Clemson Tigers football: Ranking the 5 best seasons in program history

1. 2018 Clemson football season

Record: 15-0 | Finish: National Champions, Defeated Alabama 44-16 in CFP National Championship

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence arrived as one of the best recruits in Clemson football history prior to the 2018 season and, after a poor showing in the postseason the year prior, the question was whether or not the freshman would take the starting quarterback job from incumbent Kelly Bryant. After four games, it was clear that Lawrence was the best option — and that was proven time and again.

With Lawrence and Travis Etienne in the fold on offense, they were dominant on both sides of the ball. That, of course, was because one of the best defensive lines in college football, headlined by Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell, elected to return for one more season. The Tigers were an elite club on both sides of the ball and it showed.

Clemson dominated everyone on the schedule. In fact, only two games in the 2018 regular season were decided by single digits. However, why this iteration of the Tigers ultimately comes in at No. 1 is because of how heartily they dominated the postseason.

After easily dispatching Pittsburgh in the ACC Championship, 42-10, the Tigers moved on to the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were no match for Clemson as they were nearly blanked in a 30-3 blowout. And that wasn’t the only blowout as the Tigers achieved perfection in dominating Tua Tagovailoa and Alabama, 44-16, to win the National Championship.

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