TAMPA, Fla. — Heading into Monday’s national championship game against Alabama, Clemson’s defense is not pounding its chest and thinking it’s the Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s or anything like that, but defensive coordinator Brent Venables is proud of his unit nonetheless, especially after what it did to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl last week.

The Tigers’ defense smothered the Buckeyes’ offense, limiting it to 215 total yards in a 31-0 shutout. Ohio State had just nine first downs and 88 yards rushing, while turning the football over three times.

“I got a perspective … But at the same time, we need to recognize our players for their effort, their work, for their toughness, for their execution,” Venables said on Saturday at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida as part of media day.  “We really complemented each other well in that game. We were on the right side of it all night long and they just couldn’t quite get it right.”

It’s doubtful the Tigers (13-1) are going to shut out Alabama in the title game, but it is possible they could play the same.

Clemson owned the line of scrimmage against a Buckeyes’ team that was one of the best rushing offenses in the country. Coming into the Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State was averaging 470 yards and 40.2 points per game.

The Buckeyes rushed for 258.6 yards per game prior to the Fiesta Bowl.

“So you play them another ten times, you’re probably not going to get a goose egg, you know, but you never know. But, again, I don’t want to downplay our players’ performance,” Venables said. “And that’s what, ultimately, you want. The best teams you’ve been around are teams that just continue to get better as the year has gone on, and we really feel like our guys are hitting their peak right now.”