As Clemson battles its worst season in over a decade, college football analyst Josh Pate has a wild take on Dabo Swinney’s future.

Clemson is favored by 1.5 points vs. Florida State, according to the VegasInsider.com consensus betting line. The point spread opened at Clemson -3.5 or Clemson -2.5 in most sportsbooks and has dropped slightly, as most bettors have picked FSU to cover.

Swinney believes the Florida State Seminoles could present problems for the Clemson Tigers on both sides of the ball.

Clemson is having its worst start of Dabo Swinney's 17 full seasons. Here's how it has affected the Tigers' 2026 class with early signing day looming.

The Tigers could be eliminated from bowl eligibility as soon as the Louisville game in two weeks, which is being played on a Friday night. Clemson needs to go 2-1 against the P4 teams left on its schedule, plus beat Furman, to stay alive.

Clemson running back Gideon Davidson was touted as a freshman who would make an immediate impact for the Tigers, but he didn't until Week 10 vs Duke.

Clemson has already flipped one 2026 commit this month, and now the Tigers are eyeing another — an in-state defensive standout with a growing offer list.