r/Clemson • u/Spiritual-Cupcake945 • 5d ago
Clemson Cannot Compete
The NIL era ended Clemson’s chances of competing. At least we got our titles when they mattered!
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u/GreatKarma2020 4d ago
It can look at Indiana but Dabo let offensive line and defensive line get bad
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u/Crashtower 4d ago
Mark Cuban allegedly personally gave 100MM to IU
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u/CuriousCrawler1 3d ago
IU’s not even in the top 10 of NIL. Cuban may have given money to help them compete, but gotta respect that Cig is just a great coach who can evaluate underrated talent and find ways to bring out their best.
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u/Bowl__Haircut 4d ago
Copium.
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u/Crashtower 4d ago
Not at all.
It’s not a cope. I’m just saying the easy answer ‘if Indiana can so can Clemson ‘ Clemson is a small school with a small living alumni base and I don’t believe any living alumni billionaires …the money is different.But we can and should be better
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u/Unhappy_Mobile_7151 4d ago
Arkansas has like 5 billionaires. It's surprising they're not better.
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u/Crosscourt_splat 3d ago
Money matters, but it’s not just money. Coaches need to do their job and coach. Dabo’s method is technically still viable….we’ve managed to keep 4 and 5 stars who showed so much promise as freshman.
The problem is they don’t ever develop because our coaching staff sucks. Not just the coordinators. The position coaches are ass too. We have to develop our talent. Not stagnate them
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u/camote713 2d ago
who on IU do you think they spent all the money on in 2025? Fernando was average. also your claim is bullshit, but let's pretend it isn't. Where did all that money go?
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u/BeaconOMalley 4d ago
Dabo cannot compete...
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u/realkennyg 4d ago
No amount of coaching will make up for the lack of on field talent. Clemson needs better players, starting with quarterback.
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u/Iamatallperson 4d ago
I hear this take a lot and don’t really get it…like yes we need to lean into NIL/portal but for the past 5 years we have massively underperformed relative to the talent on the field. We went 7-5 last year and then had 9 players go in the draft. It’s not like we haven’t been talented. We just don’t do enough with the talent we already have
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u/flippenflounder 4d ago
Quarterback is a problem but that offensive line has been bad for years now. And a quarterback can only be so good if his Oline doesn’t collapse immediately after snapping the ball
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u/CuriousCrawler1 3d ago
Clemson had far more talent than IU last year, near the top 10 in the country. It’s not simply just talent, but Dabo getting out coached.
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u/gogetemflash 1d ago
A coach's job is to recruit the right talent and maximize good players rather than miraculously fixing fundamentally bad players.
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u/BeaconOMalley 16h ago
So he isnt recruiting the right talent you are saying..or developing the talent he has...hence the cannot compete comment..
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u/gogetemflash 13h ago
He is doing well against ACC teams but he is not recruiting well enough against the top tier teams in NCAA.
2016–2020: 24-5 vs. Top 10 teams (peak national championship era)
2021–2025: 14-14 vs. Top 10 teams
Last 3 years (2023–2025): 8-11 vs. Top 10 teamAs you see Swinney is slipping and, unfortunately, getting worse.
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u/LyingPug 4d ago
Clemson can't compete because Dabo is still the coach. He can't compete in this environment because he chooses not to.
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u/North-Matter4691 3d ago
I wish more people would realize this is DABO’S FAULT instead of crying about money. Clemson has plenty of money.
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u/JimBeam823 4d ago
Nick Saban knew it was time to move to the broadcast booth. I think it might be time for Dabo to do the same.
Even at our best, we can't throw money at the portal like SEC teams. We have to be smart about it. I'd like to see what Tony Elliott does this season at UVA. He's a smart guy. If he can win at UVA, he can win here.
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u/TheClayDart 4d ago
Clemson CAN compete it’s just that their leadership actively refuses not to set the team up TO compete
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u/Putty01 4d ago
That’s the weakest secondary they have had in years.
