For a Clemson football fan like me, someone who’s worn orange since I first stepped on campus in 1995; 2015 wasn’t just the start of a winning era. It was a level that I never imagined Clemson would, or even COULD get to. Of course there was always hope. It was the year hope stopped being hypothetical and became very, very real, proof that decades of loyalty, pain, and stubborn belief had finally paid off.
Before we get to the national titles and Deshaun Watson’s utter brilliance, you need to understand what being a Clemson fan used to mean. When I was a student in the late ‘90s and early 2000s (yes, it took me 5 full years), it meant loving a program that was stuck in neutral. We are a proud school and always were, with one national championship banner from 1981, which felt imaginary even only fifteen years removed from it. There is such a dedicated fan base, and the real Death Valley, one of college football’s great venues. But we were also painfully average.
Every season felt like 7-5. Every bowl game felt like the Music City, Peach or the Humanitarian Bowl. And every glimmer of success was followed by heartbreak or head-scratching losses. Looking at you Wake Forest 2003!
We still believed, every year, of course. That’s what Clemson people do. We sing the alma mater, wear orange on Sundays after a loss, and defend the Hill and Howard’s Rock like sacred relics. But for a long time, belief was all we had.
Then came Dabo Swinney.
He wasn’t the flashy hire. Heck, I wanted longtime Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster, or TCU Head Coach (at the time) Gary Patterson. Thank God Terry Don Phillips didn’t listen to me. Dabo wasn’t even a coordinator, rival fans would shout in our direction. Heck, even Clemson fans were left scratching their heads at the hire.
When he was named interim head coach in 2008, after Tommy Bowden stepped down mid-season, most of us shrugged. A wide receivers coach? Really? But Dabo had something rare, an infectious energy, an unwavering belief in his players, and a clear vision. He wasn’t trying to restore Clemson to what it had been. He wanted to build something better.
From 2009 to 2014, we saw signs of progress. We started winning 10 games a year. We took down LSU in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl. We finally beat South Carolina again in 2014 after five long, painful years. But there were also still the “Clemsoning” moments. Ugly losses that made national headlines and made us question whether we’d ever take the next step.
Then came 2015. Everything changed.
Deshaun Watson stepped into his sophomore season like a man on a mission. The Tigers weren’t just good that year, they were electric. The offense was dynamic. Something outside of Woody Dantzler’s wizadry in the late 90s, Clemson fans had rarely, if ever seen. The defense, led by Brent Venables, was vicious. And Dabo? He was no longer that unknown assistant. He was a motivator, a leader, and a builder of culture, and a head coach players loved to play for.
The Tigers went 12-0 in the regular season, the only undefeated Power Five team. The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore was in town for the “hurricane game” against Notre Dame. A game Clemson won with an amazing goal-line stand. Finally silenced Florida State. Won the ACC Championship. Then blew out Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl to earn a spot in the national championship game.
As a fan from the 90s, admittedly, every one of those games I thought Clemson would lose. Even I was starting to believe.
I’ll never forget January 11, 2016. We faced Alabama in Glendale. The Crimson Tide, the gold standard. Nick Saban! Clemson lost, 45-40, but it was one of the most thrilling games I’d ever seen live. Deshaun was magnificent. Our Tigers didn’t just belong on that stage, they pushed Alabama to the brink. It was the first time I truly believed we were back. Bama fans that were in Glendale were coming up to me telling me they didn’t want to see Deshaun ever again. Unfortunately for them, they’d get that very opportunity the next year.
The 2016 season now became about redemption.
2016 was gritty. We, as fans, had a few scares, Troy, NC State, even a shocking loss to Pitt. But we kept pushing. We beat Virginia Tech to win the ACC again. Then came the Fiesta Bowl, where we shut out Ohio State 31-0. That night felt like revenge for years of disrespect. Not only that, but to do that to an Urban Meyer led football team was astounding!
The 2017 national championship game, round two versus Alabama, is etched into my soul. I was sitting so high the Goodyear Blimp did its rounds below me. I can still hear the countdown before Deshaun Watson’s game-winning touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow with one second left. I screamed. I cried. Grown men hugged strangers in the stadium, and as seen on social media everywhere, at bars, on College Ave. and living rooms across the state. Final score: Clemson 35, Alabama 31. National Champions.
