Clemson Football

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is trying a unique motivational tactic for next season with star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Swinney told reporters Lawrence isn't going to be handed the starting job in 2019 after winning the national title Monday.

"Trevor has to go earn the job again. ... You don't get to carry those touchdowns over," Swinney said.

Even though Swinney wants to see Lawrence earn the starting job, it seems unlikely anyone else will begin 2019 under center for the Tigers.

Lawrence became the first true freshman starting quarterback to win a national title since 1985 in Clemson's 44-16 win over Alabama. He threw for 3,280 yards and 30 touchdowns despite not taking over as the starter until the fifth game of the season.

In the Tigers' College Football Playoff wins over Notre Dame and Alabama, Lawrence went 47-of-71 for 674 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions.

It seems like a safe bet he will start the opener against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29.

Trevor Lawrence's national championship this season was destiny.

At least according to his girlfriend, Anderson University soccer player Marissa Mowry. Per TMZ Sports, Mowry predicted on social media in January 2017, when the pair were high school juniors, that Lawrence would win a national title with Clemson this season.

She nailed that prediction. Lawrence was spectacular during Monday night's 44-16 dismantling of Alabama at Levi's Stadium, finishing 20-of-32 for 347 yards and three scores while winning the game's offensive MVP award. He played with the poise of an NFL veteran, not a college freshman, and probably would be the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL draft were he eligible. 

The 19-year-old quarterback will have to wait two more seasons before that's the case, however. No matter—Mowry probably already knows where he'll end up.     

While it has been less than 24 hours since the College Football Playoff National Championship Game where the Clemson Tigers stunned the Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16, we're already thinking about the next college football season and which teams will dominate.

After many surprising and close bowl games—such as the New Year's Six bowl games—the 2019 season is stacking up to be an exciting one with lots of hype around some new programs as well as past dominant ones.

The official preseason poll isn't out yet, but here's what we think it could look like:

   

2019 Projected Preseason Poll

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Georgia

4. Ohio State

5. Texas

6. Oklahoma

7. LSU

8. Michigan

9. Texas A&M

10. Notre Dame

11. Washington

12. Florida

13. UCF

14. Penn State

15. Wisconsin

16. Auburn

17. Oregon

18. Utah

19. Washington State

20. Iowa

21. Virginia Tech

22. Northwestern

23. Baylor

24. Missouri

25. Nebraska

   

Breaking Down the Top 5

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Tigers shocked college football fans everywhere when they dominated the Crimson Tide in a 44-16 win. The Clemson defense stopped Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa three times within the Clemson 25-yard line, forcing Alabama to turn the ball over on downs on its first three second-half drives. 

Lawrence is a true freshman, and his incredible performance against a team like Alabama—a normally very tough defense—bodes well for his game in the coming years. Rushing leader Travis Etienne, who had just under 1,500 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on the season, will also be returning for his junior year, as well as freshman wideout Justyn Ross, who had an incredible performance in the Cotton Bowl and National Championship. For this reason, Clemson gets the No. 1 spot over Alabama despite the Crimson Tide's track record and college football dynasty. 

Was this the most points a Saban-coached Alabama has every allowed? Yes. Will Alabama still be ranked No. 2 at the lowest in the preseason polls? Yes. 

Before last night, Alabama’s biggest loss under Nick Saban was 14 points.

Clemson beat them by 28 😳 pic.twitter.com/lq5htcQVwG

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 8, 2019

The last time Nick Saban lost a game by more than 14 points was Dec. 17, 2006, when the Bills beat the Dolphins 21-0 behind 3 TD passes from J.P. Losman

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) January 8, 2019

With Saban still at the helm, and Heisman finalist Tagovailoa returning for another year of college football, the Crimson Tide should continue their dominant reign despite this huge loss dealt to them in the championship game. The team will also be entering the 2019 season with the top-ranked recruiting class, according to 247sports.com, with three 5-star commits and 24 4-star commits.

Clemson comes in sixth in the recruiting class standings, while Georgia follows Alabama at No. 2 with the most 5-star commits—five.

While Georgia lost to Texas 21-28 in the Sugar Bowl, thanks to a fourth-quarter Longhorns run, the team's top-notch 2019 recruiting class should put them in the top three in the preseason poll.

