Original sentence: Clemson once again won the conference and finished the regular season at 12–1.On October 1, 2011, Clemson became the first ACC team to beat three nationally ranked opponents in a row.The Tigers began the season with a 38–35 home victory over rival and fifth-ranked Georgia and ended the regular season with a record fifth-straight loss to arch-rival South Carolina, 31–17
Edited sentence: As expected from last season's returning starters, quarterback Deshaun Watson anchored an explosive offense that averaged 503 yards per game.Clemson finished the season with wins at Auburn, Georgia Tech, and #12 Florida State on the road and defeated #3 Louisville in Memorial Stadium.Freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Tigers' rout of the Crimson Tide.However, Clemson once again won the conference and finished the regular season at 12–1.However, the odds of another trip to the CFB Playoff were working against the Tigers.On October 1, 2011, Clemson became the first ACC team to beat three nationally ranked opponents in a row: #21-ranked Auburn, #11-ranked Florida State, and #11-ranked Virginia Tech.Only one team, Alabama, went back-to-back as national champions and Florida State was expected to emerge once again as a title contender from the ACC.The Tigers began the season with a 38–35 home victory over rival and fifth-ranked Georgia and ended the regular season with a record fifth-straight loss to arch-rival South Carolina, 31–17, in the first Top 10 meeting of the two schools (Clemson #4, Carolina #9).The Tigers then claimed a six-game winning streak in the middle of their season but lost to Georgia Tech as star freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson went out with a knee injury early in the 1st quarter.The Tigers took on ACC rival Florida State in week 3 of their season only to suffer a loss in overtime as #22 Clemson lost to #1 Florida State 17–23.The defense reloaded behind a standout defensive line and limited opponents to just 18.4 points a game.With a loaded offense and plenty of young talent waiting to emerge on defense, Clemson entered 2016 as one of the frontrunners to contend for the national championship