Dabo Swinney has two national championships, 140 career wins (fourth-most among active FBS head coaches), six straight conference championships, and only seven losses over the last six years. He’s a future Hall of Famer with an $8.3 million salary, five top-100 signees in the 2021 class, and, presumably, has at least another decade to cement his legacy as one of the 10 best coaches in college football history.
Life is good for Dabo Swinney. He could quit today and walk away with one of the best coaching résumés ever. But on Friday night, he was a punching bag as Clemson was throttled by the 11th-best team in college football in the Sugar Bowl, during which he punted in the fourth quarter when down 21 points.