I'm only going by what I'm hearing being hyped, and what I've experianced. 'Being on the Chopping Block' also means suspect, not banned. You're not banned until... you're chopped.
However, Sawk has very few, if any, soild counters, as between Close Combat and Stone Edge, he hits the whole teir for neutral, except for Baltoy, who's not even viable.
Sweepers are destroyed by Scarf, and walls are mutilated by Band.
Hell, Max/Max + Nature Slowking takes 33.79% ~ 37.05% from Jolly Banded Sawk's Close Combat, which, with any form of hazards factored in, outdoes Slowking's Regen.
Standard 252/200 Calm Slowkings take 39.26% ~ 46.41%
If Sawk runs Adamant this increases to 42.98% ~ 50.71%
That's a resisted attack on one of the bulkiest mons in the whole teir.
And prediction isn't a defense against something being powerful, because it works both ways.
If Sawk wasn't so good with a Scarf as well [And Nu had more priority] I'd be saying use Band Sawk 100% of the time, to just muscle through everything.