Georgia, like Clemson and Alabama, will be returning its quarterback Jake Fromm. The sophomore threw 30 touchdowns and 2,761 yards on only six interceptions this season. He will be joined by fellow sophomore D'Andre Swift next season, who led the Bulldogs on the ground with over 1,000 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. These returners paired with top recruits should put Georgia at No. 3.

The always-dominant Ohio State breaks the top 5 for the coming year as well. The Buckeyes are losing star quarterback Dwayne Haskins to the NFL draft, so they will have to find a replacement for him. They are also losing defensive stars Dre'Mont Jones and Nick Bosa to the draft but will be holding onto defensive end Chase Young and running back J.K. Dobbins. 

Under the new head coach Ryan Day—who is taking over after Urban Meyer stepped down—Ohio State will have some work to do to replace offensive and defensive stars. However, with Justin Fields transferring from Georgia to Ohio State and looking into being eligible to play in the 2019 season, the Buckeyes could continue their dominance. 

Finally, Texas comes in at No. 5 in our preseason poll due to their incredible 28-21 performance over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Longhorns scored 17 unanswered points, and after the Bulldogs scored their first touchdown, Texas added another 11 to make it 28-7 in the fourth quarter. Sophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger led the way with three rushing touchdowns.

Sam Ehlinger has a message for Texas fans 🤘 pic.twitter.com/zWmYYHCV5V

— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2019

Like the majority of our top five teams, the Texas quarterback will return for another season and should lead the Longhorns to another successful season. The Texas native passed for 3,292 yards, ran for 482 yards, and totaling 41 touchdowns on the season—making him an early Heisman contender for the 2019 season.

With Ehlinger returning after leading Texas to 10 games and the upset over Georgia, next year's team will have an experienced and confident leader. However, where the Longhorns may run into trouble is in their receiving game, if junior wideout and top receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey decides to declare for the draft. His fellow junior and No. 2 receiver on the team, Collin Johnson, has decided to return for his senior season.

    

All stats courtesy of ESPN.

The Clemson Tigers met the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff national championship game for the third time in four years, and Dabo Swinney's team was not the least bit intimidated by Bama's favorite status.

Clemson dominated on Monday and earned a 44-16 victory against Nick Saban and the Tide.

The Tigers (15-0) clearly had no interest in helping the Crimson Tide (14-1) build on its legacy. They simply beat them significantly on both sides of the line of scrimmage for four quarters.

Look at that score again, because Clemson did not beat an ACC opponent or even a team like Ohio State or Oklahoma. They took apart mighty Alabama by four touchdowns.

The Tigers have won two of three title games against the Crimson Tide. Alabama won one championship game in 2016 and also defeated Clemson in a 2018 semifinal playoff game.

Clemson was jubilant after its momentous triumph. "We're 15-0, we beat the best team ever; nobody's taking that away from us," Clemson All-America defensive tackle Christian Wilkins told reporters.

The Tigers' stars on offense and defense asserted themselves in a brilliant way in this game. However, Trevor Lawrence, the offensive player of the game, is not a breakout star based on this game alone. The freshman had gained star status based on his play all season, and he is clearly a remarkable player as a 19-year-old.

However, Lawrence enhanced his status with his numbers and his overall play. The Tennessee native completed 20 of 32 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. The 6'6", 215-pounder was calm at the start, took advantage of holes in Alabama's coverage and stayed focused throughout. His demeanor may be his best attribute, because he is not intimidated by the moment or the opponent.

So, we're not calling him a breakout star. But he is a breakout superstar and is quite likely the favorite for the 2019 Heisman Trophy in his sophomore season.

74 YARDS!! Justyn Ross to the HOUSE! 🏠 pic.twitter.com/kCIP1tJmfF

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 8, 2019

Freshman wide receiver Justyn Ross had a huge game and was one of the most dangerous players on the field. Ross is an explosive player who came into the game as the Tigers' fourth-leading receiver in terms of receptions.

But it was clear he was not the fourth-best Clemson wideout at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. He was the best one as he used his speed, balance, hands and ability to fight for the ball to make a slew of big plays.

Ross, a 6'4", 205-pound star from Phenix City, Alabama, caught six passes from Lawrence for 159 yards, including a 74-yard TD pass early in the third quarter that basically put the game away for Clemson.

Star running back Travis Etienne had a good game for the Tigers but not a dominant one from a statistical perspective. He rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a five-yard touchdown.