It wasn’t just a win, it was a statement. A message to the college football world: Clemson isn’t a fluke. Clemson is elite and deserving of being in that upper echelon of the college football world.
By 2018, Clemson wasn’t just hunting titles. We were expected to win them. That year, Trevor Lawrence took over the reins. I was nervous, how could anyone replace Deshaun? But Lawrence played with a calm fire, and the defensive front, led by legends like Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell, and Dexter Lawrence, was historically good.
The 2018 season ended in perfection: 15-0. We dismantled Alabama in the title game, 44-16. Let me say that again, 44-16. Against Nick Saban. On the biggest stage. It was like a dream. And it started early as Tua Tagovailoa was picked off by AJ Terrell for a pick 6.
That stretch from 2015 to 2018 was the golden era. Every fall Saturday was a chance to witness greatness. We walked into games expecting to win, something I have never done in my history as a fan. ESPN’s GameDay was a frequent visitor on Bowman Field. The NFL was filled with Clemson names, Watson, Hopkins, Wilkins, Lawrence, Simmons. It was like “Little Ole Clemson” had exploded into national relevance.
And yet, it wasn’t just about the wins.
Being a fan during that time meant something deeper. It meant pride. It meant waking up on Monday and seeing Clemson dominate the headlines for the right reasons. It meant watching Dabo talk about faith, family, and football with sincerity. It meant seeing walk-ons become legends, and stars stay humble. It meant knowing that our success was built on more than just talent, it was so obviously built on culture.
Of course, every dynasty faces its dips.
The 2019 season was nearly perfect again, the Tigers went undefeated in the regular season and beat Ohio State in another classic to return to the national championship. But LSU and Joe Burrow were on another level that year, and they beat us soundly in New Orleans. It felt like a worthy end to another incredible run, as it took a generational team to beat the Tigers.
In 2020, we saw flashes of brilliance, especially from Trevor and Travis Etienne, but COVID made everything feel disjointed. We lost to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, and it was clear change was coming.
Trevor and Travis left for the NFL. We entered the DJ Uiagalelei era in 2021, and things were rocky from the jump. The offense sputtered. The magic we’d come to expect just wasn’t there. We finished 10-3, not bad, but not the Clemson standard.
I would have said just 3 losses was great circa 1997, but in the current age it was seen as a bit of a disappointment.
Still, I never wavered. I remembered 2004. I remembered the days when a 10-win season was a dream. Dabo didn’t panic. He rebuilt. 2022 brought improvement. The defense stayed elite. The offensive struggles lingered, but we kept winning games and took home another ACC title.
Then came 2023. A 9-4 record. A disappointing start. People outside the program started to whisper: Has Clemson’s time passed?
But then Dabo uttered his phrase after beating Notre Dame in 2023, “If Clemson was a stock, buy all you freaking can right now.”
And now, as I sit here in 2025, I know the story isn’t over.
Cade Klubnik has shown flashes, is a highly regarded Quarterback. The recruiting is still extremely strong. Dabo has used the portal to fill holes. Young players are developing. Clemson is not the underdogs anymore, they’re the hunted. That comes with pressure. But it also comes with pride.
Being a Clemson fan used to be about hoping for a miracle. Now, it’s about appreciating a legacy. It’s about watching a culture that values grit, hardwork, and development. It’s about seeing players graduate, become pros, and come back to give speeches in the locker room.
Dabo always said, “The best is yet to come.” And for a while, I thought that was just a coach’s optimism.
But after everything, from the extremely lean years of Tommy West and Bowden, to the glory days with Deshaun and Trevor, to the challenges of rebuilding, as hard as I’ve been wired, I’ve come to believe it.
Because I was there when we weren’t good…and it wasn’t good. I was there for the heartbreaks, the near-misses, the jokes about “Clemsoning.” And I was also there when we became champions. And it made it all worth it.
If you ask me what Clemson football is, it’s about never giving up on the team you love, no matter how long it takes and believing that the best truly IS yet to come.
