Clemson's start to the 2024 college football season couldn't have been worse. The Tigers were defeated by their SEC rival, the Georgia Bulldogs, 34-3, on Saturday afternoon.
And social media was not kind to Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.
Swinney has not embraced the evolution of college football's transfer portal, which has allowed programs to improve rapidly by bringing in new talent each year.
After seeing the results on Saturday, fans immediately pointed to that as the reason for Clemson's lack of success against the number one team in the country.
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Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports)
Swinney responded to a question about the transfer portal after the loss.
“People are going to say what they want to say,” Swinney said, via ClemsonWire. “It doesn't matter what I say. People are going to say what they want to say. And when you lose like that, they have every right to say what they want to say. So, say what you want to say, write what you want to write. That's part of it. It's just part of it.”
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart made comments about Swinney's program development strategy just days before their matchup, saying “I'm like Dabo” in that he wants to keep his roster full. However, Smart has done a good job of utilizing the transfer portal since its inception, leading to great Bulldogs teams winning national titles in recent years.
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Swinney’s thought process wouldn’t matter if Clemson, the No. 14 team in the country at the start of the year, had performed better against Georgia. But that wasn’t the case, and critics on social media took direct aim at that.
“Dabo Swinney's job is to do everything he can to build a team that can compete at the highest level of college football,” one X user tweeted. “He's not doing his job and will be criticized accordingly, and that's completely fair.”
Another X user wrote: “Dabo Swinney's refusal to use the transfer portal and his negative stance towards NIL was made evident today. The talent Georgia has compared to Clemson is unmatched. Swinney is like a VCR trapped in a Blue (sic) Ray world.”
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts on the sideline during the second half of the Aflac home opener against Georgia in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (IMAGE)
There was much more, with social media users posting memes to convey their thoughts on Swinney.
While Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik struggled, completing 18 of 29 passes for 142 yards, one interception and no touchdowns, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was electric for the Bulldogs.
Beck, who is expected to be a Heisman Trophy candidate this season, passed for 278 yards on 23-of-33 attempts with two touchdowns. Running back Nate Frazier also scored on the ground, leading the Bulldogs in rushing with 83 yards on 11 carries.
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney reacts after a referee's call during the first quarter of the Aflac 2024 Kickoff Game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today Sports)
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Clemson's start was less than ideal, but it will have a chance to bounce back next week in its home opener against Appalachian State.
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