However, Etienne is a brilliant running back and was a star long before this game.

On the defensive side, it's hard to top the performance of cornerback Trayvon Mullen. The junior came into the game with 31 tackles, three tackles for loss, four passes defensed and no interceptions. Mullen had a huge game with six tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, an interception and a forced fumble.

PICK-SIX! A.J. Terrell takes it back 42 yards to the house for a 7-0 Clemson lead! pic.twitter.com/0pADku2TjO

— ESPN (@espn) January 8, 2019

Mullen was not the only Clemson defensive back to to have a breakout game. Fellow cornerback A.J. Terrell picked off Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the Tide's first possession and took the ball 44 yards for a pick-six on a play that sent shock waves down the Alabama sidelines. 

Clemson took a quick 7-0 lead with that play, and while Alabama came back and took a 16-14 lead in the first half, it was clear that the Tigers' cornerback duo was well-prepared for the Alabama passing game.

Linebacker Tre Lamar has been one of Clemson's top tacklers all season, and he stepped it up to a starring level in the national title game. Lamar registered six tackles, including five of the solo variety.

While players like Ross, Mullen, Terrell and Lamar had breakout performances, it was a remarkable team effort for a team that stole the thunder from Alabama and earned the national title.

After watching his players cap off a 15-0 season with a dominant 44-16 victory over the previously No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff title game Monday night, Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said the following, per ESPN.com's Heather Dinich:

"There was a lot of talk about 'best ever' all year long. We were never in that conversation. But tonight, there's no doubt. First 15-0 team—to beat Notre Dame and to beat Alabama to do it. This team won 13 games by 20 points or more...led by an unbelievable group of seniors. Amazing group, and I'm just thankful to be a part of it."

Swinney wasn't the only one with that feeling, either.

"I feel like it's not really up for debate," Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen said. "I feel like we're the best team ever—15-0, most wins by a senior class, and we beat the team that was considered the best team in the history of college football."

The numbers don't lie.

Clemson became the first Division I/FBS team since 1897 to go 15-0. The Tigers had just two games decided by a single possession, with an average margin of victory of 31.1 points per game.

The Tigers were met with little resistance even as the competition stiffened, as they outscored Notre Dame and Alabama by a combined 74-19 in two College Football Playoff contests. The 55 points are the most any team has outscored its opponents through the first five years of the playoff format.

Monday night was the culmination of what has been a special run by this Clemson senior class.

The Tigers have made the CFP in each of the past four years, winning two titles and losing another by just five points. Per Dinich, this Clemson senior class is tied with the current Alabama seniors for the most wins by a class in FBS history, with each piling up 55 victories.

For the second time in three years, the Clemson Tigers will end their season with a victory parade.

According to the school's official website, the parade will take place Saturday, Jan. 12, at 9 a.m. ET. Check local listings for television and live stream information.

The parade will go down Highway 93, move to Calhoun Drive and will head to Fort Hill Street before ending up at Memorial Stadium, the home of the Tigers

Clemson earned its second title since 2016-17 with a 44-16 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship tilt in Santa Clara, California, Monday night.

Highlights of the unforgettable victory will be shown at Memorial Stadium—which will open at 7 a.m. ET—and the parade will be relayed to fans at the stadium on the video board. The stadium celebration is expected to commence at 10:30 a.m. ET after the parade arrives.

Players, coaches and "invited guests" are among those slated to be in attendance.

The celebration is expected to end by noon, allowing Tigers basketball fans to head to Littlejohn Coliseum as fourth-ranked Virginia comes to town.

Clemson's 2016-17 championship marked the program's first title in more than three decades (1981-82). According to WLTX, an estimated 30,000 people showed up in downtown Clemson, South Carolina, to celebrate a parade that was 35 years in the making. More than 20,000 fans were in attendance at Memorial Stadium as well.

After leading his team to a national championship as a true freshman, Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence received high praise from one of the greatest players in program history.

"My man is a true freshman," Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson said of Lawrence on Monday, according to ESPN's Ryan McGee. "He's got at least two more years to do work. He's gonna be a legend. He already is. People know that now."

Watson knows a thing or two about being a college football legend.

Watson helped Clemson win its first national title in more than two decades by leading his Tigers to a dramatic 35-31 victory over Alabama in the 2016 CFP National Championship to cap off an incredible career in orange and purple.

