Dabo Swinney has called out the Lane Kiffin era of LSU football for what it is: A three-ring circus. Ever since Kiffin came over from Ole Miss, the LSU Tigers have been nothing short of a traveling freak show under their "Do as I say, not as I do" ringmaster. Whether it be aggressively hunting committed players in the portal, to actually trying to bring NFL players back to school, Swinney has seen enough.
"It's just embarrassing that that's where we are," Swinney said about LSU's recent roster exploits under Kiffin. "I don't blame the kids or people trying to take advantage of the system; I just think it's embarrassing where we are with college football ... No pun intended, we just stay in our Lane here at Clemson."
Why change lanes when we all know that Kiffin will never change? Just send in the clowns.
The Battle for Death Valley beneath the Baton Rouge bigtop is the marquee extravaganza everyone is buzzing about in Week 1. Lanes and tigers and Dabos, oh my! Swinney has a reputation of being a one-of-a-kind person, but Kiffin has quickly become the most reviled man in college football, since replacing the previously most reviled man in college football. Kiffin is the Wicked Lane of the West.
Dabo Swinney on LSU adding NFL players:
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) September 1, 2026
"It's just embarrassing that that's where we are.
"I don't blame the kids or people trying to take advantage of the system; I just think it's embarrassing where we are with college football."
"No pun intended, we just stay in our Lane… pic.twitter.com/tD0svikojL
Lane Kiffin has managed to make Clemson look like the stable, drama-free program entering Baton Rouge
It is shocking to say the least, but Kiffin has somehow found away to make Clemson America's Team of the Week heading into Week 1. Outside of South Carolina and a few other rivals, everyone in Oz is cheering for little ole Clemson. With Kiffin having not closed the door on bringing NFL players back into the fold, he has managed to make Clemson look like the far more stable, drama-free program.
Clemson had long operated in isolation away from the rest of the sport on pertinent topics such as NIL and the transfer portal. With Swinney having just recently embraced these roster-building tactics, it is no surprise that he feels courting NFL players as a bridge to far. Love him or hate him, Swinney's old school nature off running a college football program may be more of what this sport needs.
In a day and age where new always tries to claim it is better, maybe it isn't? College football doesn't have to be the NFL. The kids keep it young at heart. The pageantry, quirkiness, and tradition are what keep us coming back. Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up. Not everything has to be about the dollars and cents. Thus, it makes no sense to bring back players who have signed NFL contracts!
While the national media has long wondered if Swinney has a second act, maybe this is it? We're not asking him to be holier than thou, but rather remind us "where we are" is not where we need to be. Although Kiffin and Swinney are two of the 15 best head coaches in college football today, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum of what they think is good for the sport. Swinney knows he is right.
Clemson may not knock off LSU on Saturday, but for reasons like this, everyone is rooting for them to.
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