Clemson Football: Ranking all 11 seasons of the Dabo Swinney era

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 29: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers greets fans during the Tiger Walk prior to the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Memorial Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /

10 of 11

2. 2016 (The first National Championship)

Record: 14-1

Notable Games:

42-36 win vs. No. 3 Louisville
37-34 win at No. 12 Florida State
43-42 loss to Pittsburgh
56-7 win vs. South Carolina
42-35 win vs. No. 19 Virginia Tech in ACC Championship
31-0 win vs. No. 2 Ohio State in CFB Playoff
35-31 win vs. No. 1 Alabama in National Championship

Can you remember the feeling of elation you experienced when Deshaun Watson hit Hunter Renfrow in the end zone to give Clemson a lead over Alabama in the waning seconds of the 2017 National Championship game? Of course you can.

This team entered the 2016 season with one goal in mind: To beat Alabama and win the National Title.

They fell short against Pittsburgh, but vowed that they would never lose another game that year. And they didn’t.

Deshaun Watson showed his brilliance and capped off his storybook Clemson football career with what many consider to still be the biggest win in program history.

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