Clemson Tigers football: Ranking the 5 best seasons in program history
3. 2016 Clemson football season
Record: 14-1 | Finish: National Champions, Defeated Alabama 35-31 in CFP National Championship
Not that it would take Sherlock Holmes to figure this out but the three greatest seasons in the history of Clemson football happen to be the three in which the Tigers captured National Championships. So in the top three, it’s all about separating those years in any way you can and, in doing so, the 2016 season comes out at the No. 3 spot.
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After going 14-0 only to lose to Alabama in the previous season, Deshaun Watson the Tigers were out for revenge in the 2016 season. However, they didn’t have an even remotely easy path if they were to get another shot at a title or the Crimson Tide. In fact, they had one of the hardest schedules in Clemson history as 13 of the 15 teams they played were bowl-eligible teams.
Almost entirely, Clemson handled that schedule, beating the likes of Auburn, Florida State and trouncing Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup. Heck, Watson and the Tigers even put up 35 points in their National Championship victory over Alabama — in dramatic, last-second fashion to boot — and a historically stingy defense to prove themselves.
The reason, however, that this iteration comes in at No. 3 and not in one of the two top spots on this list is because of the blemish on their record. In their 10th game of the season, they fell, 43-42, to Pittsburgh in Death Valley. While the Panthers were good and it was far from a bad loss, not completing a perfect season hurts the cause when you’re splitting hairs, especially when the defeat came at home.