Opinion: How long can Dabo Swinney sell Clemson on his culture?
College football seasons can evoke two very different memories: they can feel like Christmas mornings as a kid or those same mornings as an older adult.
For most of the last decade Clemson fans have felt just like little kids waiting around all year and eventually enjoying a magical experience where, even when everything wasn't perfect, you could still look back on it fondly. Now however, those kids have grown up and realized they're the ones that have to buy the gifts, and maybe the big guy they believed would always deliver hasn't been showing up like they thought he would.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney remains tied with Frank Howard at 165 wins.
So what happens when the belief in the magic fades? Is it on the man who created it in the first place to find it again? In the case of head coach Dabo Swinney, it appears as if the routine that everyone bought into for so long may not be getting the same results, either from the fans or his own players.
The #ALLIN mantra has worked to form some formidable rosters but is it possible that that same mentality is now working to keep people out? Swinney's policy and opinion on not just players who commit to the Tigers and how they're allowed to go about their recruitment but also the transfer portal and how new players who may want in the family aren't given a second glance.
I don't necessarily think the two-time national championship winner is invoking some sort of "get off my lawn" attitude with the current age of the sport as others have suggested. It honestly appears as though Dabo just truly believes in himself, his faith, and the morals that allowed him to create a once-dominant winning culture. Who could blame him for that?
So, the question now becomes is he willing to adjust? Will the program that's seemingly trying to be the last bastion of loyalty, in a sport that's never had much to begin with, be able to find a way forward in this new world? Sure, we could also point to the fact that he doesn't have a generational quarterback like Trevor Lawrence leading the way but other than USC and Caleb Williams (look where that's gotten them) who does?
I think many people are wondering just how much winning matters to Dabo right now. Especially after his comments earlier this week about losing to throw some fans from the proverbial bandwagon. That seemed to indicate that he views even the supporters of the program as included in this "all-together" mentality in Clemson. No one question, no one adjust, no one flinch and just stay together.
It's well known that Swinney has morals and a faith that supersedes the sport of football. So it's fair to ask, after all his success, whether his motives ultimately end with football victories or with cementing the culture he's tried so hard to establish. Individually, no one would have a problem with values over football. However, this is a sport that demands constant appeasement; so while the fans, boosters, and school administrators were more than happy to buy in once the wins were coming, the losses may see those winds start to shift.
Pressure is already here for Dabo to adjust heavily. So, while the head coach would argue that Christmas isn't actually about the gifts, and he's right of course, there are only so many years people will willingly continue to walk down the stairs and be disappointed.