After his heroics in the championship game, Watson was selected 12th overall in the 2017 NFL draft by the Houston Texans.

Watson's place in Tigers lore is already firmly cemented. And while Lawrence's college career is off to an unbelievable start, there is still plenty of time for him to add to it.

Ranked as a 5-star recruit and the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2018 class by 247Sports, the freshman found himself in a quarterback competition with senior Kelly Bryant to start the season. The two shared time under center early on before coach Dabo Swinney named Lawrence the starter after four games, leading to Bryant's transfer out of the program.

Lawrence had to leave his first career start on Sept. 29 because of a neck injury. After that, though, he began to show why his coach gave him the nod.

Lawrence completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 3,280 yards and 30 touchdowns with just four interceptions. The 19-year-old proved he wasn't afraid of the big stage, either, as he threw for 674 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions in two College Football Playoff games.

He saved his best performance for last, as he torched the vaunted Crimson Tide for 347 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-point blowout for the national championship.

"From the time he walked into that building in January, just a couple of weeks removed from eating in the high school cafeteria, we knew he was the real deal," Swinney said on Monday, per McGee. "He was a leader, day one. And, oh, by the way, he can sling that dang football around, too, can't he?"

Lawrence has already matched Watson in terms of national championships. Now, he will have at least two more years to add to the trophy case.

Not only that, but after his sensational freshman season, expect him to be a Heisman Trophy candidate entering next season. Clemson has never had a player win the Heisman, although Watson finished second to Louisville Cardinals star Lamar Jackson in 2016.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney put a second national championship on his resume with a 44-16 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff title game Monday night, but a trophy wasn't the only reward he earned for doing so.

According to USA Today's Steve Berkowitz, Swinney picked up an additional $250,000 by leading his team to the ultimate prize. Berkowitz notes that the coach has now earned $875,000 in bonuses this season, putting him at a total of $2.9 million in bonuses over the last three seasons.

Meanwhile, Alabama head coach Nick Saban finishes the year with $775,000 in bonuses.

Action Network's Darren Rovell tweeted that Saban had earned $9.025 million overall on the season entering Monday night's championship game, with Swinney at $6.825 million.

Swinney became one of the highest-paid coaches in college football when he signed an eight-year, $54 million extension with Clemson in August 2017, a salary that at the time put him behind only Saban and Michigan's Jim Harbaugh. All he has done since is go 27-2 with two College Football Playoff appearances and a national championship.

In other words, he has been worth every penny to Clemson.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Remember this moment, this time and place and undeniable paradigm shift in college football.

All at the hands of the generational quarterback—and a generational ass-kicking.

"Trevor Lawrence," Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross said, "has no ceiling."

Welcome to a new world in college football, everyone. A decade of the inevitable is over after Clemson's 44-16 dismantling of longtime king Alabama in the national championship game.

Lawrence, Clemson's 19-year-old true freshman wunderkind of a quarterback, has changed the way we look at who owns the game.

Ding, dong, the witch, finally, is dead.

"I told the guys, 'Screw the NFL, I'm coming back as a graduate assistant to win a couple more national titles,'" Clemson senior wide receiver Hunter Renfrow said. "It's all set up now."

It's all set up because Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney built this program with the idea of competing with, and eventually surpassing, Alabama. It's all set up because the first generational quarterback Swinney recruited (Deshaun Watson) pushed the Tigers to the front of the line with a national title win over Alabama in January 2017.

The second generational quarterback Swinney recruited (Lawrence) then stood tall at the top of the mountain and left no doubt who is leading and who is following.

Moments after the final seconds mercifully melted away for the most dominant dynasty in the modern era—after Clemson road-graded Alabama by holding the ball for the final 10:02 with a "you may as well get used to this" drive—Watson was circling the field at Levi's Stadium, looking for someone to hug.

"It was beautiful, it was perfect," Watson said when asked about this championship season compared to his.

Then he was asked about Lawrence, who took the program he left and did the unthinkable: beat Nick Saban and Alabama like no team has ever before.

"He's the next big thing," Watson said.

And he still has at least two years remaining at Clemson before he leaves for the NFL and some fortunate franchise winds up with the greatest quarterback prospect ever. Start tanking now, fellas.

Two awful seasons might just be worth it.

