---
title: Dabo Swinney's Culture Won Two Natties. Does it Hurt the Tigers' Cause Now?
description: Clemson football won two national championships thanks to Dabo Swinney's culture. In the era of NIL and transfers, is it now holding the Tigers down?
---

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# [Dabo Swinney's Culture Won Two Natties. Does it Hurt the Tigers' Cause Now?](https://clemsonkickoff.com/news/dabo-swinneys-culture-won-two-natties.-does-it-hurt-the-tigers-cause-now)

 Written by [Staff Report](https://clemsonkickoff.com/news/author/staff-report) | October 7, 2026 | 12:23 AM

BHey there, college football fans – Our series about Clemson’s arc with Dabo Swinney as head coach kicks off today – and a fantastic interview with David Hale gets us started talking about the things Swinney did to turn the Tigers into a playoff dynasty. We also talk about how those positives helped Clemson football not just win two national championships, but become a six-year college football playoff stalwart during the four-team era. And of course we discuss the potential reasons for Clemson's lesser results since 2021, including a 7-6 mark in 2025 – yet still solid enough to win the ACC in 2025 and reach the playoff again. We’re glad you found us! Be sure to check back for Part 2 of this series in a few days -- and head over to [YouTube.com/ClemsonKickoff](http://youtube.com/clemsonkickoff) so you can share your reactions in the comments!

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