction. It may take some time for that to pay off, but it certainly didn't pay off on Saturday night.

The exorbitant cost of firing Swinney may make a move unlikely, but a meltdown against teams Clemson shouldn't be losing to, rather than a team like LSU, could change the equation much like losses to UCLA and Northwestern did for James Franklin at Penn State last season.

Dabo Swinney contract buyout

Swinney's buyout is $57 million, which would make him one of the most expensive firings in college football history. Because his buyout shifts to his total remaining compensation after this season, it actually jumps to $60 million if Swinney is fired in the offseason rather than midseason.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos