"They ought to have answer for it": Dabo Swinney calls out officiating lapses in college football ahead of Clemson's Week 11 showdown

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has been in the spotlight amid his team's poor run this season. The Tigers have a 3-5 (2-4 in ACC) record heading into Week 11.

Despite Clemson's torrid run this season, Swinney has called some of the officiating lapses at the collegiate level, while adding that officials should take more accountability.

“In the meantime, we got gambling issues going on, people being suspended, all that kind of stuff, right?" Swinney said on Tuesday. "Yep. I mean, refs are people too. It ain’t just coaches and players. And if they’re a part of the game, then by God, they ought to be a part of the game, and they ought to be a part of the accountability, and they ought to be a part of the consequences, not just behind some shadowy curtain like no, they ought to have to answer for it.”

Swinney also called for full-time officials to handle games because sometimes missed calls can alter the result of a game.

Swinney has been serving as Clemson's head coach since 2008. He has led the program to two national championships.

Dabo Swinney's Clemson will face Florida State in Week 11 of the 2025 college football season

Clemson Tigers HC Dabo Swinney - Source: Imagn

Dabo Swinney's Clemson (3-5) will face Florida State (4-4) in Week 11 of the season on Saturday. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET from Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

The Seminoles snapped their four-game losing streak with a 42-7 win over Wake Forest last Saturday.

Meanwhile. Swinney's Tigers are on a two-game losing streak. Clemson has been out of the College Football Playoff race for a few weeks, but will want to finish with at least six wins to qualify for a bowl game.