Four Shades of Red

You've read the book - or at least heard of it. Fifty Shades of Grey is one of the top selling books of all-time.

The Clemson Tigers could write their own book, a twist on the original. As Dabo Swinney said during Clemson's championship celebration, “I told the team all year long, you have the pen in your hands and we write the story, we write the ending.”

That ending would include the final four chapters of the Tigers' National Championship run. The final four games of the 2016-17 season includes wins over South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Alabama. All four teams a shade of red and all four wins delivered a championship. 

BENched presents excerpts from Four Shades of Red.

Garnet

This chapter is the beatdown of epic proportions the Tigers put on the Gamecocks. Final score: Clemson 56, South Carolina 7. The talent gap on the field was evident. Nothing South Carolina could do was going to keep the game close.

Mike Williams carried a Gamecocks defender into the end zone,
one of his three scores on the night.
(Photo courtesy The State)

Deshaun Watson threw six touchdown passes. Mike Williams caught six balls for 100 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Clemson gained 622 yards of offense, while the defense gave up 218. The starters were removed late in the third quarter.

The win was the third straight in the series and pushed Clemson's overall series lead to 68-42-4. Watson delivered on a promise he made in high school that he would never lose to the Gamecocks. He finishes his career a perfect 3-0 record with an average margin of victory 24 points. 

Of course, this wasn't a normal game. This was an in-state rivalry with plenty of hatred on both sides. A shouting match broke out during pregame warmups between the teams. Swinney called a timeout with his starters on the field late in the fourth quarter to honor the seniors one last time in Death Valley, but the Gamecocks didn't take too kindly to that. There's a new motto for South Carolina - never again - referring to the pain felt during the loss. 

Championship won: State. Clemson claimed the Palmetto Bowl trophy.

Maroon

The next chapter sees the Tigers head south to Orlando, Fla., for the ACC Championship against a salty Virginia Tech squad. A win puts Clemson into the College Football Playoff. Plenty was on the line and the Hokies were seeking a strong finish to an unexpected ACC Coastal Championship in Justin Fuente's debut season.

Clemson's offense was clicking early and often, jumping out to leads of 14-0 and 35-14. Watson fired on all cylinders with 288 yards and three touchdowns passing, while rushing for 85 yards and two more scores. 

Deshaun Watson flexes after his final touchdown
in the 2016 ACC Championship Game.
(Photo courtesy Associated Press)

However, the Virginia Tech offense wouldn't be held down for long. The Hokies, led by JuCo transfer quarterback Jerod Evans, hit their stride and closed the gap late. Consecutive scores by VT made it 35-28 early in the fourth quarter. Watson led the Tigers on a scoring drive to extend the lead back to 14, but the Hokies quickly scored again to get within seven.

Then, with Virginia Tech driving to tie it, Cordrea Tankersley picked off his second pass of the game to seal the deal. Clemson won the game 42-35. Watson earn his second straight Championship Game Player of the Game honors and the Tigers claimed back-to-back conference titles for the first time since winning three straight from 1986-88.

Championship won: Conference. Clemson claimed the ACC Championship trophy.

Scarlet

Clemson was selected the No. 2 team in the College Football Playoff with a 12-1 record. Their opponent, No. 3 Ohio State, which finished the season 11-1. The two teams were matched up in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, one of the two semifinal sites this season.

Controversy over the Buckeyes' selection was plentiful. Ohio State finished tied with Penn State atop the Big Ten East Division, but the Nittany Lions went to the conference title game because of their head-to-head win over OSU. Penn State won the conference championship, but was left out because of a September loss to Pittsburgh.

Clemson's defense proved too much for JT Barrett
and the Ohio State offense.
(Photo courtesy azcentral sports)

Many thought Urban Meyer and Ohio State would be out to prove they belonged. That never came to fruition. The Buckeyes struggled to move the ball against Clemson's stout defense and missed two field goals in the first quarter. Slowly, but surely, the Tigers began picking up yards and found the end zone once. Then again. And again in the second half. When it was all over, the scoreboard read 31-0.

Like a boa constrictor, Clemson squeezed the life out of the Ohio State sideline. Once again, it was a night Watson would not be stopped. He accounted for three scores and never wavered after two interceptions. Clemson's defense, though, was the story, blanking the Buckeyes for the first time in over two decades. The Tigers racked up 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, and held Ohio State's vaunted rushing attack - which entered averaging nearly 260 yards on the ground per game - to just 88 yards.

Championship won: Bowl and Semifinal. Clemson claimed the Fiesta Bowl trophy along with a CFB Playoff Semifinal award.

Crimson

This was the rematch many predicted in July and August. Alabama was the overwhelming pick as the No. 1 team in the land. Just on the Crimson Tide's heels were the Tigers, selected No. 2 in the preseason. 

Bama rolled to a 14-0 lead and seemed to have the game where it wanted. Watson was still trying to figure out the flow of the game. The Tigers didn't have an answer for running back Bo Scarbrough. Then, a short screen pass to Deon Cain went for 44 yards and opened things up. Clemson scored to cut the deficit in half before the intermission.

Deshaun Watson celebrates his final pass of his collegiate career,
a National Championship-winning touchdown to Hunter Renfrow.
(Photo courtesy Associated Press)

The second half was full of spectacular plays on both sides. Honestly, it could be a book all on its own. From Hunter Renfrow's touchdown saving tackle after a Clemson fumble to OJ Howard streaking down the sideline uncovered again to several Mike Williams athletic catches to Jordan Leggett's acrobatic grab to a Jalen Hurts' go-ahead TD with two minutes remaining to the final punctuation mark, a Renfrow touchdown with one second left. Three crucial drives were made in the final five minutes of the game. Each resulting score caused the lead to change hands. 

It was a fitting end for Watson to hit Renfrow for the game-winning score. It was fitting that Clemson ran an onside kick and recovered it. It was fitting that Watson took the game's final snap for a kneel down. 

Clemson won its first title in 35 years. The Tigers scored 35 points. Clemson won by a final margin of 35-31 - four points. The Tigers' MVP wears No. 4. The storybook ending was written. As Swinney said, “And what an ending they wrote Monday night in Tampa.”

Championship won: National Championship. Clemson caps the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in both the AP and Coaches Polls. That earned the Tigers the CFB Playoff National Championship trophy and the Coaches Crystal Ball trophy.

The 2016 National Champion Clemson Tigers celebrating on stage in Tampa, Fla.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)