Dabo Swinney says Deshaun Watson is the best player in college football, and “it’s not even close.”

It’s easy to understand why Clemson’s head coach feels so strongly about his quarterback. Watson has guided the Tigers to back-to-back ACC Championships as well as a second straight College Football Playoff appearance.

The second-ranked Tigers will face No. 3 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve as part of the College Football Playoff semifinals. Watson and the Tigers were just one play away a year ago from winning the national championship, and now they are just four quarters away from playing for it again.

“It’s just about (Swinney) here and just the people that want to be great and want to be special on and off the field,” Watson said. “The leadership of this team, starting with the seniors and the older guys, they showed the younger guys the way and the ropes. For us to be successful it starts off the field and the way you live in the classroom, when you’re in the social life in the community, it all starts there and it translates to the field.

“And you can see it really shows. We got there on Saturday, and it just starts with the leadership and the seniors, everyone doing the right things. Everyone wanted to be special and wanted to be great.”

Watson was definitely great in the regular season. The Clemson quarterback led the ACC in five different passing categories and is second in two others. He leads the league with 3,914 yards and 37 touchdown passes, while completing 67.6 percent of his passes.

Watson has 4,443 total yards and 43 touchdowns heading into the Fiesta Bowl. On Monday, he was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy for a second straight year. He will be joined in New York for Saturday’s Heisman Trophy Presentation alongside Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers, Oklahoma’s Dede Westbrook and Baker Mayfield, and Heisman favorite Lamar Jackson of Louisville.

However, getting back to the CFP semifinals and as a second straight Heisman Trophy Finalist was not as easy as it was in 2015, when Watson captivated the college football world on his way to being the first 4,000-yard passer and 1,000 yard rusher in major college football.

He threw a career-high 15 interceptions this season, was so-so in wins over Auburn and Troy to open the season and then threw three interceptions in a stunning loss to Pitt in Week 11. However, Watson was brilliant in leading the Tigers to come-from-behind wins over Louisville and Florida State in the fourth quarters of both games, and no one in college football has played better down the stretch than Watson.

In the month of November, during the stretch run to an ACC Championship, Watson tied his own Clemson and ACC record with six touchdown passes, while throwing for 347 yards on 26-of-32 passing against South Carolina. For the month, he completed 113 of 151 passes (.748) for 1,306 yards and 12 touchdowns. Granted, he threw four interceptions, but three came in the Tigers’ loss to Pitt when he also completed 52-of-70 passes (.743) for 580 yards and three touchdowns.

Watson had 1,419 total yards and 15 touchdowns in November. In the ACC Championship Game, he added to those numbers, with 373 total yards and five total touchdowns. He rushed for 85 yards and threw for 288 more on 23-of-34 passing in leading the Tigers to a 42-35 victory over Virginia Tech.

“I think if there is anything that warrants him being in New York that is it. He has the heart of a champion,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “He embraces the opportunity, where some guys run from the opportunity and do not want to take the last shot. He wants the ball in his hand. He is going to show up and he has proven it time-and-time again. It is a testament to who he is as a person and as a competitor. That is why we believe he is the best player in the country.”