It wasn’t so long ago that the Clemson Tigers were among the elite programs in College Football, but the pressure has mounted on head coach Dabo Swinney as the team’s win totals have tapered off in recent years.

That pressure has led to speculation among college football analysts that Swinney could be out at Clemson as early as 2025, following a 9-4 record last season and a 31-point blowout loss to the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs to open this year.

“Clemson’s offense has absolutely no juice whatsoever,” Lucy Rohden of the Dan LeBatard Show With Stugotz said on the Tuesday, September 2 edition of the podcast. “If Dabo does not win this season, especially with the ACC being as bad as they are, we might see the end of Dabo at Clemson.”

Rohden’s take is particularly hot given Swinney’s history at the school. He has been the head coach at Clemson since 2008 and led the university to four National Title Games (2015, 16, 18, 19) and two championships (2016, 18).

Rohden went on to add some context to her opinion, which made it more plausible, by mentioning that noted giant killer Appalachian State is coming to town on Saturday and suggesting that the Mountaineers are poised for an upset victory.

“I’m putting Boone and Clemson on alert,” Rohden continued. “[Appalachian] State could easily win that game. [Appalachian] State is a team that is, once again where I see an athletic director that has scheduled them and I’m like, ‘You should lose your job for that.'”

Let’s throw it back to this interview

Most of the guys in the portal aren’t good enough to play for us”
-Clemson HC Dabo Swinney

pic.twitter.com/JyxOQTk9yg

— 704 Dawg (@FSFRecruits) August 31, 2024

Clemson bottomed out to No. 22 in the Coaches Poll and No. 25 in the AP Poll after Georgia routed them last weekend. And if the Tigers — a 17-point favorite at home — fall to the Mountaineers Saturday, Swinney could find himself in danger of losing his job for that as well.

“Swinney’s refusal to embrace the new reality of college football — namely the transfer portal and NIL money — has cost his program valuable recruits, as well as potential players that could have filled needs via the portal.” Collins wrote. “Many fans expressed frustration with Swinney’s stubbornness, pontificating that Clemson’s offense could have-should have been just as stacked had they utilized the transfer portal.”

The transfer portal argument has become tiresome. Fans here it every day. At this point, it is what it is. Swinney isn’t going to change. However, even if Swinney had a change of heart, his “transfers aren’t good enough to play here” comments from this off-season probably stunt any growth Clemson might have from the portal.

Swinney has made it clear he plans to die on that hill, and most of his ardent supporters still haven’t left his side, but that’s exactly what will happen to his career if he doesn’t adapt: it’ll die. On the other hand, there are still 11 games left this season. Clemson has the talent on paper to play with nearly anyone in the country, so it could still win the ACC. But if the Tigers can’t have a successful season, this might be the last year we see Coach Swinney in Orange and Purple.