Dabo Swinney, the man who built a dynasty at Clemson, just got hit with a 3.1 “pressure is mounting” rating from CBS Sports’ annual hot seat rankings. That’s a massive jump, gang. Last season, this same crew rated Swinney a 0.2, practically calling him untouchable. Talk about a dizzying fall from grace for a coach who seemed to have one of the safest gigs in the sport, but a 7-6 finish changes everything.
The Glory Days Are Fading, and Fast
Let’s be real, a 7-6 season is rough, especially when you consider the talent on that 2025 Clemson roster. The Tigers actually had a school-record nine players taken in the NFL draft. Nine! And they still limped to a 7-6 finish? That’s just unacceptable for a program that expects national titles. Critics are pointing fingers at Swinney, saying he’s too resistant to the changing landscape of college football, and honestly, the numbers don’t lie. We all remember the absolute juggernaut Clemson was from 2015-2020. That stretch was insane: six straight ACC titles, constant College Football Playoff trips, four national title game appearances, and two national championships. Their record over that run was an unbelievable 79-7 overall, including a dominant 49-3 in ACC play. That’s dynasty-level stuff. But since 2021, the Tigers have only gone 47-20 overall. Yeah, they snagged two more ACC titles, but their subsequent postseason games? Lost both by double digits. That’s not the Clemson we knew, is it?
Dabo’s Vow and the Company He Keeps
Swinney still sounds like he believes he can turn this thing around. At Clemson’s media day, he vowed, “We’ve been to the top many times around here, and we’re gonna take Clemson back to the top. That’s going to happen.” But then he added, “Whether it happens this year, I don’t know. But my main objective is to make sure we get the arrow pointed back where it needs to be, and that we’re a tougher football team mentally. I don’t know if we’ll get all the way to the top of the mountain, but we need to get it pointed back in that direction.” That’s a little less confident than the usual Dabo fire, isn’t it? He’s in some intense company with that 3.1 rating, too. Colorado’s Deion Sanders also landed a 3.1, and Alabama’s Kalen Deboer and Nebraska’s Matt Ruhle both got 3.0s. Meanwhile, across the state, South Carolina’s Shane Beamer got a 4.3 “win or be fired” rating, and Florida State’s Mike Norvell is sitting at a flat 5.0 after a dismal 5-17 record the last two seasons. Even North Carolina’s Bill Belichick got a 4.3 after the Tar Heels’ flop. This ain’t the “untouchable” club anymore.
Clemson opens the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. That’s a huge test right out of the gate. Can Dabo back up his words, or is this “pressure mounting” rating going to be proven right? We’re all watching to see if Clemson can point that arrow back to the top.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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