The Dabo Swinney era at Clemson may be over, even if he doesn't know it yet.
That was the damning verdict from a panel of ESPN analysts on Tuesday, who eviscerated the state of the Tigers' program after a stunning collapse to 3-4. Paul Finebaum led the charge, declaring Swinney's "time is up" and urging him to find an "exit strategy" from the program he built into a dynasty.
The scathing indictment comes on the heels of Clemson's shocking fall from preseason Top 5 contender to a sub-.500 ACC team. The latest blow—a 35-24 home loss to SMU—marked the Tigers’ fifth consecutive home defeat to a Power 4 opponent, turning championship hype into a mid-season autopsy.
'Quit Selling a Bill of Goods'
Finebaum, who had picked Clemson as a national title contender just two months ago, held nothing back, arguing this season is not an outlier but the continuation of a downward trend.
"The trendlines have been there that he has really lost control of the program," Finebaum said on First Take. "There is nobody that believes that Dabo Swinney is ever going to win a national championship again at Clemson. This was his last shot. I frankly think it's time for him to go... Dabo, your time is up and you are not going to turn it around, and quit trying to sell the people of that great university a bill of goods."
'National Championships? That's a Joke'
Former All-ACC standout Chris Canty piled on, dismissing Swinney's postgame promises of future titles and calling the program's current state a punchline.
"National championships? That's a joke," Canty scoffed. "Clemson is irrelevant when it comes to the national championship conversation. That is just a reality... I got two family members that are members of IPTAY, and they ain't happy."
'Deficient' and 'Stubborn' in a New Era
Heisman winner Cam Newton pointed directly to Swinney's perceived stubbornness and failure to adapt to modern college football as the root cause of the decline.
"The thing that Dabo has been deficient at is getting with the new program," Newton stated. "He has been behind in NIL. He has been behind in saying we want to go attack the transfer portal. And when you're stubborn with that, you live with it and you gotta die with it as well."
Newton argued that Swinney's "old school" approach is no longer viable in an era where players need relatable coaches and financial opportunities are a central part of recruiting.
The consensus from the panel was clear: the coach who built a modern dynasty by being ahead of the curve has fallen fatalistically behind it, and the pressure in Death Valley has reached a boiling point.
"It's really sad for me to say this," Finebaum concluded. "He just keeps going back to the well trying to live off of what he used to do, but unfortunately in Clemson football that doesn't matter. Especially if you don't change, and he did not change, and frankly, it's too late."