Clemson’s collapse has drawn plenty of national criticism, but ESPN college football analyst Aaron Murray may have delivered the harshest words yet. The former Georgia quarterback, who picked the Tigers to win the national championship this preseason, says Dabo Swinney’s program is flat-out embarrassing right now.
“I’d be embarrassed if I was a Clemson fan. I’d be embarrassed if I’m Dabo,” Murray said on ESPN’s Always College Football podcast.
Getting “Punched in the Mouth”
Murray pointed to Clemson’s lack of physicality in the trenches as the most glaring problem.
“They are getting just punched in the mouth upfront,” Murray said. “All these supposed first-round picks at defensive line…and you got pushed around by LSU Week 1. Georgia Tech beat them up at the line of scrimmage. Then this past week, Syracuse—I saw Syracuse moving them to the second level.”
The analyst emphasized that it’s not just the losing, but how Clemson is losing that stands out.
“Losses suck, but the way they’re losing is just mind-blowing to me,” Murray said. “Because you are what you put on tape. And it’s been four weeks of that. You are who you are right now, and it’s not a physical team. The quarterback has been inconsistent throwing the football. All things that I thought Clemson was going to be this year, they’re not.”
A Harsh Reality Check
Clemson, once ranked No. 4 in the preseason polls, now sits at 1-3 overall and 0-2 in ACC play. The Tigers have been outmuscled in all three losses, leaving Murray questioning whether Swinney can flip the switch midseason.
“They’re supposed to be Clemson,” he said. “They’re supposed to be elite. And they’re just not.”