National pundit says 'permanent damage' done in loss: 'That's Clemson football now'

Could the Louisville loss be a turning point for the program?

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Nov 4, 2024, 2:13 PM

Going into Clemson's return from the open date, even Paul Finebaum was saying nice things about Dabo Swinney's program.

Less than 60 minutes of action later, the questions and critiques came back in full force around Death Valley, and certainly in the national media space.

CBS Sports/247Sports analyst Josh Pate says there's something different about Saturday's 33-21 loss, which greatly hampered the Tigers' ACC and Playoff hopes.

"I think last night did permanent damage to Dabo Swinney at Clemson," Pate said Sunday. "It felt like there were probably some things in motion before last night that got exposed because of last night that they won't be able to reverse. Like their stadium went from being a place where no one's won at night since 2013, to being a place that was emptying out in the fourth quarter. I need you to understand how jarring that is to everyone involved. You don't see it. It just doesn't happen. Louisville went in there and just stomped them..."

Pate believes the performance unlocks a different side of the Clemson fanbase.

"Clemson folks are proud. They're a proud fanbase," he said. "Last night is going to matter so much because of the duality of how Clemson fans have handled this recently. They stand up for Dabo Swinney. They stand up for their program exactly as they should. But that doesn't mean they haven't had doubts. But they've kept it internal...Clemson fans will talk amongst themselves about maybe they question it a little bit Dabo's resistance to the portal...But publicly, they'll ride for him, because they don't appreciate how people come after him, sometimes unfairly, which I agree with...Last night was so incontrovertible.

"It was just a baseball bat to the face. They can't deny it anymore. The concerns they've had behind closed doors -- the door got kicked down is basically what I'm saying."

Pate calls Swinney a legend and says that status won't change, but he adds that Swinney must change to adapt his program and be a contender again.

"They are not going back to what they were unless they change things about that program," Pate said. "I don't know I'd ever say last night was a favor that was done to them...But at least it provided clarity. There's no more holdout. There's no more let's wait and see...We waited and saw. That's Clemson football now."

Pate detailed some of the reasons why he doesn't believe Clemson is appropriately positioned.

"They may finish the season OK. But you're not going back," Pate said. "You're just not going back. It is not going to work. Clemson football from this point forward is on a trajectory that is headed the opposite direction of where you hope it heads, and it will never be terrible -- that's not what I'm talking about...There is a standard to his credit, to his supreme credit, that Dabo Swinney has established at Clemson, and because of the way the sport has changed around him, and because of his -- not inability -- but unwillingness to adjust with it, which is his choice, they are not able to meet that standard anymore. And so this is Clemson football now.

"They got four games left. I don't care if they win all four of them. I don't care if they lose three of the four. What I'm saying is true, and you watch, and you see. You listen to Clemson folks now and I guarantee you they will sound different. I know many of them. I'm not just talking to hear myself talk. I know many of you, and I know how many minds were changed last night from being willing to silently criticize behind closed doors to saying, 'No, this ain't going to work anymore.' Last night wasn't close...You got owned by a team that has no business treating you like that. You got owned, and to be honest, a lot of it is preventable.

"And well within the rules to do, and you've chosen not to do it, and you couldn't push the ball downfield to save your life last night because you don't have difference-making players. You know you don't, and the reason you don't is because you haven't got the out of high school, haven't developed them there and you haven't gone elsewhere to get them even though the (transfer portal) are afforded to you now. And you've chosen not to do it, and it's not going to work anymore..."

Clemson has the seventh-rated offense in ESPN's FPI and the No. 11 offense with the SP+ metric. It is fifth in total yards per game and ninth in points per game.

The Tigers were up to fifth in Pate's own power ratings going into last weekend.