All Clemson

College Football Analyst Calls Clemson Tigers Dabo Swinney 'Stubborn' and 'Stupid'

The Clemson Tigers season-opening loss to Georgia has led to head coach Dabo Swinney getting ridiculed by several analysts.

Kenneth Teape

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts on the sideline during the second half of the NCAA Aflac Kickoff Game against Georgia in Atlanta, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts on the sideline during the second half of the NCAA Aflac Kickoff Game against Georgia in Atlanta, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

To call the Clemson Tigers season-opening performance against the Georgia Bulldogs disappointing would be an understatement.

It was an opportunity for them to prove the strong finish they had in 2023 was no fluke, but any goodwill and positivity created by that five-game winning streak is out the door.

The Tigers were embarrassed by the Bulldogs in their season opener, losing 34-3.

That has opened the floodgates when it comes to hot takes aimed at Dabo Swinney. 

Despite his lengthy track record of success at Clemson, other programs are beginning to run circles around him when it comes to the transfer portal and recruiting, making analysts call into question if they will ever be a top program in the sport again.

One of those people is ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

Arguably the biggest critic of Swinney, he unloaded during an appearance on "Get Up" with hosts Mike Greenberg and Heather Dinich.

“We have been writing them off for some time but they’ve been hanging around,” Finebaum said of Clemson. “But they were up against the best kid on the block Saturday, and they got manhandled. And there is nowhere to go for Dabo Swinney. He can complain about the criticism, he can say he’s doing the right thing, but clearly he has screwed up badly (by) refusing to go into the transfer portal.”

Fellow analyst Joey Galloway did come to the defense of Swinney. He believes the legendary head coach isn’t getting the respect he deserves.

Galloway said the Tigers are closer to competing than the final score against the Bulldogs would indicate, but Finebaum wasn’t having it.

He fired another salvo off, going as far as calling Swinney ‘stubborn’ and ‘stupid’ for how he’s handling things.

“Nobody is trying to make Dabo out to be terrible, but what he is, is stubborn and I would go so far as to say stupid. Because if you don’t use the tools that you have at your disposal, you are dumb in today’s world of college football,” said Finebaum.

Those are some harsh, stinging criticisms from a top college football analyst, but it would be hard to argue against him at this point in time.

The Tigers’ streak of double-digit win seasons was snapped last year, and after one game, it doesn’t look like they will be starting a new one.

Unless Swinney and the program can adapt to modern times, the game is going to pass Clemson by.

Published
Kenneth Teape

KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

Home/Football