LSU broke Clemson: Dabo Swinney's Tigers continue to spiral

Long before the 2025 season ever kicked off, the matchup between LSU and Clemson was circled on the calendars of college football fans across the country. Both programs entered the new season with National Championship hopes, making the battle between the preseason top-10 teams must-watch television over Labor Day weekend. It was a pivotal game for both programs, and perhaps in even bigger ways than college football fans could have ever imagined.

LSU broke Clemson with a Week 1 win

LSU entered the 2025 season having lost five consecutive season openers. Brian Kelly had gone 0-3 in his first three Week 1 games in Baton Rouge, and breaking that streak was all LSU haters could talk about leading into the new season. Clemson was favored by 4.5 points over LSU, and fans across the country thought that LSU's Week 1 woes would continue. But Kelly and the Tigers got the job done.

LSU put together a dominating defensive effort, which included holding Clemson to just 261 yards of total offense and a measly 31 rushing yards and 1.6 yards per carry. The offense came up clutch down the stretch, as Garrett Nussmeier went a perfect 9-for-9 for 39 yards in the courth quarter. He tossed the eventual game-winning touchdown to Trey'Dez Green early in the fourth quarter to give LSU a 17-10 lead. That's all the defense would need.

The loss has propelled LSU to a 3-0 start and a No. 3 ranking in the Week 4 Top 25 AP Poll. Conversely, the wheels have fallen off for Dabo Swinney and Clemson.

Clemson continues to spiral after LSU loss in Week 1

After LSU's Week 1 win, Clemson struggled to get anything going in Week 2 against Troy. The Tigers fell behind 16-0 on their home field and needed a massive second half comeback to get a 27-16 win. With the win, Clemson was able to salvage a 1-1 start. But it only got worse from there.

In Week 3, Clemson went on the road and lost to Georgia Tech 24-21. In the week following the loss, Swinney had an all-time press conference in which it became extremely evident he was hearing the noise. Perhaps he was just trying to fire up his team, but in Week 4, it became clear that whatever message he was trying to send didn't land with his team.

Syracuse walked into Memorial Stadium in Week 4 and dominated from start to finish en route to a 34-21 win. Clemson was favored by 17.5 points, but lost outright. The loss handed Clemson back-to-back losses to unranked teams, which has been a common theme for the program in recent seasons. From 2012 to 2020, Swinney and the Tigers lost to an unranked team on just two occasions. But since 2021, that has happened nine times. Clemson is now 1-3, and Clemson fans now find themselves googling how much Swinney's buyout is.

How much is Dabo Swinney's buyout?

Clemson entered the season as the No. 4 team in the country, but is now off to its worst start since 2004. The Tigers are 1-3 and 0-2 in ACC play, giving Swinney his worst start overall in 21 years.

Swinney is tied to a 10-year, $115 million contract that he signed back in 2021. If Clemson decides to show him the door after this season, he would be owed $60 million. That number drops to $57 million if he gets canned after next season. Given those large numbers, it's extremely unlikely that Clemson moves on from Swinney anytime soon.

Clemson is set to return LSU's trip next season by visiting the real Death Valley in 2026 for the season opener on Sept. 5.