Standing on college football’s biggest stage and hoisting its top prize, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and dynamic quarterback Deshaun Watson shared the ultimate hug and a few private words.

A formidable pairing. An improbable championship. An ideal ending.

Swinney and Watson’s finale together, a 35-31 upset victory against Alabama in the national title game Monday night, might just be a launching point for the Tigers (14-1).

“You think this is the best of Clemson? Just wait the next five years,” Watson said Tuesday. “It’s going to be even more exciting, more awesome.”

The Tigers claimed their first national championship since 1981, ending a 35-year drought thanks to huge plays from Watson, his receiving corps and a defense determined to avenge last year’s oh-so-close loss to the Crimson Tide in the title game.

Although most expect Clemson to need a year or two to reload — the Tigers are losing a handful of offensive and defensive stars — Swinney believes his team will get another title shot in the not-too-distant future, certainly not another three-decade wait.