Dabo Swinney Takes Shot at Lane Kiffin, LSU Before Week 1 Showdown

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers were once again caught in the crossfire, this time from Dabo Swinney, who will lead the Clemson Tigers into Death Valley in Week 1.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney communicates with players during practice in the at the Allen N. Reeves Sports Complex in Clemson, S.C. Friday, August 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The LSU Tigers have been the talk all offseason long. Between bringing in new head coach Lane Kiffin, to making splashes in the portal, to now, when the program has become public enemy No. 1 after bringing in former NFL players onto the roster.

With week one here, just days away, the focus inside the building in Baton Rouge, is ensuring the team is ready to take on the Clemson Tigers, in a critical opening game that will be a temperature check for the new look program.

For Dabo Swinney and his team, though, while his focus is on the roster Kiffin built, it's not due to preparation, it's to call shots on the program, and the "embarassing" process that the Tigers have brought to college football.

Dabo Swinney Called the Process "Embrassing"

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tigers are doing everything possible to ensure the program is set up for success, even if that includes making enemies with the rest of the country to bring in former NFL players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who were granted TROs by a judge to return to college football, in a ground-breaking move that set the sport on fire.

"Rarely am I at a loss for words," Swinney said. "But I'm at kind of a loss of words. I would just say it's kind of embarrassing. I mean, honestly, it's just embarrassing that that's where we are. I don't blame the kids and people trying to take advantage of the system. I just think it's embarrassing where we are with college football."

While Swinney had strong words against the actions of the Tigers' coaching staff, at the time, there was nothing barring players from joining the roster. Kiffin and staff got the ok from the players, there is no one losing a spot because of the new additions, and if they didn't land back in Baton rouge, they were bound to land somewhere else.

"Been spending this last week or so studying the Browns, the Cowboys, the Saints and the Bucs trying to get ready," Swinney said. "I actually got to go watch practice in early June for the Browns. So I'm probably going to get turned in for tampering, I don't know. I wish I'd have known. I'd have paid a little more attention. Yeah, it's crazy. It's hard."

While everyone is up in arms regarding the additions, the Tigers are game-planning their opponent, rather than taking shots at the other sideline. A final ruling will release before the game dictating the ability to play them, but whether they do or not, Kiffin and his team are ready for week one, while Swinney appears to be as well.

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