If Saban had retired three years ago, Swinney would have been a shoo-in for the job. For years he was the only coach able to throw punches with Alabama’s heavyweight program, and he did it at Clemson, not a traditional powerhouse.
The much younger Swinney would have been the perfect successor to Saban but after three down years at Clemson and Swinney’s refusal to embrace NIL and the transfer portal, Swinney is a definite risk.