Clemson star Shaq Lawson says he’ll play in title game

Dabo Swinney’s club blew out Oklahoma, again, this time in 37-17 and on a much bigger stage than it did last season. Alabama and Clemson rolled over their opponents in the second half Thursday and barreled their way into college football’s national title game.

They had plenty to cheer about, even after Clemson lost one of its top players, defensive end Shaq Lawson. The Tigers will face the victor of the Cotton Bowl matchup between Alabama and Michigan State.

If college football fans squint their eyes just right when Clemson rubs on “Howard’s Rock” and then runs down the hill in Death Valley amid thunderous cheers, many would swear they were attending an SEC football game.

The College Football Playoff championship game will be in Arizona, on January 11.

And, boy, they both look impressive.

No. 1 Clemson dominated No. 4 Oklahoma in the second half of Thursday’s Orange Bowl en route to a 37-17 win.

Clemson (14-0) outscored Oklahoma 21-0 in the second half to advance to the national title game on January 11 in Glendale, Ariz.

There’s another story line to the title game.

“He’s the best player in the country”, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. And the Tigers reminded Miami’s new coach, Mark Richt, that he didn’t escape all the great teams by leaving Georgia and the Southeastern Conference. “This team is probably going to take it all next year”.

Not only did Clemson leave Miami with a National Championship game on the horizon, but they also left knowing they completely manhandled the Sooners for the second straight postseason.

That was also a pivotal year for the Tigers.

“Like we said during media day, I mean, you can’t talk your way into a win”, Clemson defensive tackle Scott Pagano said during the frenzied scene following the Tigers’ victory.

Clemson gained more than 500 yards of total offense for the 10th consecutive game, setting a school record. “I knew if we put the work in and the grind, we’d be at this point, and now we’re here”. It was just a matter of when.

Saban said his team came into this playoff with a different attitude. The Tigers’ only national championship came in 1981, and only this season did we learn via Swinney that “Clemsoning” – aka Clemson finding freaky ways to lose – is no longer a thing. Defensively [we] missed tackles, but give them credit for making us miss tackles.

The 11-2, No. 4 Sooners?

The Sooners overachieved until they didn’t, and Thursday, against the nation’s only unbeaten team, its reckoning arrived. Two plays later, Watson scored on a five-yard run to put Clemson ahead 10-7.

That magical night was made possible by a precocious quarterback, Deshaun Watson. “We’re 14-0. We’re going to enjoy it. We’re going to bring in the New Year and have a good time”.

As for M.Stoops, Clemson’s offense couldn’t have been much more one dimensional – granted, it was one hell of a dimension but still just one nonetheless – and yet the Tigers essentially ran the ball at will from start to finish.

“All the hard work, especially over the summer and spring, just putting in the grind and waking up at 5:30 in the morning to go to the weight room and just go out there and sweat and put in the time is for moments like this”, Watson said. He went out with a knee injury in the opening minutes and watched the rest of the game from the bench.

The Tigers didn’t just beat the Sooners.

“I handled it well”, Lawson said. He was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament. “I’m not sure what I did to it, but I plan on being back next week”.

The Tide looked like a team with no weaknesses against overmatched Michigan State (12-2).