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Dave Doeren tried to be optimistic going in as he confronted an impossible challenge.

He said his team had nothing to lose. He was wrong.

Clemson took not just a victory, but also N.C. State's manhood in a 55-10 smashing that wasn't as close as the 45-point spread indicated.

The days of the Wolfpack giving the Tigers fits are long gone, a fact that was hammered home a year ago when Clemson smoked Doeren's team in Death Valley and then Saturday night when the Tigers made Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit start looking for their filler material in the first quarter.

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It's already not fair most of the time when Clemson lines up against ACC opposition. But a Tigers team in November, with a point to prove, is not who you want to see coming to your city for a primetime affair.

Clemson piled up 549 yards against Doeren's injury-ravaged team, and once again much of the production achieved against Brent Venables' defense came in garbage time. The Wolfpack totaled 290 yards, the 10th consecutive opponent that Clemson has held under 300 yards (2011 Alabama is the only team since 2000 to compile a streak that long).

Trevor Lawrence threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns on a 20-of-27 clip, and he's gone 15 quarters without an interception.

Travis Etienne rushed for 112 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns -- two rushing and one receiving -- to break C.J. Spiller's school record for career touchdowns (51).

A few days after the College Football Playoff selection committee ranked Clemson No. 5 and added to the 2019 narrative of this juggernaut not being up to elite snuff, Dabo Swinney got even more of his players' attention before the game as they met on the field for the final time.

Virginia Tech had knocked off Wake Forest in Blacksburg. That meant Clemson was a victory away from sealing an Atlantic Division title and a trip to Charlotte to play for its fifth consecutive conference title.

It meant that a bunch of orange britches, which Swinney told the equipment staff to pack for Raleigh just in case, were coming out.

For Clemson, those orange pants mean they're playing for a championship.

For N.C. State, the color red on its jerseys meant blood.

This was a bloodbath and beyond as Clemson improved to 10-0 while winning its 25th consecutive game while winning its 20th consecutive ACC game while winning its 11th consecutive road game.

Yes, the accomplishments are starting to add up in a run-on-sentence type of way.

This annihilation, in front of a crowd that began leaving before halftime, further amplified that this team is playing its best football at the right time.

The Tigers might have to answer for a one-point win at North Carolina, but they don't have to answer for a loss at Minnesota.

Lawrence and the offense might've had some sputters at times earlier this season, but they don't have a flaw as fatal as the soft defense that brought down Alabama (not to mention two massive turnovers by Tua Tagovailoa).

The Tigers are moving on up now in the rankings after losses by the Nos. 3 and 4 teams, right where they need to be.

Clemson scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, including two of the short-field variety after lost fumbles by N.C. State.

Before the Pack drove deep into Clemson territory on their final possession of the first half, they had 23 yards on six possessions with four punts and two lost fumbles.

And even that last drive ended in disaster when Devin Leary couldn't handle a shotgun snap and Clemson recovered to end the threat with the Tigers up 42-0 entering the locker room.

Clemson had 403 yards at the half and four touchdowns after the first 15 minutes.

After putting on their orange pants, the Tigers proceeded to undress Doeren and his Wolfpack.

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