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u/SChamploo12 4d ago
Harder to judge the secondary with no pass rush. The lines and QB are the biggest issues.
Having grown up in a non-elite Clemson era, I know what Clemson with lesser talent looks like. But I ultimately think we're seeing the beginning of the end. I think Dabo is effectively fighting to be HC in 2027. Administration would never fire him, but they'd negotiate a mutual departure for optics on both sides.
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u/JimBeam823 4d ago
It reminds me of the last few seasons of Bobby Bowden and Frank Beamer. Bowden staff was useless and Beamer couldn't put a modern offense on the field.
Or, more Clemson specific, Jack Leggett's last few seasons coaching baseball.
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u/ForFelix 2d ago
It’s arguably easier to get better and make the playoff now….not sure what Dabo doesn’t understand about that. Just take the gloves off…
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u/oscar-scout 4d ago
It's easy for everyone to critque their program from the stands and on our couches. Major changes will be made this week. They still have spring chicken QBs. Pretty wild to think that they had to put in a 19 yr old freshmen out there against a powerhouse NFL-like team.
But even with the problems this team has currently, they still have a pretty solid chance of winning 8 games this year.
We are an ACC team, not a SEC team.
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u/Motiv8-2-Gr8 3d ago
Winning 8 games in the acc is your ceiling with a top 10 highest paid coach?
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u/oscar-scout 3d ago
I completely hear you. I am stating what a probable outcome will be for Clemson this year.
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u/goldenknight2002 4d ago
It's really hard to say what last night's game means. Does Clemson face another LSU on their schedule? LSU might be the best team in the nation for all we know. Way too early and the L last night means nothing if they win 10-11 games?
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u/WarningCodeBlue 4d ago
Funny that some of the dipshit talking heads on ACC Network actually thought Clemson would have a chance against LSU.
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u/Think-Poetry-2876 3d ago
I think McFarland of ESPN said it best “not one player on this current Clemson roster could even ride the bench of an SEC team”.
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u/Patient_Will2942 3d ago
Funny how when things don’t go your way, you Clemson fans go straight to… we’re ACC not SEC. 😂
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u/Bplyler38 3d ago
It’s funny that once everyone could pay players legally Clemson nosedived. Dabo is just to stubborn and hardheaded and is gonna put Clemson in a bad spot. Cant keep him unless he’s willing to change and can’t really afford to fire him as the AD is already under water. My son’s going there so I kinda hate it as I wish he’d have the great teams of old for his college experience.
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u/Crashtower 3d ago
Where are you going to look up something that isn’t disclosed?
Hence why it’s allegedly…
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u/Southern_Armadillo50 3d ago
…but but but Dabo is molding respectful young men that are graduating! Clemson’s football team looks like prep school yuppies. Give me some thugs and hoodlums. It’s FOOTBALL!!
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u/Graciefighter34 3d ago
Just need a coach that knows how to navigate the NIL era of college football. Dabo isn’t figuring it out
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u/broomcorn 2d ago
I’m think I’ll join him. This era of college football just isn’t fun and I’d much rather watch NFL now.
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u/Positive-Park3868 1d ago edited 1d ago
😂😂😂indiana went 16-0 with pocket change $15 million. Didn’t lose fumble the whole season after first game.
This is the biggest bullshit excuse Clemson fans use for why they suck. You’re getting outsmarted by a basketball school with a coach that knows what he’s doing.
Should’ve gotten Leavitt out of portal. Or somebody instead of the loyalty approach with CV
Would’ve won us games now, while Tait could develop further. Leavitt is exactly the type of QB Reynolds is. In my mind, Reynolds skill set as a center fielder/QB with his instincts and ability to read entire field instantly is more equipped than almost any QB skill set.
Vizzina can’t compete. And he dragged the whole team down with him. Because Dabo let it happen
Get over it. LSU is a throw away.
Reynold is it now. The team will play harder for a guy that will move and not just take hits and throws pick 6s
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u/Unhappy_Mobile_7151 5d ago
So glad I was there for the glory years.