Clemson's 10 Best: Top Games Of 2010s
The Tigers went 6-7 in 2010, the teams first losing season since 1998. It was just Dabo Swinney's second season on the job, and after the way it played out, few could have imagined the path the program was about to take.
The team has hit the double-digit mark in wins in each season since and is in the midst of a run unlike any ever seen in the history of the program. A run that includes five straight conference championships, five straight playoff appearances and two national titles.
All Clemson takes a look back at the 10 biggest games of the decade.
10. South Carolina at No. 21 Clemson (2014)
Clemson snapped a five-game losing streak against the Gamecocks in the 35-17 win. Deshaun Watson, playing on a torn ACL, threw for 269 yards. Artavis Scott had 185 receiving yards, and Wayne Gallman ran for 191 yards as the Tigers finally turned the tide on Steve Spurrier and the in-state rivals from Columbia.
9. No. 5 Virginia Tech vs No. 21 Clemson (2011 ACC Championship)
Mired in a late-season swoon, Clemson downed the Hokies 38-10 to give them their first ACC Championship in 20 years, and Dabo Swinney his first-ever. The Tigers defense held Virginia Tech to just 1.9 yards per rush and Tajh Boyd threw for three touchdowns and ran for another on his way to being named the game's MVP.
8. No. 1 Clemson vs No. 8 North Carolina (2015 ACC Championship)
The Tigers came in unbeaten, ranked number one, and with the programs first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff on the line. After taking a 42-23 lead early in the fourth quarter, Clemson would hold on for a 45-37 win.
7. No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 12 Clemson (2015)
The Clemson defense stuffed the Irish on a two-point conversion with just seven seconds left to secure a 24-22 win in a torrential downpour. It was on this night that Dabo Swinney coined the term "BYOG" in his on-field interview after the game.
6. No. 9 LSU vs No. 15 Clemson (2012 Chic Fil A Bowl)
The game that most say started it all was the Tigers dramatic 25-24 come from behind win over LSU. There was Tajh Boyd to DeAndre Hopkins on fourth-and-16, and Chandler Catanzaro's game-winning 37-yard field goal as time expired. Clemson had 24 more first downs, more than doubled LSU's yardage output and held the ball twelve minutes longer than LSU in the last-second win.
5. (T) No. 1 Clemson vs No. 4 Oklahoma (2015 Orange Bowl)
Wayne Gallman rushed for 150 yards as Clemson rolled up 530 yards of total offense in the 37-17 win over the Sooners. Despite being undefeated and ranked No. 1, the Tigers were continuously doubted in the lead up to the game. However, Clemson would kick in the glass ceiling and prove that they belonged.
5. (T) No. 2 Clemson vs No. 3 Notre Dame (2018 Cotton Bowl)
Freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence led the Tigers to a 30-3 win in the CFP semifinal. Lawrence threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns, and Travis Etienne ran for 109 yards and a touchdown in the dominating win.
4. No. 3 Clemson vs No. 2 Ohio State (2019 Fiesta Bowl)
Lawrence and the Tigers overcame an early 16-0 deficit on their way to a 29-23 victory. Lawrence had over 250 yards through the air and more than 100 on the ground in maybe the top game of 2019 and one of the best playoff contests to date.
3. No. 2 Clemson vs No. 3 Ohio State (2016 Fiesta Bowl)
Coming in as underdogs, the Clemson defense had 11 TFL and three sacks as they held the Buckeyes to just 215 total yards in the 31-0 shutout win. It was the first time Ohio State had been shutout since 1993 and the first time ever a team coached by Urban Meyer failed to score in a game.
2. No. 2 Clemson vs No. 1 Alabama (2016 National Championship)
After losing to the Crimson Tide a season earlier in the national championship, the Tigers got their revenge in a 35-31 win. Deshaun Watson hit Hunter Renfrow on a short touchdown pass with one second left, giving Clemson its first-ever win over a number one ranked team, and second national title in program history.
1. No. 2 Clemson vs No. 1 Alabama (2018 National Championship)
Trevor Lawrence became the first freshman quarterback to lead his team to a national title since 1985 as Clemson annihilated Alabama 44-16 to claim its second national championship in three years. Lawrence threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns on his way to earning MVP honors.
