By the numbers: Comparing 2015 to 1981
By: will-vandervort December 10, 2015

It has been 34 years since Clemson has been placed in the position that it currently sits in. The Tigers enter the postseason with a 13-0 record and ranked No. 1 in the country in both major polls and in the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Clemson, the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoffs, will play No. 4 Oklahoma on Dec. 31 in the Orange Bowl at 4 p.m.

The 1981 season is considered to be the greatest in Clemson history. The Tigers ran through the regular season with a perfect 11-0 record and then downed No. 4 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl to claim Clemson’s only national championship in football to this point.

There is a saying, “History has a way of repeating itself.” And though it has been 34 years, there are many comparisons between this Clemson team and the 1981 team.

Here are some of those comparisons.

0 – The number of losses Clemson has. The last time Clemson went through a season undefeated was in 1981.

1 – The number beside Clemson’s name in the rankings. The last time Clemson was ranked No. 1 in the country in college football prior to Nov. 3 of this year was on January 3, 1982. That came two days after Clemson defeated Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, 22-15.

2 – The number of Davis’ on the team with direct blood lines to 1981 All-American linebacker Jeff Davis. Davis’ twin sons, Judah and J.D., are on the current Clemson team and play on special teams. Davis himself currently works as an administrator inside the football program at Clemson.

3 – The number of current top 10 teams Clemson has defeated this year – the only team in the country to do so. Clemson has defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 9 Florida State and No. 10 North Carolina. Clemson was the only team in the country in 1981 to beat three top 10 teams – No. 4 Georgia (finished No. 6), No. 4 Nebraska (finished No. 11) and No. 8 North Carolina (finished No. 9).

4 – Oklahoma’s ranking heading into the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31. Clemson’s opponent in the 1982 Orange Bowl (the 1981 season) was Nebraska, who was ranked No. 4. Also, Oklahoma is the Big 12 Champion (what used to be known as the Big Eight). Nebraska was the Big Eight Champion in 1981.

7 – On November 7, 1981, Clemson defeated No. 8 North Carolina to gain control of the ACC Championship race. On November 7, 2015, Clemson defeated another ranked ACC team to gain control in the race to ACC Championship Game. This time it beat No. 16 Florida State.

8 – North Carolina’s ranking in the Associated Press Poll coming into the ACC Championship Game. That’s the same ranking the Tar Heels had when Clemson beat them 10-8 in 1981. By the way, UNC came into the Clemson game in 1981 with one loss, it came from South Carolina. This year the Tar Heels came into the Clemson game with one loss, and it too came from South Carolina. Clemson won the ACC Championship Game over the Tar Heels by 8 points, 45-37.

10 – The dates of 10 of the 13 games this year that coincide with the dates of the games in 1981. Clemson opened the 1981 season on Sept. 5 at home against Wofford, a 45-10 win.  The year on Sept. 5, the Tigers opened the season with a 49-10 win over Wofford.

21-3 – Clemson beat Kentucky 21-3 on Oct. 3, 1981. The Tigers led Notre Dame 21-3 going into the fourth quarter on Oct. 3 this season.

58 – The margin of victory in Clemson’s 58-0 win over Miami on Oct. 24. That’s the most points in a victory over an ACC foe since October 31, 1981 when Clemson beat Wake Forest by 58 points, 82-24.

Here are a few more comparisons between the 1981 team and the 2015 squad.

  • The 1981 squad was coached by Alabama native and former Alabama tight end Danny Ford. The 2015 team is coached by Alabama native and former Alabama wide receiver Dabo Swinney. Both won national championships as players at Alabama, and both began their coaching careers at Alabama.
  • Current starting offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt is the nephew of 1981 first-team All-ACC defensive tackle Dan Benish. Hyatt was named third-team All-ACC this year.
  • Clemson defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks was the high school coach of Kevin Mack, who was a running back on the 1981 team.
  • Clemson freshman linebacker Jarvis Magwood is the son of 1981 wide receiver Frank Magwood.
  • Clemson freshman tight end Cannon Smith is the son of 1981 starting defensive end Bill Smith, who is currently a member on Clemson’s Board of Trustees.
  • Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was on the cover of Sports Illustrated on Nov. 11. It marked the first time since January 11, 1982 that a Clemson player graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. Of course that was Perry Tuttle’s famous Orange Bowl shot after he scored a touchdown in the Tigers’ 22-15 Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska. Watson also is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.