Clemson's 51-10 loss to No. 11 LSU on September 5 has naturally resulted in harsh criticism. Paul Finebaum has now spoken about the worst defeat of Dabo Swinney's head-coaching career. Now, after a near-decade tenure as head coach, the ESPN analyst has asked him to leave while he can.
"And I think Dabo's got an agent like we all do. He should talk to his agent and keep your eye on a good league second-tier team and get me out of here because I can't keep reminding the Clemson fans that we were once good. We're no longer good. We suck. We're terrible. We're embarrassing," Finebaum made the comments on The Matt Barrie Show .
Swinney's previous worst losses were 37-point defeats to West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl and Florida State in 2013. That humiliating result triggered a response from Finebaum. He argued that Swinney should leave Clemson himself rather than watch the program slide further.
"I'm telling you, Dabo, get out. Get out while you can. Get out before your program literally goes down in utter flames. Because on the big stage, which you were on Saturday night, you failed. You can't cut it there anymore," Finebaum added on the show .
Back in 2022, Swinney signed a massive 10-year extension worth $115 million. Finebaum argued that Swinney's struggles on the national stage can no longer be ignored.
The numbers on the field against LSU made the same point. LSU gained 644 total yards to Clemson's 145. First downs were 38-8. LSU rushed for 309 yards, whereas Clemson managed only 40. Clemson was outplayed on offense, defense, and in adjustments.
Clemson finished 9-4 in 2023, 10-4 in 2024, and 7-6 in 2025. The 2025 season was Swinney's worst full year since 2010. Clemson entered 2026 unranked in the preseason AP poll for the first time since 2011. The program has lost 15 games since the start of 2023. Those results give weight to Finebaum's claim that the decline has become a trend.
Swinney did not dodge the result afterward.
"The best thing about that one is that it's over. We got our asses kicked. We just got outplayed [and] out-coached in every facet tonight, the head coach said. "Ain't no other way to say it. We've got a long way to go. We're going to get better."
With Clemson, Swinney won two championships, a 15-0 season in 2018, six ACC titles, and six College Football Playoff trips from 2015-2021. He also posted 12 straight 10-win seasons from 2011-2022. The 7-6 record in 2025 and this loss against LSU are a clear decline from that peak.
Since his extension, though, those results haven't felt familiar in a while now. Now, after a record-breaking loss, Clemson fans can only hope that their game against the Georgia Southern Eagles goes better.
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