"He just kept making plays," Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said. "Every time they needed it, he made it happen. That dude can play."

As impressive as Clemson's clobbering of Alabama was, there's a compelling reality that still remains: This program is built to win for the long haul. The only thing that kept Clemson from backing up its 2017 national title the next season was average quarterback play in a College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Alabama.

Then Lawrence arrived, and he was so good from the moment he stepped on campus as a midterm enrollee that there was little doubt where the season was headed. It didn't take long for him to beat out starter Kelly Bryant, and it was a short leap to reaffirming what the staff had known for years: He would change the way people looked at Clemson football.

"I first saw him as an eighth-grader, and you could tell right then he was different. He wasn't like anyone else I'd ever seen," Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. "I remember thinking, 'Man, we gotta get this guy.' He was in eighth grade, you know? He was making throws then that seniors in high school don't make."

Just like he was making throws against Alabama that NFL quarterbacks don't make. From the numbers to the field sideline, deep balls with touch, seam throws with zip and anticipation.

The coverage was there; the throws were better. At one point, Lawrence had completed 8-of-10 passes on third down for 240 yards in his first game against Saban's famed Alabama defense. Earlier in the week, in a rare moment of self-talk, Lawrence admitted, "I feel like I was made for this game."

After he cut up the Alabama defense like no quarterback has in Saban's 12 seasons in Tuscaloosa, after Saban called him "special" and "phenomenal," Lawrence reverted back to the philosophy and foundation that Swinney has driven into the heads of his players when speaking of the way he played and how it forced Alabama into its worst loss since 1998: "Did you see our receivers and offensive line? What I do doesn't happen without them."

Want to know why Clemson is the new king of college football? Why the Tigers will begin next season at the top of the mountain and still favored to extend their NCAA record of eight straight seasons of not finishing below their preseason ranking (yes, the NCAA keeps track of these things)?

Because the generational quarterback—the baby-faced, long-haired assassin—made the biggest game of the season look like seven-on-seven pass skels.

Because this rare talent—a player one NFL scout told Bleacher Report "could be the best NFL draft prospect ever" by the time he leaves Clemson—made a game for the ages between two 14-0 teams with more than 40 future NFL players look like a fall Saturday rout of Wake Forest.

Because Clemson has superstar tailback Travis Etienne and emerging star wideouts Tee Higgins and Ross, and a defensive coordinator (Brent Venables) who had Alabama and its point-a-minute offense misfiring the entire game.

Because when you have a quarterback who can do just about anything, it raises the level of play for everyone and increases the margin of error. It makes good teams great and great teams nearly unbeatable.

It makes the inevitable suddenly the vulnerable.

Earlier this week, the Clemson quarterbacks were meeting and game-planning, and what should've been cause for concern (see: the Alabama defense) wasn't. The plays in the passing game were right there, right on game tape, with the right throw at the right time.

And the right quarterback.

Alabama did exactly what Clemson expected: loaded up to stop the run and forced Lawrence to make plays in the passing game. Only there was one big problem with that plan: Lawrence's ability to make every throw.

"We saw it. We knew we could have success," Clemson backup quarterback Chase Brice said. "We knew they hadn't played against receivers like we have, and they hadn't played against a guy like Trevor. I stood on the sideline and listened to every call and knew where every ball was going every time. [Lawrence] just kept hitting every big play."

Moments after the championship rout, Swinney stood on the stage at Levi's Stadium and announced that Clemson would enjoy this national championship for a couple of days before the first team meeting for 2019 on Friday.

That was the first team meeting Lawrence attended in 2018, the first time he met his new teammates, and three months before he threw his first pass in pads during spring practice.

"This one might be a little different this time around," Lawrence said with a smile. It will be his team this Friday.

The generational quarterback standing on top of the college football mountain.

With the paradigm shift in college football.

Many years from now, when Dabo Swinney has finally had enough of coaching, they will talk about this night. They will talk about the time the sport’s greatest soundbite uncorked a historic beatdown on one of the greatest dynasties and coaches in college football—a role Alabama has never truly had to embrace under Nick Saban. They will talk about the way Swinney tied his future to a true freshman quarterback way back during the first month of season and how the decision paid off many months later.  

