Alabama advance to national championship game by blowing out Michigan State

After losing to Ohio State in a CFP semifinal last season, the Crimson Tide were all business in their second trip this season to AT&T Stadium. And the first Cotton Bowl shutout since LSU’s 13-0 win over Texas in 1963.

Clemson, coached by Dabo Swinney, a former Alabama player and assistant coach, is the nation’s only undefeated team at 14-0 and ranked first in the nation.

The reactions of the two men pretty much told the story Thursday after their teams advanced to the College Football Playoff title game. But when asked if he thought that would happen, he said, “I have no idea”. And for the game, he had just 75. But this year’s team was totally focused on the game.

With 7:52 left and a 38-0 score, Tide fans waved pom-poms and sang along as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” played over the PA system. An all-around bad last night of the season for this offense.

While head coach Mark Dantonio was disappointed that his team couldn’t get the win, he is excited for his seniors to take their next step in life. It’s a great opportunity for them. SEC!” Saban effused praise on his players, saying they had set their own curfews and, “It wasn’t a bowl game to go and have a good time.

Alabama routed Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl, which was also a semifinal game in the College Football Playoff, and now Bama heads to the national championship game against Clemson.

Lawson, who intends to turn pro after this season, said he’ll be ready to go in his final college game. Michigan State claimed it was ready for a 15-round brawl, but the Tide knocked out the Spartans early on Thursday night like a nonconference cupcake. Officials initially ruled that Ridley was out of bounds, but changed that after review. “I knew I was supposed to be blocked, but I felt like they were just busting (assignments) out there”. You know, the 6-3 classic like a few of you may remember from 1940 or the 7-3 and 10-9 thrillers that I can recall from my youth via a 13-inch TV. Do they have numbers outside, and do we have the angles to be able to block the people on the bubbles and the smokes?

After Thursday’s game, both coaches pointed to the halftime score, and what it could have been.

While the Clemson offense is going to have to play well against Alabama, the defense is going to have to play like it did-or better-against Oklahoma if the Tigers want to have a shot at winning the championship.

“I love the Cotton Bowl; I played in the Cotton Bowl”, Novakov said. Both guys were very stout against the run, and I was impressed with Robinson’s quickness in the passing game. That’s my personal goal. The hard part’s staying there. And we’re going to. “Unfortunately for us, about half of them have been called back because of penalties”.

If you look closely, you can see the exact moment the Alabama juggernaut broke Michigan State’s once-powerful machine.

The only previous time Saban faced Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio was in the Capital One Bowl at the end of the 2010 season. “We’re going to pick up the pieces and move forward”.

For much of the Crimson Tide’s season to date, Jake Coker had seemed at least something of a hood ornament, charged with handing the football efficiently and wisely to Heisman Trophy victor Derrick Henry.

“They’re just a football team”, Calhoun said. We’re not playing against gods. We just have to put it away.

Up until the first touchdown, the deepest penetration was Alabama reaching the Spartans’ 45-yard line.

Alabama, which lost 43-37 to Ole Miss in its third game, became dominant by midseason. The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas opened the Crimson Tide as seven-point favorites over the Tigers.

“Maybe we were a little bit too complacent, and I take responsibility for all that”, Saban said about last year’s game.