Paul Finebaum addresses how Clemson will be perceived with a Week 1 loss to Georgia

Dabo Swinney and Clemson have an opportunity to prove that they still have an elite program this weekend when the Tigers face No. 1 Georgia in Atlanta.

Clemson has missed out on the College Football Playoff the past three seasons, and Swinney has been criticized for his unwillingness to adapt in a new era of college football.

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ESPN analyst Pual Finebaum appeared on McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning on Monday and was asked how Clemson will be perceived if it loses to the Bulldogs. To Finebaum, it depends on how badly the Tigers get beat.

“I think it’s all a matter of how it looks and what the score is,” Finebaum said. “I ran into a Clemson fan yesterday – and I’m not trying to act like I’m on the inside. I’m not. I was literally just walking around my neighborhood and I ran into a Clemson guy who’s a pretty big supporter.

“And he looked at this game as a referendum on Dabo Swinney. And I think there’s more discussed in that program privately than they want us to hear and than we’ll probably hear this week leading into Atlanta.”

Clemson is currently a 13.5-point underdog for Saturday’s game, according to FanDuel. If Georgia wins by 14-plus points, Finebaum believes the Tigers are in trouble.

However, if Swinney’s club can keep it relatively close perhaps it means that Clemson is closer than people think to once again competing for titles.

Clemson won two national titles and made the College Football Playoff six straight years from 2015-20, before missing the CFP each of the past three years.

“They know they missed an opportunity. They know they missed it because of stubbornness,” Finebaum said. “This program was there five years ago playing for a national championship. And it’s slipped away in the modern era. And that hurts.

“I think anything outside the number is going to be a very bad look for Clemson and I think it’s going to make it more difficult for Dabo Swinney to get out of this thing.”

Even if Clemson is blown out and goes on to have a tough season, Finebaum doesn’t believe Swinney is anywhere near the hot seat. Swinney has a resume that is as good as anybody in college football. However, he does feel like pressure is going to continue to grow to get back to being elite.

“We’re not talking the typical hot seat stuff. That’s absurd. This is a coach that has done more than anybody in America right now other than Kirby Smart,” Finebaum said. “But there’s a fatigue factor in that program, and I think that’s what he has to be careful of this weekend.”