Clemson football: 3 reasons Tigers win 2019 National Championship

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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers reacts during the fourth quarter in the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

1. Clemson knows how to make halftime adjustments

No one is going to confuse Dabo Swinney for the best strategical minds in football history, but the man can motivate, recruit, and keep an excellent staff together. When the Tigers backs are against the wall the offense and defense can make the adjustments needed to secure a win.

When Lawrence went down early against Syracuse, turning to a third-string true freshman quarterback would result in a loss for almost any other team. Dabo simply put the ball in the hands of electric sophomore Travis Etienne, who powered his way to three touchdowns in the win.

The Cotton Bowl saw the Tigers offense start out very slow, but by the second quarter Co-offensive coordinator’s Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott decided to let the pigskin fly.

They took multiple shots down the field, and Brent Venables dialed up enough stunts and blitzes to confuse the Fighting Irish offensive line in an easy win.

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Clemson is one win away from another group of players achieving the ultimate prize, and fans will have to wait a few more days to see if it can happen again.

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