When Alabama hammered Clemson in the Georgia Dome back in 2008, there was not a college football fan in Atlanta that night that would have ever thought the Tigers would compete with Alabama, much less beat them.

The Crimson Tide embarrassed the Tigers that night 34-10 and the game was not even that close. Now, nine years later, Clemson vs. Alabama has suddenly become the best rivalry in college football.

After playing epic national championship games against each other the last two years, while splitting the head-to-head matchups, Clemson and Alabama will meet for a third straight year in the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day. However this time it will not be in the national championship game, but instead in the semifinals from the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was on a local radio show in Alabama earlier this week when he was asked about the last two meetings and what those two games have meant to college football. Swinney, who was being interviewed by his old college quarterback, Jay Barker, said the rivalry with Alabama was just one of those things that happen in college football.

He said Alabama is probably sick of seeing him and Clemson as much as he is of seeing Saban and the Crimson Tide.

“We were just talking and sometimes rivalries just pop up that we do not expect,” Swinney said. “You know, somehow or another they happen in sports and I think that is what has happened here.”

Swinney feels the Clemson-Alabama game is a healthy rivalry. Both fan bases are knowledgeable football fans and respect the other team.

“I think there is really great respect from both sides,” he said. “I know Alabama people. They have great respect for good football. They may not necessarily like you, but they recognize good football, effort and toughness and those types of things. It is the same thing here at Clemson.”

They also recognize a good game when they see it. It’s hard to argue that the last two national championship games were two of the best the game has ever seen. Alabama survived Clemson in the 2016 CFP National Championship by a score of 45-40.

Last year, Clemson exacted some revenge and won on a Deshaun Watson 2-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow with one second left to play for a 35-31 victory.

On New Year’s Day there will be Clemson vs. Alabama: The Trilogy.

“We all know someone is going to win and someone is going to lose, but I think everybody knows what to expect in this game,” Swinney said. “You are going to get unbelievable effort. It is usually a few plays in a game like this and some crazy things can happen. But as far as the effort, the will to win, the toughness, the physicality that is on display in this game, it’s a sight to see and you just know it is coming.

“You know it is coming and as a competitor you love that and embrace that. As a fan, you just kind of sit back and say, ‘I don’t know what is going to happen, but it is going to be a great ball game.’”

That is kind of what has happened with this little rivalry called Clemson vs. Alabama. It came out of nowhere, but it was the best thing to happen to college football in quite some time.

The Tide is hoping to win its fifth national championship under Nick Saban, while the Tigers are looking to become the first team since Alabama did it in 2010 and 2011 to win back-to-back national championships.

“I’m proud of our guys, especially after being a part of that one in ’08 when they just smashed us,” Swinney said. “We are a long way from that.”