Joel Klatt believed Clemson had everything needed to contend for a national title this season. Four games in, the Fox Sports analyst admits that prediction was a “freezing cold take.”
After watching the Tigers stumble to 1-3 with a 34-21 loss to Syracuse, Klatt says the program looks unrecognizable.
“I look over there, and all it makes me do is wonder what’s wrong at Clemson? I have no idea,” Klatt said on his podcast. “Their coach is one of three guys that’s won a national championship. They’ve got potentially four first-round draft picks but as of now, with the way they’ve played, maybe one. I just don’t understand what’s going on there at all.”
In Klatt’s words: “Something’s broken at Clemson. Period. Something’s broken.”
Dabo’s Buyout in the Spotlight
Klatt didn’t stop with the on-field product. He also blasted Clemson’s $60 million buyout agreement with Dabo Swinney, which comes with no offset language—meaning Swinney would collect his full payout even if he landed another coaching job.
“They would be paying him, what is that, $11 million until 2031 to make him go away, and there’s no offset,” Klatt explained. “That is egregiously bad that Clemson agreed to a deal with Dabo Swinney that had no offset language.”
For Klatt, the financial commitment virtually ensures Clemson won’t fire Swinney, even as the program spirals. “There’s no way Clemson would choose to buy out Swinney’s contract,” he added.
The Road Ahead
The Tigers get a bye week to regroup before facing North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Oct. 4. But Klatt’s words echo loudly: Clemson doesn’t just have problems—it’s broken.