Clemson’s fall from the sport’s top tier has become impossible to ignore, and Paul Finebaum is making sure the Tigers hear about it.
The program that once looked like a permanent fixture in the national title race is now trying to claw its way back after a rough stretch under Dabo Swinney. Clemson was one of college football’s heavyweights in the 2010s, stacking up six straight College Football Playoff trips and winning two national championships. Since 2021, though, the Tigers have reached the Playoff only once, in 2024, when they got in after winning the ACC title.
Then came 2025, and it was a gut punch. Clemson came into the season ranked in the top five and carrying national championship expectations after bringing back a ton of production from the 2024 team. Instead, the Tigers finished 7-6, a season that left plenty of people asking whether Swinney had lost his edge.
Finebaum has been one of Swinney’s loudest critics, and he’s never exactly hidden his disdain for Clemson fans either. The ESPN host, who regularly tangles with Tigers supporters on "The Paul Finebaum Show," took another shot at them while appearing on "The Film Guy Network" at SEC media days.
"Overall, Clemson fans are just absurd," Finebaum said. "Because they think they're relevant.
I get asked a couple of times a year, 'What do you think about Dabo Swinney?' My answer is the same.
They all start tweeting, 'Oh man, Dabo Swinney living rent-free in Paul Finebaum's brain.' Dabo Swinney isn't living rent-free in anybody's (brain).
I mean, Shane Beamer's beat this guy."
It’s the latest flashpoint in a feud that has stretched on for years. And while Finebaum’s take is blunt, Clemson’s recent results make it hard to dismiss entirely.
The Tigers used to have the résumé to match the swagger. They were winning ACC titles, making Playoff runs and playing like a program that belonged in every national conversation.
That’s not where they are now. Clemson is trying to get back to being more than just another ACC team hoping to matter again. If the Tigers are going to reclaim that standing, 2026 feels like a natural place to start.
If they can look even a little like the old Clemson, it might quiet some of the noise - Finebaum included. If they can’t, the criticism is only going to get louder.
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Paul Finebaum Just Took Another Shot At Clemson And Dabo
Paul Finebaum is at it again with Clemson, taking another public swing at the program and its fan base while revisiting one of his favorite targets in Dabo Swinney. The longtime SEC voice has never been shy about leaning into criticism of the Tigers, and this latest round fits the same pattern: sharp words for Clemson supporters, skepticism about the programs place in the national conversation, and a reminder that Finebaum still sees Swinney as someone under pressure despite the schools run of success.
For Clemson, the timing is hardly ideal, even with the program continuing to stack up recruiting wins and carry the weight of its recent history in college football. Swinney has built a rsum most coaches would envy, but Finebaums comments are part of the broader debate around whether Clemson can keep pace with the sports shifting hierarchy. The Tigers have earned the right to be taken seriously, yet the noise around them never really goes away, especially when Finebaum decides to turn up the volume. [Read more 🡒]
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Dylan Faulkner and Will Stevens are not expected to play because of recent injuries, while Carter Welling and Zac Foster are still working back from season-ending injuries suffered last season. Ace Buckner is also coming off a shoulder injury, though he has begun taking part in limited practice work, leaving Clemson to navigate the trip with several key pieces unavailable or only partially available as the staff tries to make the most of the time in Italy. [Read more 🡒]