Nothing says disappointment louder than a Natty-contending squad plummeting to a 1-3 record. After yet another disappointing loss, calls for Dabo Swinney’s exit have skyrocketed. It’s a bad look for a coach who is currently among the two in FBS to hold the most national titles. The Tigers’ Week 4 loss had Paul Finebaum dish out some caustic takes on Swinney.

Clemson is 1-3 after the upset loss to Syracuse in Week 4. That’s a number that hasn’t shown at Death Valley since 2004. Dabo Swinney is struggling to reinstate Clemson’s lost glory, and after yet another humiliating show, the community is losing its patience. “My advice to Dabo, and I know he doesn’t like taking advice from people like me, is to get out of there,” Paul Finebaum declared in a September 21 episode of The Matt Barrie Show.

“It’s time for him to do one of two things. It’s either consider another school. And I think he is hirable if he quits talking. Or just move. Get away from football and become a TV guy,” Finebaum added in his advice to the coach. By halftime, it was Syracuse leading with 24-14 on the board. That’s not a score a blueblood like Clemson produces against an underdog team. Cade Klubnik struggled with accuracy once again, and penalties rained on the Tigers. Some chances popped up for Clemson to at least come back fighting in the fourth quarter. But that interception from Klubnik on that doomed 4 and 10 had fans’ hopes come crashing down.

This is the worst-ever start in the season Clemson has had since Dabo Swinney took charge. The defense tried to take back control, but it was of no use. Once again, Clemson allowed more than 100 rushing yards. Dabo Swinney signed a $115 million contract with Clemson in 2021, which runs until 2031. The man has been instrumental in shaping Clemson football for the past two decades. Naturally, it’s troubling for fans to see him struggling this way. The loss has now pushed the Tigers into the danger zone when to comes to playoff hopes.

Dabo Swinney was emotional after the troubling loss, which is proof of how badly this loss is affecting the once-elite team. However, the coach is yet to back down from his mission.

Dabo Swinney puts on brave face after marking worst-ever start

Syracuse can easily brag about beating a squad like Clemson. The Orange defeated the National Championship-worthy team without Steve Angeli for a good part of the 2nd half. The loss sure is affecting Clemson, as the strong façade appeared to crack. Swinney has repeatedly claimed that it will be difficult for him to leave Clemson. Even after losing to Syracuse, the HC is adamant about staying. “There is no quit in me or my team,” he affirmed after the game.

Before the clash, Swinney said that he’ll be packing his bags if Clemson gets “tired of winning.” It’s tough to gauge where the Clemson top brass is when it comes to the coach’s future. He did bring 2 National Championships and 9 ACC championships. Swinney has made an embarrassing start to the 2025 season, but it’s still too early to say whether he deserves to be given the boot. Clemson also has to pay $60 million to Swinney if he is fired before the end of this year.

Clemson is 0-2 in the ACC, Cade Klubnik has dropped out of Heisman contentions, and maybe the Natty will elude the program this year. A career that spans more than 20 years now hangs in the balance should Dabo Swinney continue his downward trend in the season. “We have to reset our goals. We can’t dwell on missed opportunities. … It’s still a long season and we have to find a way to win a game,” Swinney said. At this point, even something as desperate as this has become difficult to picture for Clemson.