CLEMSON — Following Clemson’s loss to Virginia Tech last Saturday, Dabo Swinney looked spent.

The Tigers head coach was not just down and dejected after a heartbreaking loss, he looked tired. Obviously, the emotions of the night had gotten to him.

One national media member, who graduated from another university in the state of South Carolina, even said Swinney “looks so checked out,” which was absurd. However, they all lead to the same premise – there is trouble in Tigertown.

The loss to the Hokies all but knocked Clemson out of the race for a spot in the ACC Championship Game, which means the Tigers hopes of making it to the College Football Playoff are gone too.

The Clemson fan base is not happy. Neither are the high-rolling IPTAY donors and I am sure there is more.

Clemson fans are tired of the excuses. They are tired of losing to teams at home they have no business losing to, such as Virginia Tech. Prior to Saturday, Swinney was 7-0 against the Hokies.

The Tigers are 11-8 in Death Valley since the start of the 2024 season, including a 2-8 record against Power 4 teams.

Overall, they are not much better. Clemson is 11-9 in its last 20 games.

Not acceptable numbers for a program that is just eight years removed from its last national championship and two years from its last ACC Championship.

Does this mean Clemson is going to cut ties with Swinney? And if they do, can the school pay his $57 million buyout?

The answer to the first question has yet to be determined. However, if the school does decide to break away from Swinney, it can pay the $57 million.

According to Swinney’s term sheet from his last extension, which started on January 1, 2022, “If University terminates without Cause it shall pay to Employee the amount below for the year of the termination, payable, at the election of the University either (a) in a regular payment schedule over remaining term of contract, or (b) payment in full within 90 days of termination. No mitigation required.”

If you remember from when Tommy Bowden was let go in 2008, the school paid Bowden’s $3.5 million buyout over a six-year period. According to Swinney’s term sheet Clemson has the option to make a regular payment schedule over the remaining term of the contract.

If Swinney was to be let go this year, Clemson University would have five years to pay off the $57 million it would owe him. If you are doing the math that is $11.4 million per year.

Swinney is scheduled to make $11.5 million in 2027 and if Clemson hired a new coach and it pays him say $9 million a year, they knock off roughly $2.5 million from the 11.4 million. There are also other cuts from a huge football staff that likely would reduce that number even further.

But would Swinney want to “officially” be fired or would he want to at least save face and want to “officially” resign. If he chooses the latter, then it opens up negotiations and Clemson saves a little bit of money.

Of course, Clemson is not at that point, but if they do get to that point, Clemson can definitely pay out Swinney’s $57 million.