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· collected 2026-09-07 · by Austin Perry
The author, a sports writer, argues that it's time for Clemson University's head coach Dabo Swinney to retire after a recent 51-10 loss to LSU. The Tigers have struggled in their first game of the season each year since Trevor Lawrence left for the NFL, and the author believes this is a sign of decline under Swinney's leadership. Despite still having talented players, Clemson's recruiting classes have slipped in recent years, ranking outside the top 20 in two out of the last three years.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Lane Kiffin's LSU team defeated Clemson 51-10 in his coaching debut. The game was played at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the large crowd of fans reminded Lane Kiffin of Mardi Gras season.
This victory came after a week of drama surrounding two players who had sued to gain eligibility to play again: Dae'Quan Wright, a tight end who spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns in training camp, and Zxavian Harris, a defensive lineman who was with the New Orleans Saints earlier this summer. However, despite being cleared by a court ruling, Kiffin chose not to add them to the team's roster yet.
The LSU players, led by quarterback Sam Leavitt, performed well, with Leavitt completing 23 of 30 passes for 230 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers' edge rusher, Jordan Ross, returned an interception for a score as well.
The loss marks the third consecutive season that Clemson has started off on the wrong foot, with their all-time winningest coach, Dabo Swinney, facing criticism for his reluctance to use the transfer portal.
Written for “LSU vs Clemson Football” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.35 for article 6438 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-07
It happened again.
asserted
It → happen → ?
It's no secret that I was fairly high on the Clemson Tigers this offseason, at least relative to the nonexistent expectations many pundits had for them this year.
asserted
pundits → have → them
I wasn't picking them to make a deep College Football Playoff run or win a national title, but I figured they would compete for an ACC Championship and be a darkhorse Playoff pick.
asserted
they → pick → Championship
Then the LSU game happened.
asserted
game → happen → ?
It seemed like the pieces were in place for them to at least surprise some folks, but alas, that doesn't appear to be the case.
asserted
that → seem → folks
I blame myself for getting sucked back into the Clemson hype machine, but this article isn't about me.
asserted
article → blame → me
This article is about how it might be time for the Tigers and their all-time winningest head coach, Dabo Swinney, to amicably and gracefully part ways.
uncertain
Tigers → part → ways
LSU and Lane Kiffin will probably do that to a lot of teams far better than Clemson this year.
asserted
LSU → do → Clemson
But the fact that, once again, the Tigers and Swinney are starting their season off on the wrong foot is a cause for concern.
asserted
Tigers → start → concern
It seems like ever since Trevor Lawrence moved on to the NFL, Clemson can't seem to sustain any momentum to start the season.
And some of you Dabo defenders may point at the fact that they had to play teams like Georgia and LSU in recent years as a way to hand wave these brutal starts.
uncertain
they → seem → starts
While that does explain some of it, Clemson should still be measured as peers of these programs, so the fact that they are getting embarrassed in these contests is a sign things are slipping out of Swinney's hands.
asserted
things → explain → hands
Of course, these game one losses aren't just happening against title contenders either, as the Tigers famously waltzed into Wallace Wade Stadium to take on an unranked Duke squad in 2023, only to get pounded into submission in a 28-7 loss.
asserted
Tigers → happen → loss
Clemson was a top-ten team that year heading into the season, and though they ended their campaign with nine wins and a Gator Bowl berth, that hardly sounds like something fans of the dynastic program would have signed up for just a few years earlier.
asserted
fans → head → program
Dabo still has enough talent on his roster to compete in the ACC, and this loss to LSU, while humiliating, does nothing to dash their conference title aspirations, but it is indicative that it's starting to trend in the wrong direction in the western end of South Carolina.
His resistance toward the transfer portal would be more forgivable if Swinney was still landing top-five recruiting classes, but that isn't the reality anymore.
The last time Clemson signed even a top-ten class was in 2022, and there have been a few ranked outside the top-20 in that time frame.
asserted
Clemson → have → frame
That won't get this program where they want to be come January, but I guess that's the better question to ask here.
asserted
that → get → program
Where do the Tigers want to be in the grand scheme of college football?
asserted
Tigers → want → football
Do they still view themselves as one of the premier powers in the sport?
asserted
they → view → sport
Or are they content with winning eight or nine games a year and occasionally threatening to make the CFP?
asserted
they → win → CFP
Because if they want to be the latter, they may need to start having some tough conversations about the man in the team-issued polo tucked into his khakis.
uncertain
they → want → khakis
I'm not breaking any news here, but it might be time for a change at Clemson.
uncertain
it → break → Clemson
We can all recognize the greatness of Dabo Swinney - as I have done before - while simultaneously admitting that the game may have passed him by.
uncertain
game → recognize → him
His recruiting classes are starting to falter.
asserted
classes → start → ?
And several other power players in college football have lapped the Tigers in just a few short years.
asserted
players → lap → years
I won't speculate what will happen to Dabo or the Tigers the rest of this season.
asserted
what → speculate → season
For all I know, they could rattle off 11 straight victories and make me look like a fool.
uncertain
me → know → fool
With that being said, all signs point to Swinney and Clemson trending down, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was the last dance between legendary coach and program.
asserted
this → say → coach
That might have sounded like blasphemy just half a decade ago, but college football is always evolving, and Swinney is a man stuck in time.
uncertain
Swinney → sound → time
And he's hurting the very program he helped take to the mountaintop.
asserted
he → hurt → mountaintop
