Paul Finebaum says "Dabo's Dynasty is done" while RGIII, Dinich disagree

Finebaum was fired up about Clemson's future

by Tony Crumpton - Assoc. Editor - Wed Sep 29 10:55:29 GMT-04:00 2021

ESPN's Heather Dinich, Paul Finebaum, and Robert Griffin III were on the show 'Get Up' on Wednesday morning discussing Clemson's offensive struggles so far this season and whether their time as a national contender is over or not.

To nobody's surprise, Finebaum believes that the Tigers are done as national title contenders.

"Dabo's dynasty is done," he said. "I do not like anything I see there. I respect what Heather has just got through saying but strongly and vehemently disagree. They lost one coach a few years ago to USF (Jeff Scott) and I think that is a big loss. This is a staff that has always been together, but I think it's getting stale. Yes, recruiting is still good, but will it be elite after we just got through watching Greeny. It just doesn't look like Clemson is part of the cool kids anymore, and I think they are going to pay for it in recruiting, and they play in a terrible league and will hurt them even more.

Griffin wasn't buying what Finebaum was selling at all about Clemson.

"I don't agree with Paul," Griffin said. "Maybe they're taking too much off the top for Paul there. Clemson is not done as a power. They're not done as a national power. I really believe that their offense is really the key for them. They have to learn to adapt to the times. The days of lining up and steamrolling teams, because you're more talented are over. Teams have put together schemes to bridge the gap between good players and great players. And they have to be able to do that. Offensively it's formations and route concepts. They have to have more variety there. I also think they have to have a mental decision to go ahead to ride the coattails of DJ Uiagalelei.

Griffin got to watch Clemson up close as he was the announcer for the game recently.

"I called the game last week, and I saw him make some plays that most quarterbacks can't make," he said. "I wouldn't be opposed to them spreading it out and using their length at receiver and the athleticism and the size and letting DJ throw it on first, second, and third down because they're not run-blocking that well, they're not pass-blocking that great, but it's better than their run blocking. You've just got to make a decision and move forward that way. But I do not think Clemson is done. Dabo is a great coach. Tony Elliott is a great offensive coordinator. But their ability to fix this offense and get it buzzing is going to tell the difference for both of them moving forward."

Finebaum had a rebuttal about Clemson involving stock futures for RGIII.

"If you walk out your building and go about five blocks to Wall St. when the market opens, they're not buying stock based on what happened yesterday or what happened four years ago. They're looking ahead, and that's my concern for the Clemson program. Some of it is the ACC, but most of it is just perception. Everything is compared to perfection. Everything is compared to Nick Saban, and when you lose at North Carolina State after almost losing to Georgia Tech, suddenly the bottom falls out, and that's why there's a negative perception about Dabo Swinney's program today."