Clemson and the Orange Bowl have been intertwined like the roots of a tree during the last five years, each piece knotted together, building something far grander. An embarrassing defeat on that field produced a defining triumph on that field, which, in turn, produced a College Football Playoff run that continues on that field.
Before we go on, let us not forget where Clemson won its only national championship, in 1981: The Orange Bowl (not exactly on the same field).
None are mutually exclusive. Without the national championship, Clemson would not have a starting foundation. Without such a humbling defeat to West Virginia in 2012, its growth as a young program might have been stunted.