For more than a decade, Dabo Swinney transformed Clemson into a cathedral of college football excellence — but cathedrals require constant tending. A 51-10 loss to LSU in September 2026 has forced the program to confront a quiet truth: the methods that built a dynasty may no longer be sufficient to sustain one. When the game evolves and a program does not, the distance between legacy and relevance begins to show.