Clemson's Dabo Swinney under fire for poor start, defends legacy with fiery ACC domination reminder

The Clemson Tigers haven’t had the best start to the season and now sit at 1-2 after three weeks of regular-season play. Clemson entered the year with high expectations, but the opening stretch has gone about as poorly as it could have.

“The Tigers started the season ranked No. 4 with College Football Playoff hopes but fell out of the Top 25 this week after losing to Georgia Tech 24-21. They opened the year with a 17-10 home loss to LSU and trailed Troy at halftime in Week 2, also at home, before rallying to win,” ESPN’s Andrea Adelson wrote.

Many believed in the Tigers heading into the season, with some drawing comparisons between this team and past Clemson squads that contended for national titles.

“Clemson's veteran, talented roster reminds me a bit of Swinney's teams from a heyday when he won two national championships in three years behind proven quarterbacks, talented wide receivers and stingy defenses,” USA Today’s Blake Toppmeyer wrote.

But with early losses come critics—and once again, they’re coming for head coach Dabo Swinney. During his Tuesday press conference, Swinney decided not to hold back, reminding the media just how successful the program has been under his leadership.

“If they want me gone, they can send me on my way. If they’re tired of winning, they can send me on my way. I won’t stop. I’m 55. I’ll go somewhere else and win. I ain’t going to the beach. We’ve won this league eight of the last 10 years. Is that good? I’ve got a long memory in case y’all don’t know,” Swinney said.

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Swinney made his point clear—and he wasn’t wrong. Clemson would be foolish to look elsewhere. As long as he's at the helm, the Tigers will have a shot at the College Football Playoff every season. But with two losses already, there’s no more room for error. Clemson can’t afford another misstep if it wants to salvage the year.