Clemson vs. Penn State was supposed to be a National Championship matchup. A lot can change in 135 days.
“Hey, this season wasn’t great for us as far as what we usually like to do, but it’ll turn. It’ll turn. We’re a lot closer than people think. We are,” head coach Dabo Swinney said after the game.
The question on everyone’s mind is what to do with Swinney. That question loomed large at 3-5, but Swinney was given the opportunity to salvage the season. In today’s college football landscape, though, not everyone is afforded the same trust and time.
Enter Terry Smith, interim head coach at Penn State. Smith’s story as a PSU head coach will likely end with Saturday’s Pinstripe Bowl win, but it began with the firing of James Franklin.
In 2014, James Franklin took over as the head coach of the Nittany Lions. That same year, he ironically went 7-6 and won the Pinstripe Bowl.
This season, he never saw past 3-3. His firing was a perennial college football storyline this season, but so was the Lane Kiffin news or Billy Napier’s firing from Florida.
Head coach drama has been as common as second down this season.
James Franklin seemed unfireable from Penn State. He rebuilt the culture, but continuously failed to deliver on the grand stage. That turned out to be enough.
Instant success has become an expectation. When that expectation is not met, the solution seems to be to fire the head coach and throw some money at the program.
It is a difficult day and age to be the face of a college football program. Yet as the head coaches of premier football programs drop like flies, Clemson’s Swinney seems untouchable.
“I know everybody wants me to win football games, but it’s about how I win. That’s what matters to me more than anything. Always has. It’s never been anything different, never will be. That’s my purpose in life: glorify God, be a great husband and father and to use this platform of football and education to build great men through this game that we love. That’s my calling. That’s my purpose in life,” Swinney said.
With today’s game defined by portal shopping, lofty NIL deals, a lack of loyalty and impatience for success, Swinney’s recipe stands out. Whether you call him traditional, stubborn or both, you are probably right. But you cannot call him disingenuous.
“Just thankful for the way that he’s always been the same person. I think that one of the biggest things that I admire in somebody is consistency and being able to speak the truth,” quarterback Cade Klubnik said. “He’s the exact same person every single day, and it doesn’t matter if we’re coming off a day like this, if we’re coming off an ACC Championship.”
Ultimately, Swinney’s strong values and morals cannot cover up six losses in a season that began with National Championship aspirations. But Swinney represents everything that college football lacks: loyalty, a strong culture and a genuine interest in creating honor and excellence in his locker room.
Here’s the alternative. Fire Swinney and start from scratch. Join in on the fire-hire hysteria. Become the very thing that is ruining the institution of college football.
But this season, when two paths diverged, Clemson took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference.
