All right, college football fans -– Even as Dabo Swinney faces a wave of criticism in recent years, the arc of his career makes it hard for our latest guest to imagine Clemson football without him at the helm. What’s more, there’s reason for optimism as Swinney and his staff are searching for answers, Larry Williams tells us in this episode of our podcast. Yep, this is a long one. But it’s worth the time to sink into the details being offered up by one of the longest-tenured writers on the Clemson beat. Why has Clemson slid in recent years despite reports that estimate the Tigers having top-15 money in the sport? We also get into how highly former athletic director Terry Don Phillips thought of Swinney upon promoting the young assistant to head coach, how closing a resource gap changed things, the fortunate timing of some major rivals in the southeast slipping for a bit, and how one or two particular positions in 2026 tend to reflect the bigger picture. We’re glad to have Williams, of Tiger Illustrated, join us! We're glad you found us -- y'all be sure to watch on YouTube.com/ClemsonKickoff so you can share your reactions in the comments, and find us on social media @ClemsonKickoff!