CLEMSON — Tonight represents the end of an era in college football.

Tonight’s National Championship Game between Michigan and Washington will be the last of the four-team College Football Playoff. It’s an era Clemson will look back on with fond memories.

For six straight seasons, the Tigers found themselves in the CFP. Beginning with the 2015 season, through the loss to Ohio State in the 2021 Sugar Bowl, Clemson competed for a national championship every year.

In all, the Tigers posted a 6-4 record in the four-team CFP. Their six wins rank second to Alabama’s nine, while their six appearances in the CFP also rank second to Alabama’s 8.

Clemson’s two national championships during that same time span is tied for second with Georgia, while the Crimson Tide won three titles. The Tigers’ four national championship appearances are second to Bama’s five.

From 2015-’19, Clemson appeared in four of five national championship games, winning it all in 2016 and 2018.

What will you remember about the Tigers in the four-team CFP?

We all have our favorite moments. For most, it will likely be Deshaun Watson’s touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow to beat Alabama in the 2017 Title Game. For others, it will be Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson offense embarrassing the Crimson Tide in the 2019 Championship Game.

Great moments for sure.

However, for me, the best moment came during the 2015 season. It was not in a CFP game or national title game. No, it came in a driving rainstorm courtesy of Hurricane Joaquin, which dumped several inches of rain on Clemson.

Despite all the rain, Clemson had never looked better. More the 82,000 people crammed into Death Valley that night to witness one of the greatest games in the history of Memorial Stadium. With a nationally televised audience watching, it was one of the more impressive scenes in the CFP era.

No one left Death Valley, as Clemson jumped out to a big lead and then held off a late Notre Dame rally for a 24-22 victory.

At the time, no one had an idea what journey Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers were about to embark on. What Clemson did over the next six seasons was imaginable at the time, it is one of the greatest runs in the history of college football.

From there, Clemson had its first undefeated regular season since 1981. It had fans dreaming of another national championship.

After their win over No. 6 Notre Dame, the Tigers rolled past Georgia Tech, Boston College, Miami and NC State. For the first time since 1981, Clemson moved up to No. 1 in the polls, as No. 16 Florida State came to town.

The Tigers continued that magic carpet ride with a 23-13 win over the Seminoles. They then disposed of Syracuse and Wake Forest before heading to Columbia with an undefeated regular season and No. 1 ranking on the line.

Rival South Carolina had nothing to lose, as it was going through one of its worse seasons in quite some time. Though the Gamecocks hung tough, Watson was too much for them as the Tigers posted a 12-0 record for the first time since 1981.

Clemson moved to 13-0 and earned the No. 1 seed in the CFP thanks to a win over No. 10 North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game. It was the first of six straight ACC Championships for the Tigers and seven in eight years.

Like in 1981, the run continued in the Orange Bowl in Miami, as the Tigers took out No. 4 Oklahoma to advance to the national championship game. It was all surreal and very nostalgic, especially for this history buff.

Though things did not finish like we all hoped—Alabama outlasted Clemson in the title game—the journey of the 2015 season was like no other.

No one expected it. There were no expectations. There was nothing but appreciation for what the Tigers accomplished.

I like to think back to that Notre Dame game, and how all the Clemson people came together to support their team despite the horrible conditions. It was a night where Clemson showed off its relationship between its loyal fans and its football program.

It was a night to remember during a season this writer will never forget. The emotions were raw. The energy was new, and the memories were long lasting.

That night Clemson Brought Its Own Guts, and the Tigers became a serious contender in college football’s four-team playoff.