In recent years, the Tigers have been ranked among the most elite college football programs in the United States.

Clemson was a College Football Playoff finalist in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019, defeating Alabama in both 2016 and 2018 to secure the national title.

[6][7] Clemson has had eight members inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: players Banks McFadden, Terry Kinard, Jeff Davis, and C. J. Spiller along with coaches John Heisman, Jess Neely, Frank Howard, and Danny Ford.

Clemson was named poll-era national champion and finished with its third perfect season with a win over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl.

The Tigers play their home games in Memorial Stadium on the university's Clemson, South Carolina campus.

The stadium's nickname, "Death Valley" was coined in 1948 by Presbyterian College head coach Lonnie McMillan after his teams were routinely defeated there.

The Tigers’ early success included their first undefeated season in 1900 under coach John W. Heisman, who led the team to a 19–3–2 record.

Ford's era was marked by NCAA sanctions due to recruiting violations, which impacted the program's reputation and success.

Ken Hatfield, Ford’s successor, focused on cleaning up the program's image but faced criticism from fans, leading to his resignation.

Swinney revitalized the program, leading the Tigers to multiple ACC championships and two national titles in 2016 and 2018.

His tenure has been characterized by significant achievements, including the establishment of Clemson as a perennial contender in the College Football Playoff.

In 2022, Clemson defeated Syracuse 27–21, extending the Tigers' home winning streak to 38, a new ACC record.

4 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1982 Orange Bowl, and were named the national champions[10] by all major four consensus selectors [11] (AP, Coaches, FWAA, and NFF).

In 2016 and 2018 they won the College Football Playoff, defeating Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game both times.

† Other selectors for 1981 included Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, FACT, FB News, Football Research, Helms, Litkenhous, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, New York Times, Poling, Sagarin, and Sporting News[12]†† Other selectors for 2016 include A&H, BR, CCR, CFRA, DuS, MCFR, SR, W††† Other selectors for 2018 include A&H, BR, CCR, CFRA, CM, DuS, MCFR, SR, W Clemson won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1900 and 1902 (tied 1903 and 1906) along with the Southern Conference title in 1940 and 1948.

On August 18, 2011, Georgia Tech vacated their 2009 ACC Championship Game victory over Clemson due to NCAA violations.

[36] After a 56–0 shutout Alabama victory in 1975, the squads didn't meet again until 2008, when they squared off on opening weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.

The teams squared off in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship in Glendale, Arizona, resulting in Alabama emerging with a thrilling 45–40 victory.

[41] The next year, the teams again found themselves doing battle in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship in Tampa, Florida, with Clemson emerging with a last-second 35–31 victory and their first win over the Crimson Tide since 1905.

[42] Once again the teams met in the 2018 Sugar Bowl semifinal in New Orleans, Louisiana with a trip to the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game on the line.

Their first meeting, in 1999, was the first time in Division I-A history that a father and a son met as opposing head coaches in a football game.

Bobby Bowden won the first four matchups extending FSU's winning streak over Clemson to 11 dating back to 1992.

Also during this time the Tigers recorded a 27–20 win in Tallahassee in 2006 which broke a 17-year losing streak in Doak Campbell Stadium.

2 Clemson defeated Florida State in Tallahassee 59–10, which tied the Seminoles' worst loss margin in history.

However, under the ACC's new scheduling system, Clemson and Florida State are designated as permanent rivals and will continue to compete for the title every year.

During the two programs' simultaneous glory days of the early 1980s, no rivalry in all of college football was more important at the national level.

No rivalry of that period was more competitive, as evidenced by the critical 11th-hour field goals kicked by Kevin Butler in 1984 and by David Treadwell more than once later in the decade.

To be selected a Consensus All-American, a player must be chosen to the first team on at least three of the five official selectors as recognized by the NCAA.

On July 23, 2002, in celebration of the Atlantic Coast Conference's 50th Anniversary, a 120-member blue ribbon committee selected the Top 50 football players in ACC history.

[74] [17] Clemson Tigers Football Rivals.com[75] team recruitment rankings under head coach Dabo Swinney: Seifried, C.S., Soles, M., Downs, B.J., & Bolton, C. (2019).