CBS names greatest team in Clemson history |
CBS Sports didn't have to go that far back to name the
greatest team in Clemson football history on Friday.
CBS college football writer Chip Patterson tabbed the Tigers' 2016 national-title run as the school's best in a piece on the top team in each ACC rep's history. "The 1981 Clemson team that emerged from one of the craziest college football seasons of the last 40 years is held in such high regard that this pick might get some push back," Patterson writes. "But I suspect that the emotions tied to that team were also fueled by Clemson fans' longing for a return to the top of the mountain during the decades that would follow. When you lay out the rosters and start judging talent, it's not even close. Dabo Swinney and his staff have transformed what Clemson football is today and what we expect when the Tigers take the field." Deshaun Watson earned the Davey O'Brien, Johnny Unitas and Manning top quarterback awards months before a first-round selection by the Houston Texans in spring 2017. Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables took home the Broyles Award for top coordinator and Dabo Swinney won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award also that season. Clemson recovered from a late-season defeat to earn a No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff, dominating Ohio State 31-0 in the Orange Bowl semifinal and downing Alabama in the National Championship with Watson's last-second touchdown connection to Hunter Renfrow.
Patterson didn't list other candidates than 1981, but Clemson also went undefeated with double-digit wins in 1948 (10-0) under Frank Howard. The 2015 undefeated run to the title game was another impressive campaign despite the final result.
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
