CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney had been asked the question before game day, though he didn’t have much of an answer.

Did he need to see anything in particular from Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina , an exceptionally untested backup, to feel comfortable that he could be “the guy” in 2026?

“I'm not worried about next year, I'm not worried about next week,” Swinney said, because all he was worried about was finding a way to beat SMU.

Well, the Tigers (3-4, 2-3 ACC) couldn’t beat SMU, suffering a fifth straight home loss to a Power 4 team, and it happened with Cade Klubnik sidelined and Vizzina at the helm. The offense was stuck in a rut for most of the first half, falling behind 16-7.

But that’s not to say Vizzina was completely ineffective. He may have come out of the game with the

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