Clemson football: Recent leap year seasons are reasons to be excited

If recent leap years under Coach Swinney are any indication, Clemson football will have reasons to celebrate come January 2021.

The success that Clemson football has built and so far maintained under Coach Swinney is unparalleled in the history of the program. Looking back over the seasons, Clemson football in a leap has been highly successful and 2020 should be the same.

Here are a few leap year successes in Clemson football history.

Back in 2016 football season, Clemson would go on to win 14 games en route to a 14-1 year and a thrilling win over Alabama in the national title game. Regardless of your age or how long you have been a Clemson football fan, you will remember exactly where you were when Deshaun Watson hit Hunter Renfrow to win the national title.

The 2012 season under coach Swinney did not end in a national title, but it ends with the Tigers going 11-2 and beating LSU in the Chickfila Bowl. Anyone that has been a longtime Clemson football fan will tell you that game is where this Clemson dynasty was born and the success of this program has built off of that 4th and 16 moments when Deandre Hopkins made a sliding grab to extend the game and allow Clemson to kick the game-winning field goal.

While the 2008 season did not go all that well for Coach Swinney and Clemson football, their 2008 signing class was magnificent and a big part of the future at Clemson. Andre Ellington, Dwayne Allen, Brandon Ford, Da’Quan Bowers, and Jamie Harper were all huge parts of making a household name and helping to attract the next crop of players like Tahj Boyd.

The 2000 season under Tommy Bowden was a breath of fresh air for everyone and had all of us feeling that the program was finally moving in the right direction. Clemson started out the year 8-0 and then had back to back losses against Georgia Tech and FSU before beating the 25th ranked Gamecocks. This was the first time since 1991 that Clemson had won at least nine games in a season.

If past leap year history is any indication, 2020 should be another great year for Clemson football and hopefully, they will be celebrating in Florida like they did just four years ago.