I would put it in the ground, lower than it was in the pot, do not cut it until spring, and mulch well for the winter. What type is it? I would guess it would do fine this way.

Okay, I'll try that. Thanks! I honestly can't remember the name. It's purple, it blooms throughout the summer, it does okay in part shade and I think the beginning of the name was 'Mrs.'

Definitely get it in the ground as best you can. I had 5 or 6 clematis delivered in late November and our ground was frozen. I had already dug the holes so I buried the clematis in the holes and piled potting soil and semi-frozen dirt on top. They all survived. Good luck.