Remembering Recent Clemson-Notre Dame Matchups

History says No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Clemson will be a great game, so let's take a look at their previous three meetings during the College Football Playoff era.

It's hard to believe Saturday's ACC Championship Game between Clemson and Notre Dame will be just their sixth meeting in the history of these illustrious football programs.

Even though Clemson made its first trip to South Bend, Indiana, Nov. 7 for the first time since 1979, it feels like these two have become regulars, even though they haven't. 

The Tigers and Irish have locked horns three times since Clemson started this epic run of five consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff. Standing in Dabo Swinney's way of a sixth CFP berth is Brian Kelly and the Irish. 

Thanks to the ACC's decision to bring the Irish into the league in a disjointed 2020 season, this happens to be for a conference title, which the Tigers have accomplished five consecutive years as well. 

This is also a rematch of the thrilling 47-40 double-overtime game from last month that's arguably the best contest college football has seen this year. With so much on the line, it's going to be a tremendous matchup, but let's take a look back at the three previous meetings, which tells us this could be a close game:

2015: No. 12 Clemson 24, No. 6 Notre Dame 22

What happened: This was the monsoon game. If you were there, you've never forgotten it. From the two weeks of hype to Swinney's creation of the B.Y.O.G. phenomenon, this is one of the most memorable regular-season contests in Clemson history. Deshaun Watson and the Tigers owned a 21-3 lead in the fourth quarter and the defense forced four ND turnovers, but DeShone Kizer and the Irish fought back to get within two points with seven seconds left. They tried to tie it up on the conversion, but Carlos Watkins and Ben Boulware blew up a Kizer run and got the stop to come out on top. 

What this game meant: For Clemson, this established the Tigers as a true contender for the CFP and national championship. It validated their 4-0 start to a historic season that saw Clemson go undefeated in the regular season and make its first playoff appearance. While Clemson had won big games over Ohio State, Oklahoma and LSU in recent bowl games, this regular-season win established a new identity within the program. No matter the competition or the circumstance, the Tigers were going to find a way to win a close game. 

2018: No. 2 Clemson 30, No. 3 Notre Dame 3 (CFP Cotton Bowl)

What happened: This wasn't much of a game after the first quarter. Clemson dominated the Irish behind Trevor Lawrence, who torched a talented ND secondary for 327 passing yards and three touchdowns. This was a coming-out party for WR Justyn Ross, who had six catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns. The Irish looked slow against Clemson's athleticism and like a team that didn't quite belong, even though they clearly earned their spot in the CFP. Clemson was just that good in 2018. 

What this game meant: This was a preview of what was to come in the national championship game against Alabama. People were sleeping on this Tiger team a bit, and the Crimson Tide was supposed to be the greatest team ever. As it turned out, Clemson was on a mission, and ND was simply in the way. Behind the best defensive front in Tiger history, outscored the Irish and Alabama 70-19 in one of the most impressive runs in CFP history. 

2020: No. 4 Notre Dame 47, No. 1 Clemson 40, 2 OT

What happened: With Lawrence on the sideline and the Clemson running game grounded, freshman QB D.J. Uiagalelei threw for 439 yards and two touchdowns, but injuries played a huge factor as the Tigers couldn't stop ND's offensive balance. Weird clock management near the end of regulation allowed the Irish to hit a deep pass that set up the game-tying touchdown to send the teams to overtime. Notre Dame got two TD runs from Kyrin Williams in extra time and stopped the Tigers on a long fourth-down play to hand Clemson its first regular-season loss since 2017. 

What the game meant: This didn't knock the Tigers out of the national championship race, but it did leave them with less margin for error. It also validated Notre Dame as a legit CFP-type team. The Irish showed the toughness and moxie that Clemson did in the 2015 matchup. Maybe this will be their springboard to a magical season. That remains to be seen. But what was on display in this game is how much QB Ian Book improved from the 2018 Cotton Bowl. Clemson struggled to get to him all night.