There have been several pivot points for Clemson's football program under Dabo Swinney, and now the Tigers have found themselves at another after dropping to 1-2 on the season in a 24-21 loss at Georgia Tech.

With the loss, the Tigers are 1-2, soon to be unranked and the biggest disappointment in college football. To understand how we arrived here, we must first go back in time.

Clemson football TE Ian Schieffelin almost had his first career touchdown vs Georgia Tech. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney explained why he was in the game.

The Clemson Tigers came into Saturday’s ACC battle against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wanting to prove they still deserved consideration for the College Football Playoff despite losing to LSU to open the season.

"I know the world we live in, I know the world we created at Clemson with high expectations and excellent. I don't have my head in the sand there, I know there will be a ton of negativity," Swinney said after his team's loss. "But we can't do anything about that."

The Clemson Tigers not only had College Football Playoff expectations to start the 2025 season, but they were also aiming for a national championship. It has taken only three games for a bucket of cold water to douse all of those expectations.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers came into the 2025 season with "championship or bust" expectations. Although it's only Week 3, the program is already in danger of falling out of contention for the College Football Playoff.

The LSU equipment truck accidentally collided with a garage door on its way out, leaving behind bent metal and dents. To make matters worse, a malfunction with the stadium fireworks show set off a small fire on the videoboard during the game, sending flames and smoke into the air in what felt like an ominous sign for the Tigers.