Will Destiny Strike Tigers a Third Time?

© Ken Ruinard - Imagn Images

The No. 12 Clemson Tigers (9-3, 7-1 Atlantic Coast conference) opened the 2024 season with a gut-wrenching loss and concluded it with a heartbreaking loss. However, their resilience between those games has them in a familiar position.

In control of their own destiny, but before the Tigers could grab the helm, they had to let destiny lead them. Clemson’s head coach since 2009, Dabo Swinney is no stranger to destiny and its quizzical nature. Destiny and Dabo’s Tigers have tangled a time or two. Will destiny and Clemson trip the light fantastic for a third time?

2016: Destiny Meets the Tigers

Dabo, DeShaun Watson and company were having a dream season in 2015. That dream was interrupted by Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide in the National Championship game.  However, in 2016 the Tigers were focused on redemption. Watson was his most electric. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, falling short to Lamar Jackson (Louisville). He also led the Tigers to a 14-1 record, defeating Alabama 35-31 in the National Championship game. Clemson’s second National Championship and Dabo’s first. Maybe it was Dabo, maybe it was DeShaun. Perhaps it was destiny. 

2018: Tigers Meet Destiny

Under the four-team College Football Playoff system, there had not been an undefeated national champion. The Tigers fell short in 2015 and despite winning the championship in 2016 an earlier loss to Pitt put a tarnish on an undefeated season. The 2018 Tigers decided they would change that. Behind the trustworthy arm of Trevor Lawrence and the speed of Travis Etienne Jr., Clemson beat every opponent on their regular season schedule. They embarrassed Notre Dame in the CFP semi-finals and their reward in the National Championship was again the daunting Saban and Alabama. The Tide were no match for the Tigers, who won easily 44-16. Dabo? Lawrence? Destiny?

2024: Destiny Favors the Tigers

Destiny has found its way back into the Tigers program this season. After a 4-4 conference record in 2023, the Tigers rebounded to a 7-1 conference record this season. Their lone setback to Louisville (8-4, 5-3) left them a game behind a hot No. 12 Miami Hurricanes team (10-2, 6-2), and third in the ACC. A game out of the ACC championship and on the outside looking in for the new 12-team CFP—the Tigers needed destiny to intervene. Destiny would show up with friends Fran Brown and Kyle McCord as Syracuse (9-3, 5-3) mounted a 21-point comeback to take down the Hurricanes 42-38. It was Miami’s second loss, knocking them out of the ACC championship and cementing the Tigers into the game vs. No. 8 SMU (11-1, 8-0).

© Ken Ruinard - Imagn Images

Now destiny has given control back to the Tigers. Step one, get past SMU in the ACC Championship. Step two, be the first 3-loss team to win a National Championship. Clemson has all the tools to make history again. Cade Klubnik is one of the top quarterbacks in the nation and running back Phil Mafah rounds out the No. 8 offense in college football. Clemson is back in the driver’s seat as they try for their ninth ACC championship under Swinney. Some will credit Dabo. Others will credit the athletes, but could it be destiny?