Paul Finebaum Highlights Bias Against Leading ACC Coach After Preseason Coaches Poll originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After going 10-4 last season, the Dabo Swinney-led Clemson Tigers are ranked No. 6 in the preseason coaches top 25 poll.
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Last season, the Tigers opened with a 34-3 loss to Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs. They then went on a six-game winning streak before losing to Louisville Cardinals 33-21 on Nov. 2.
Clemson finished the season by winning four of its last six games, including a 34-31 triumph over No. 8 SMU in the ACC Championship Game. But Swinney could not lead his team past Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns in the first round of the College Football Playoff, losing 38-24.
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
What Did Paul Finebaum Have to Say?
SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum claimed during Tuesday’s episode of “McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning” that “there is a considerable amount of bias against Swinney. But he has shut the noise out and built his roster back to one of the better ones in college football.”
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Swinney’s roster this season is highlighted by quarterback Cade Klubnik, halfback Keith Adams Jr., wide receiver Tristan Smith, wide receiver Cole Turner, defensive end Cade Denhoff, defensive end Armon Mason and linebacker Jeremiah Alexander.
Finebaum did note that he used to criticize Swinney. He added that their No. 6 preseason ranking also has to do with the losses last season to Georgia, South Carolina and Texas.
“They didn’t get as much credit as they might have deserved after pulling off that win against SMU,” Finebaum continued. “Instead of giving him credit, I’ve come around because I used to be one of those critics of Dabo, like pretty much everybody else was.”
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SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to a game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers.Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Finebaum and Swinney’s Feud
Finebaum and Swinney have had a complicated relationship since the 2010s. The two would take small shots at each other because of Clemson making four national championship games from 2015-19.
However, Finebaum claimed on “The Paul Finebaum Show” in January that the feud is not personal and that there are no harsh feelings between them.
“It’s kind of a long-running feud that’s mostly tongue in cheek,” he said. “It happened back when Alabama played Clemson every year for the national championship.
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“I really don’t know exactly what happened. I’ve spoken to Dabo a couple of times about it, and he’s called me. I’ve run into him, and there’s no personal bad blood between us.”
Clemson’s season opener is on Aug. 30 against Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers.
Related: Cade Klubnik Drops Two-Word Message for Jaxson Dart on Giants’ Post
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
