Ranking every College Football Playoff team in history

2. Clemson Tigers – 2017

National Champions — Def. Alabama, 35-31

After losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2016 National Championship Game, the Clemson Tigers matched up with them once again in the title contest in 2017. It was largely the same cast of characters for head coach Dabo Swinney’s team, but they had all taken the next step in terms of both their talent and maturity and the results were obvious.

Talking about these Clemson teams obviously starts with the quarterback position, which was then occupied by Deshaun Watson. As much of a revelation as Watson has flashed to be with the Houston Texans, he was perhaps even more so with the Tigers. He was an athletic playmaker that could make any throw, beat teams with his legs and also had the guts to stare down any big moment and rise up to it.

On top of that, Watson wasn’t out there doing it alone for the Tigers offense. He had big-time weapons like Mike Williams, Hunter Renfrow and plenty more to his credit on that side of the ball. Moreover, the offense was anchored by a defense that, though there were some young players at key areas, was an exceedingly talented unit capable of making big plays.

There was no denying the talent of Clemson entering the title game, but what put them over the edge and vaults them to No. 2 in these rankings was the moxie they showed. After falling behind late thanks to a Jalen Hurts touchdown run, Watson rose to the occasion one final time and won it for the Tigers. That type of intangible quality is what makes a great team legendary.