Breaking down the history between Texas and Clemson before Playoff clash

The College Football Playoff's first round has delivered us some truly fascinating matchups, but they're also some historically unique matchups. With the deviation from the traditional bowl requirements, we're getting matchups between power conference teams who don't typically cross paths.

Let's take a look at one of those unique matchups, between Clemson and Texas.

When I talk about unique matchups, this is exactly what I mean. According to Winsipedia, these two teams have never played one another at any point in the history of either program. The Longhorns have played football since 1893, the Tigers since 1896. And yet, they've never met at any point. Not in a bowl game, not in a non-conference game, not even in some kind of barnstorming tour.

How is it possible that these two programs have never crossed paths?

Typically, historically, the matchups between Power Four teams like this come in bowl games. And, looking at the Longhorns' historic bowl matchups, they just...haven't really played many ACC teams, at least in recent history.

Since joining the Big 12 in 1996, Texas has not played a single bowl game against the ACC. 23 bowl games in that time, zero against the ACC. That wasn't true when they were in the Southwest Conference; they played four games against the SEC from 1943 until 1995, and three of those were against North Carolina (the fourth was against Maryland in 1978). In other words, Texas didn't have many chances to play the Tigers in bowl games.

Further complicating that math, in the four years when Texas had the chance to play ACC teams, the Tigers were having drastically different seasons from the Longhorns.

In 1978, Texas was 9-3, and the Tigers were 11-1, and beat Ohio State in the Gator Bowl. This was probably our best chance of seeing the two teams meet, but it wasn't meant to be. In 1980, Texas was 7-5, but Clemson didn't play in a bowl after going just 6-5 and 2-4 in the ACC. In 1982, Texas was 9-3 and 7-1 in the SWC, while Clemson was 9-1 and 6-0 in the ACC, going on to beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Finally, in 1994, Texas was 8-4, and 4-3 in the SWC. Clemson was 5-6 and didn't make a bowl game.

As for Clemson, they had six bowl games against the Big 12 between their creation in 1996 and this season, and none against the Southwest conference. In each of those seasons, the differences between the programs was even more stark.

In 2021, Clemson was 10-3, while Texas went just 5-7. In 2014 and 2015, the Tigers went 10-3 and 14-1 respectively, while Texas went 6-7 and 5-7. In 2008, the Tigers were just 7-6, while the Longhorns were in the midst of the Vince Young Era, going 12-1. In 2005, the Longhorns went undefeated, while Clemson was just 8-4 under Tommy Bowden. And finally, in 2002, Texas went 11-2, while Clemson was just 7-6.

In other words, this is one of the first times in history these two teams have been good enough at the same time to face each other, while also playing in conferences that had bowl game matchups against one another.

So, strap in, it figures to be a fascinating, and first-of-its kind, clash.

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When did Texas and Clemson last play in football?

By Sam Westmoreland | 3:05 PM EST