What's next for Clemson after Dabo Swinney's worst season ends with ugly Pinstripe Bowl loss to Penn State?

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney looked at the scoreboard with a blank stare following tight end Christian Bentancur's third-down drop, the fifth of the Tigers' season-high six, early in the fourth quarter of a lifeless 22-10 loss to Penn State in Saturday's Pinstripe Bowl.

Clemson's final record of 7-6 was a smidge better than the Tigers' 6-7 mark in 2010, but all would quantify this as the worst individual campaign under Swinney given the expectation level. Swinney predicted Clemson could be college football's "first 16-0" team in August, but the season quickly unraveled for a preseason top-five squad that was returning a slew of starters from last season's team that won the ACC championship and reached the College Football Playoff. 

The Tigers began the season by going 3-4, including a defeat to SMU that marked the program's fifth straight home loss to Power Four competition, nearly resulting in their first losing season since 2010.

Saturday's meeting with the Nittany Lions -- another team with massive preseason expectations -- was one of the uglier games thus far of bowl season during a frigid afternoon at Yankee Stadium. These were not the rosters most expected would compete for a playoff spot this fall. Four of Penn State's defensive starters did not play, including the team's second-leading tackler (safety Zakee Wheatley) and defensive tackle Zane Durant, who managed the second-most sacks on the team (four). 

The Nittany Lions were also without four starting offensive linemen and star running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, two of the most decorated offensive players in program history. Between injuries and opt-outs, Clemson had a high number of players unavailable as well, including seven offensive starters and seven defensive starters, many of whom elected to prepare early for the NFL Draft rather than continue for a forgettable exhibition.

Saturday's last performance of 2025 for the Tigers was nauseating for a myriad reasons, namely another repugnant outing offensively with three-year starting quarterback Cade Klubnik playing in his final college game. Outside of a fourth-quarter touchdown drive aided by a fourth-down conversion, Clemson totaled only 236 yards on 3.6 yards per play, punted five times, turned it over on downs twice, made a field goal and whiffed on another across 10 offensive possessions. 

Klubnik finished just 22 of 39 for 193 yards and his final play summarized a season of underperformance for the once-heralded star, a fourth-down sack with 2:29 to play on an icy field that put Penn State in prime position to close out its fourth straight victory under interim coach Terry Smith.

Uncomfortable decisions upcoming for Clemson

Swinney's expected to make coaching staff changes after this team's fall from grace, confirming he would last month with a preference for doing so after the bowl game. That time is now and his decisions will have a lasting impression on how this program looks under his watch in 2026 and beyond.

Offensively, Clemson took a massive step back under third-year coordinator Garrett Riley. Klubnik went from preseason Heisman candidate to a mid-level option in the ACC after his touchdown total was cut in half during his final go-around. Clemson's 28.7 points per game entering the Pinstripe Bowl and its number of explosive plays were the program's lowest production numbers since 2021, leading to speculation about Riley's future and where Swinney wants to go with his scheme pushing forward.

The rocky season was agonizing in early November following a 46-45 home loss to Duke after Swinney joked he "may get fired" with Clemson athletic director Graham Neff nearby in the media room. Amid a season of frustration, Swinney had seemingly hit a boiling point before taking aim at officials, resulting in a fine from the ACC.

For the first time in his coaching career (outside of a few additions) in the transfer portal era, Swinney expects to be active on college football's free agent market next month. He's late to the party, but after signing only 20 players in his 2026 high school recruiting class and suffering a few decommitments, numbers suggest the Tigers need more.

"The good news is the portal has been moved [back to Jan. 2]," Swinney said earlier this month before several NFL Draft announcements. "I still think it needs to be changed, but it's in a better spot so we can focus on this part of it, and then you can kind of see how your roster shakes out and you fill the gaps that you have." 

The players Swinney evaluates and plucks from the portal and pending alterations he makes to his staff should decide next season's fate. 

For now, however, Clemson's no longer feared as a national championship threat in the expanded playoff era.