Paul Finebaum On Iconic College Football Coach: 'The Game Has Passed Him By'

The Clemson Tigers were once a dominant force in college football, winning two national championships and making multiple College Football Playoff appearances from 2014-20.

The Tigers have struggled to return to contention since. This offseason, head coach Dabo Swinney made headlines that have been heavily scrutinized due to his lack of emphasis on the transfer portal. Clemson lost 13 players to the portal this offseason and didn't sign any. Since 2019, the Tigers have only signed three players from the portal.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum has been very critical of Swinney. He said that he thinks the game has passed him by and that he missed an opportunity to get ahead of the curve.

"It feels like the game has passed him by," Finebaum said. "I'm not suggesting he's a bad coach; he's got a great resume. But that resume isn't what we're talking about; we're talking about what's happening now, and I think he's missed an opportunity."

Finebaum believes that the Tigers will continue to be a good program, but their era as a national championship contender is over. The last time the Tigers made the College Football Playoff was in 2020 when they went 10-2 and were ranked No. 2 before being dismantled by the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round, losing 49-28.

Last season, the Tigers were ranked No. 9 in the preseason but had their worst season since Swinney's second full season as head coach in 2010, finishing with a 9-4 record. This year, their preseason ranking of No. 14 is the lowest since 2014. Therefore, Clemson and Swinney are hoping to prove the doubters wrong and have a bounce-back season this year.

Related: Paul Finebaum Reveals Top College Football Coach's Time Is Running Out