Paul Finebaum Names Historic CFB Head Coach That Will Never Win Another Championship

One of the headlining games of Week 1 of the college football season was a top-25 matchup between Georgia and Clemson. A showdown between Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney and two teams that could be in the College Football Playoff conversation was one many had circled for months.

However, it was all Georgia on Saturday in Atlanta. The Bulldogs had a 6-0 lead at halftime, but they outscored Clemson 28-3 from that point on to earn a commanding 34-3 victory.

After the game, Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on the future of the Clemson program and made a firm statement about Dabo Swinney's run as head coach.

“I knew what was going to happen, and so did you Matt, and you know, it’s as much about how well Kirby Smart has control of that program as to say Dabo Swinney’s time as an elite coach is over," Finebaum stated during an episode of The Matt Barrie Show.

"Clemson is a good program," he continued. "They’ll compete in the ACC, but their days as a program that matters, their days as a program that is spoken with reverence, are gone. Everyone knows what they’ve done, but they’re not doing it this year, and I don’t see them ever doing it again, as long as Dabo Swinney is there.”

That is a strong stance from Finebaum on Clemson and says a lot about Swinney. In 2023, Clemson finished with a 9-4 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the ACC, tied with Duke and North Carolina in the conference standings.

Finebaum went on to say Swinney's approach to college football no longer works.

“He now has that reputation as ‘Grumpy Dabo’ and I frankly think Dabo Swinney would be smart to start planning an exit strategy," Finebaum said. "He may find ways into the playoff in the future, but he’s not going to find a way to hold up the trophy any longer, not the way he’s running that program.”

Swinney's offseason was hit with a lot of criticism. Clemson was the only school besides the service academies to not make an addition via the transfer portal.

With the way the transfer portal has evolved in the last few years, that is an area that needs to improve for Clemson, no matter how good of a recruiter Swinney has been in the past.

On Saturday, Clemson looked flat, and Cade Klubnik even went without a touchdown and threw an interception.

Sure, Swinney has an impressive overall record of 170-44 since becoming the head coach for the Tigers, including eight ACC crowns and a pair of national titles.

However, the elite run of Clemson and Dabo Swinney could be coming to an end, as Finebaum mentioned.

Related: ACC Coach Wants to ‘Send Champagne’ to Ryan Day After Week 1 Win