They will talk about Swinney, who doesn’t look or sound like most football CEOs. Maybe it’s the way he deliberately fills up a tape recorder unlike most coaches or that neighborly, Alabama-grown smile. But underneath it all is a relentless engineer building an empire. 

Clemson’s 44-16 throttling over Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game wasn’t just Swinney’s second national title in three years. This was a defining moment in a coaching career that still has so many chapters to be written.

And this wasn’t just any loss for Alabama, either. This was the most lopsided defeat Alabama has suffered in the Saban era—the kind of box score that still doesn’t feel quite real despite how quickly things got out of hand.    

By the end of it, Swinney was engulfed by his teammates on the Santa Clara, California, stage as the trophy presentation began. He didn’t look shocked or dumbfounded by the moment as he was two years ago when Deshaun Watson, his former star quarterback, found Hunter Renfrow for a game-winning touchdown in the title game over the same team. 

Instead, Swinney looked like he was precisely where he expected to be before the night began. Thrilled and appreciative, just like always. The shock and sensation of a night that will take months to absorb was not to be found on the face of one of the few people who thought such an outcome was possible all along. 

“I know we’re not supposed to be here because we’re just little ol’ Clemson,” Swinney said after the game on the ESPN broadcast. “And I know I’m not supposed to be here, but we are and I am. And how about them Tigers? We left no doubt.”

In the past few weeks, Clemson beat two unbeaten teams in the College Football Playoff by a combined score of 74-19. Making the victories more sensational was the fact that they were orchestrated by two true freshmen—quarterback Trevor Lawrence and wide receiver Justyn Ross.

Since being the named the starter against Syracuse, a decision that prompted then-starter Kelly Bryant to transfer, Lawrence has flashed brilliance before elevating his game against Notre Dame and finally Alabama. 

Lawrence dissected the Crimson Tide, finishing with 347 yards and three touchdowns on only 32 throws. His favorite target once again was Ross, who provided a handful of dazzling, game-altering catches on the sideline while finishing with 153 yards receiving—a kind of offensive output Saban has rarely allowed. 

Defensively, despite giving up yardage, Clemson held Alabama to its worst output of the season. An aggressive, brilliant game plan from defensive coordinator Brent Venables—an assistant that Swinney has worked alongside since 2012—ultimately proved to be the perfect complement to Lawrence’s near-perfect evening. 

In the fourth quarter, Alabama took out quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. And with a few minutes remaining, Swinney emptied the bench and pulled the starting offense after a timeout—a kind of in-game victory lap that showcased just how one-sided the game became after an exciting, touchdown-heavy first quarter.  

For Swinney, his second national championship comes 10 years after he was named the head coach and 16 years after arriving at Clemson. Before then, he took a job in real estate before making his way back into the profession as the Tigers’ wide receivers coach. 

When he was named the interim head coach in the middle of the 2008 season, the general thought was that he would not get hired to be the full-time coach. But then he was, amid grumblings about the decision. And then he was almost fired a few seasons into his tenure.   

A decade later, Swinney has reached rarified coaching air. His 55-4 record in the past four seasons is matched by only Saban in that time. Both coaches have two titles, and two of the four losses have come to the other.  

And he has accomplished it all at the age of 49. Swinney, who is nearly 20 years younger than Saban, won’t turn 50 until next season.

“There are so many great coaches that are so deserving of a moment like this and never get a chance to experience it,” Swinney added. “To get to do it once and now to get to do it again is a blessing.”

It is reasonable to believe that Swinney will win another title at Clemson. After all, Lawrence, who looks the part of a generational QB, still has two more years of eligibility at Clemson left. As does Ross. Running back Travis Etienne, who scored three touchdowns against Alabama, will also return.  

And the next batch of stars to complement those teams—players Swinney has recruited over the past few years—will be built over the coming months. Clemson's stars of the future, elite high school players from around the country, will continue to flock to Clemson to play for a head coach who does things different than most. 

"Everyone wants to win championships, and so do we," Swinney told Bleacher Report during the 2018 regular season. "But I want us to be one of the most consistent programs in college football history. That's really what I want."

More wins are coming, some likely as lopsided as the one he just produced. More conference championships. More opportunities to generate moments of this magnitude on stages like this.

In time, Swinney’s legacy will grow to something more than it is already—one of the greatest college football coaches to ever grace a sideline. But as it stands now, after a night that seemed impossible 10 years ago, perhaps Swinney is already there.