The Big Lead

Stewart Mandel calls out Clemson’s Dabo Swinney after 1-3 start to the season

By Dibyendu Mondal

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Sweeney during the first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Sweeney during the first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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Clemson Tigers' 2025 season has stumbled out of the gate. The Tigers fell 21-34 at home to Syracuse, dropping to 1-3 and leaving Death Valley stunned after an upset that featured big plays on both sides and a resilient Syracuse effort.

Statistically, Clemson still moved the ball, quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for big yards, but the results haven’t matched expectations. This marks the program’s worst start under Dabo in years and follows consecutive seasons with multiple losses, raising real concerns about consistency and depth.

Head coach Dabo Swinney pushed back publicly this week, defending his legacy and the program’s record of championships and ACC titles while insisting he remains committed.

"“If they want me gone, if they’re tired of winning, they can send me on their way,” "

- Sweeney said

That’s where Stewart Mandel’s column cuts to the chase. Mandel argued that Swinney’s defensive posture misses the point, fans and critics aren’t tired of his championships, they’re tired of losing now. “No, coach. They’re tired of losing,” Mandel wrote, suggesting the second act of Swinney’s tenure requires adaptation, not reminders of past successes.

Mand͏el and oth͏ers point to strateg͏i͏c ͏cho͏ices beh͏ind the struggles. Uneven͏ player de͏velopment͏, questions abou͏t dept͏h and a slower embrace of the trans͏fer portal compa͏red wit͏h p͏eers. ͏Th͏ose issues, combined with growi͏ng impatience a͏fter ho͏me͏ losses and missed͏ expect͏ations,͏ expl͏ain why͏ a 1-3 start feels more consequential than͏ a si͏ngle bad sea͏son͏.

Clemson now heads into a bye with hard questions. Reset the roster approach, lean into roster-building tools, or risk further erosion of a program that once defined the modern college football era.

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