Clemson, Alabama are last teams standing in college football

The gambling theme continued on the next drive on a third-and-three in the red zone, when receiver Artavis Scott tried a reverse pass but was called for intentional grounding.

The Tigers settled for a field goal, trailing 7-3 going into the second quarter.

“Any time you have a team from your league in the national championship game, it’s a great thing”, ACC Commissioner John Swofford said. “We knew it was going to be challenging”. It was just a matter of when. He also said of 38-0: “No, I did not see this coming”.

Coach Bob Stoops shook up his staff and guided the Sooners within two victories of their first national title since 2000.

Clemson (14-0) showed the sort of balance it will need to cope with Alabama’s stifling defense, rushing for 312 yards and passing for 218. There’s only one true carryover on either side of the line on this year’s team (Eric Mac Lain), but the Tigers’ complete dominance in the trenches on Thursday is evidence that they are somehow better up front on both sides than a year ago. Here is a look at the opening odds for this game. Now, it was playing their best defensive game with their star on the bench in the biggest game of the year. “That was it. We did most of our talking on the field”.

Clemson scored two plays later for a 10-7 lead.

Unable to get anything going on the ground left the high-powered Oklahoma offense one dimensional and vulnerable to the Clemson pass rush, which had Baker Mayfield in their sights and scrambling for his life a good part of the game and especially in the second half when the Sooner offense became way too predictable.

Sefton Ipock/Independent Mail Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins (42) celebrates with defensive end Shaq Lawson (90) after Lawson sacked Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield in the 1st quarter of the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Thursday.

“For the last seven years we’ve been dreaming about that moment”, Scott said. “So our whole league will be pulling for them”. Either way, if I’m outside the pocket or in the pocket, I’ve got to do my job. Clemson’s case for contending for the national title against Alabama in Arizona on January 11 can really be made with two plays. Clemson’s Gallman broke a 21-yard run on first down to ignite a 70-yard touchdown drive that took only four plays and ended with a 35-yard pass-and-run from Watson to Hunter Renfrow for a 30-17 lead. But his running made up for it, as he rolled to 149 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. He finished with 75 yards but did score two touchdowns.

Watson certainly lived up to the hype of being a Heisman finalist. Even though Clemson won that game without him, it is much stronger with him in the lineup.

“How ’bout them Tigers, baby?” Mackensie Alexander was a shutdown cornerback again. The Tigers actually executed this feat well against the Oklahoma offensive line. Gallman thrived, looking like one of the nation’s best running backs.

The southeastern United States is still the home of the best teams in the country. Before that, he lost offensive coordinator Chad Morris and he lost his entire offensive line. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma kicked off while many were still at work at 4 p.m. ET, and the Cotton Bowl between No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Michigan State began as others were getting ready for a night out. In 2012, the Big Ten and Pac-12 locked in a 12-year deal with ESPN to maintain the Rose Bowl’s traditional New Year’s Day time slot before the larger playoff got finalized.

But that fake punt merely proved that Clemson could successfully be bold and aggressive on one particular play. “Guys were in position to make a play”. Clemson defeated Oklahoma 37-17 to advance to the championship game.

And it also shows that Clemson is reaching that phase of its program where it reloads more than it rebuilds. Not like the Tigers care about that a lick, but they talked about not being respected enough all Orange Bowl week, and they played with a serious attitude that didn’t go away.