Dabo Swinney is either afraid for his job or has a great sense of humor

Did Dabo Swinney just put himself on the hot seat?

The Clemson coach had a very energetic post-game press conference after a 46-45 loss that excluded him railing about the officiating and eventually bringing it back around to himself and his team. In one of his many rants during the conference, he acknowledged the presence of Tigers AD Graham Neff and openly wondered if this was his final game.

"I might get fired today. Graham [Neff] is sitting in the back there, so I don't know. Can't say I blame him," Swinney said.

A frustrating day in a frustrating season

Swinney is in uncharted waters right now. Clemson needs three wins to become bowl eligible. The Tigers have yet to miss a bowl under Swinney. This will be the first season since 2010 where Clemson won't finish the season with at least nine wins.

​There's been a lot of criticism about Swinney's approach as college football has gone through a plethora of changes. He has had a complicated relationship with the NIL and we all know how he feels about the transfer portal. But these are the realities he's going to have to deal with if he wants Clemson to stay in the conversation in college football. Swinney is a little hokey and he can be extremely stubborn, but he's not dumb. 

He knows he's not getting fired. Not tomorrow, not next week, not at the end of the season. But he also knows he's going to have to have a serious discussion with Neff after this season. For now, he's trying to focus on the next four games.

"Hey man we've got to win some games. I'm just worried about trying to beat Florida State.
"

Where does Clemson go next?

Swinney has a big contract and an equally big buyout (roughly $60 million). And he's also the greatest football coach in school history. This isn't LSU firing Brian Kelly or even Penn State firing James Franklin. Dabo has won titles...plural...during the era that Nick Saban owned. He has filled the Reeves Football complex with trophy after trophy. Clemson football is relevant because of Dabo Swinney. He is to Clemson what Bobby Bowden was to Florida State. And you don't fire those guys. 

"Unless Graham sends me packing, I'm showing up Monday," Swinney said later in the presser. "I'm going to be here, and we will finish. It's a great opportunity for these freshmen who are going to have a lot of great moments, and they'll win a championship before they get out of here."

But Swinney has to be willing to accept changes. Does that mean Clemson giving GM Jordan Sorrells more autonomy to make decisions on the roster? Possibly. Maybe it means bringing in another personnel guy to handle the transfer portal in a way that makes Swinney comfortable. It has to happen because if it doesn't, things will get ugly.