Clemson is facing turbulence like never before. Dabo Swinney, the mastermind behind the Tigers’ rise to national prominence, now finds himself staring at a shocking 1-3 start after Syracuse dominated Death Valley 34-21. Across 16 years, Swinney has delivered nine ACC titles, and two national championships. But now he is on the hot seat. But removing a college coach comes with a heavy price. Just ask Jimbo Fisher. So now Clemson faces a choice: swallow Dabo’s massive buyout or ride out the storm and hope next season brings redemption.

After the 1-2 start, Dabo answered a question on what he would do if the program decides to go another way. “I’ll go somewhere else and coach. I ain’t going to the beach. Hell, I’m 55. I got a long way to go.” But after the loss to Syracuse, even hardcore Clemson fans are second-guessing their allegiance to the coach. ESPN’s Rece Davis admitted he “might have been wrong” about Clemson as a title pick. So, could this be the end of Swinney’s era at Clemson?

Probably not. Dabo Swinney isn’t going anywhere soon. It’s not that Clemson isn’t hearing the noise. It’s the price tag. He signed a 10-year contract in 2021 worth $115M. Hence, it locks the Tigers in through 2031. But the buyout? Eye-popping. Clemson would have to pay $60M in 2025. Then $57M in 2026. And after that, whatever remaining salary is left in his contract. To add to the pressure, if Swinney is fired, the buyout needs to be paid in full within 90 days. There is also no offset clause if Dabo chooses to go somewhere else. Clemson is on the hook for every last penny that they promised him.

Even if Dabo is pushed out, any new coach will demand at least $10 million a year. The financial hit for the program is nearly unthinkable. That’s why the Tigers would have to collapse completely to even consider firing Swinney. And no one knows where that threshold lies. He has shown he can pivot. He cut a struggling OC and brought in Broyles winner Garrett Riley. Then he replaced the old DC with Tom Allen, a respected name in coaching circles. Yet, the feeling lingers: Clemson is stuck in a “good, but not great” purgatory under a two-time national champion. The bigger question is evolution. Can Swinney adapt quickly enough to keep pace with a game that has moved on? If he can’t, the responsibility may one day fall on AD Graham Neff to make the tough call.

The changes Dabo Swinney must make

The Tigers came in ranked No. 4, full of hype and high expectations. Instead, they dropped the opener to LSU, 17-10, and barely escaped a halftime deficit against Troy. Then a road loss at Georgia Tech knocked them out of the Top 25, and now there is the loss to Syracuse. Fans were going home with 10 minutes still left in the game.

Historically, this is uncharted territory. Clemson has only posted one losing season under Swinney, going 6-7 in 2010. “All we’ve done is win,” stated Swinney. “We’ve won this league 8 out of the last 10 years… Yeah, we’re a little down right now. Take your shots. I’ve got a long memory.” But talk alone won’t cut it.

By nurturing talent immediately after high school and generally disregarding the transfer portal, Swinney has remained true to his traditional approach. But that approach worked 10 years ago, when dynasties were established using that strategy. Now, the game has changed. And the gaps were visible against Syracuse. Clemson can no longer afford to be arrogant. It’s time for some pragmatism. Better use of the transfer portal, smart personnel changes, and clearer job roles could jump-start the offense. For Swinney, there are only two choices: adapt to the new age or risk the season slipping away.