If you do the common things in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.

“It is the foundation of our program and it is something that we talk about all the time,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.

It was uncommon for Clemson to get to 13-0 in the regular season. But for the first time in school history, that is exactly what the Tigers did. Now as the No. 1 team in the country they will attempt to grab the attention of the college football world by winning the College Football Playoffs.

Clemson will open up its bid to win a national championship on Dec. 31 against Oklahoma. Last year, the Tigers beat the Sooners, 40-6, in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Should they get past Oklahoma then they will play the winner of the Alabama-Michigan State game in the National Championship Game in Glendale. Ariz., on Jan. 11.

“It is nice to know all the hard work paid off,” Clemson running back Wayne Gallman said. “We just have to stick to what we have been doing.”

What the Tigers have done is they have had each other’s backs. In going 13-0, they have found different ways to win, with different guys stepping up to make plays. Quarterback Deshaun Watson has been unbelievable, defensive end Shaq Lawson has been unblockable and Gallman has run the football as well or better than anyone in the ACC. The offensive line has controlled the line of scrimmage for much of the year, while the secondary is one of the best in the country.

“Everybody has a role and everybody on this team truly has a genuine appreciation for each other’s role,” Swinney said. “Whether it is the scout team, the backups or whoever, there is just a genuine appreciation.”

Clemson offensive guard Eric Mac Lain says it’s cool that the Tigers will return to South Florida for the fourth time in the last five years. Clemson played West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl, Ohio State in the 2014 Orange Bowl and earlier this year it defeated Miami, 58-0, in Sun Life Stadium, matching the largest margin of victory over an ACC foe in school history.

“Clemson travels very well to Miami. It is a cool destination spot, a cool vacation spot, so it is going to be adventitious to us as a football team having more of our people there,” Mac Lain said.

The Orange Bowl thinks it is cool, too.

“One of the Orange Bowl representatives was there and they were walking on the sideline. It was sometime in the fourth quarter and he came up to us and said, ‘We can’t wait to have you guys here on Dec. 31.’

“To have that come full circle, and it is actually real and means something, that is just cool.”