Dabo Swinney claims 2025 was just ‘a bad chapter in a great book’ for Clemson

Dabo Swinney wants to get Clemson back to where they know they can be, near or at the top of college football. They’ve been there and done that. But coming off the last few years, it’s a different Clemson from the one Swinney coached to two national title victories and regular appearances in the College Football Playoff. Can they climb back up the ladder after a down 2025? $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage “Just part of it, you know, because when you have a season, everybody wants to evaluate the season, and so I mean, it’s just part of it. You have a great season, same thing. Even when you have a great season, there’s tough conversations because people leave and things like that,” Swinney said. “So I’ve done it long enough. I mean, this is my 18th, you know, full season. But I’ve been in college football for 37 years, you know, playing and coaching, and so I’ve been there, done that. “You’re gonna have some good years, some tough years along the way if you do it long enough. But we’ve had way more good than bad, and last year, it was … as I said, a bad chapter in a great book. The good news is we get to turn the page and write a new chapter, and so that’s what we’re focused on. We’re going to see if we can get back in the mix this year and get our program back where we want to be.” Dabo Swinney promises a get back for Clemson in 2026 Swinney hold a 187-53 record since 2008 with the Tigers. They just won the ACC in 2024 and lost in the first round of the CFP, so safe to say, 2025 had a national title mentality. What followed was a regression from QB Cade Klubnik and everyone involved. Clemson finished 7-6 and lost in the Pinstripe Bowl. Swinney may be on the positive end of things when it comes to what the team can do this fall. But ESPN’s Paul Finebaum claimed it was over. “I am getting so exasperated listening to Dabo tell us how great he used to be. They’re not great anymore,” Finebaum said. “You don’t hear [Tom] Brady talking about his Super Bowls. Dabo is just stuck on stupid right now trying to convince us that his program is still legitimate. It’s not. It’s slipping and sliding away. It’s good. Maybe they’ll win nine games this year or maybe they won’t. But, they lost six games last year with the Heisman favorite (Cade Klubnik). That is downright embarrassing.”