Paul Finebaum Names College Football Powerhouse That Won't Win 9 Games in 2026

SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers have hit a lull after a dominant run in the 2010s.

The Tigers dominated the ACC during that time span and made the College Football Playoff six straight years from 2015-20.

That included winning two national championships over the dynasty that was the Alabama Crimson Tide, led by Nick Saba. However, they haven't been able to duplicate that success.

Clemson's CFP Drought

Since the 2020 season, Dabo Swinney's team has made just one College Football Playoff appearance, and that came in 2024 as an automatic bid after winning the ACC championship, following a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

The team then returned the most production in college football in 2025, leaving many to believe Swinney had the Tigers back as a national championship contender.

They started the year ranked No. 4, but started the year 1-3, with the one win being a narrow win over Troy. Ultimately, the team finished 7-6, the worst season since 2010.

Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds (2) listens to Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum's Clemson Prediction

There is now some pressure on Swinney to succeed this season due to last year's poor results. However, ESPN's Paul Finebaum revealed on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that Swinney won't lead Clemson to nine wins.

"I think he'll have a winning season," Finebaum said. "I think another good 8-4 season for Dabo."

Quarterback Questions Loom

There are a lot of question marks for Clemson this season. The Tigers rank No. 59 in returning production.

One of the biggest losses was quarterback Cade Klubnik. He threw for 10,123 yards, 73 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in his career. They are also replacing star defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker.

Clemson is having a quarterback battle between redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina, redshirt freshman Chris Denson and freshman Tait Reynolds. Vizzina is the projected starter, as he's thrown 105 passes for 596 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in his career.

Denson played in two games last year and went 4-for-4 for 22 yards and one score, while rushing seven times for 108 yards and one score. He brings more of a dual-threat ability to Clemson, but Vazzina has more experience.

Chad Morris Returns

The team did make a major change to the staff. They parted ways with Garrett Riley and brought Chad Morris back to Clemson to be the offensive coordinator.

Morris spent the 2011-14 season at Clemson as the offensive coordinator and returned in 2023 as an offensive analyst. He's hoping to get the Tigers back to playing championship-caliber football.

That is the challenge facing Clemson in 2026. The Tigers are no longer being judged against the rest of the ACC; they are being judged against the standard Swinney set during the program's golden run.

If Morris can stabilize the offense and the new quarterback settles in quickly, Clemson has enough talent to outperform Finebaum's projection.

But if the transition is rocky, another season outside the national spotlight will only raise more questions about whether the Tigers can ever get back to the top tier of the sport.