Nike Scores With Alabama Crimson Tide’s Championship Win

DeShaun Watson and his Clemson Tigers did everything they needed to do to beat the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide, and it still was not enough.

College football’s bowl- and playoff-system just created the path that led Nick Saban to his fourth national championship trophy, but he Alabama coach said Tuesday he’s not sure the system is right for college football as a whole. The streak came to an end at a bad time for the Tigers. They’re not invincible Gods of college football, but they’re unshakable titans of the game that once they take you down there is non getting back up.

Watson gave the Tide all they could handle, throwing for 405 yards and four touchdowns. It was a unanimous No. 1 choice and riding a 34-game winning streak.

Alabama called for a play-action rollout to Coker’s right. He only threw for 335 yards and had two touchdowns.

While the Heisman victor didn’t exactly have his way with Clemson otherwise (at least by his standards), he did finish with 158 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries.

“A huge momentum play”, Swinney said of the kick.

Earlier Henry had given Alabama the lead with a 50-yard run midway through the first quarter.

It’s fitting, then, that Watson ended the game with one last, ultimately meaningless touchdown-a flawless 24-yard strike to Jordan Leggett with 12 seconds remaining.

Howard also had a 63-yard reception on a screen pass in the second half. After this point, Clemson kicked their chances of a National Title away to Alabama. He led a last-ditch touchdown drive in the final two minutes.

And yet the two plays that determined the fourth-quarter outcome both happened with the offensive and defensive stars watching from the sideline. The Tigers ultimately attempted a long field goal that was blocked. Clemson has the ball on Alabama’s 24-yard line.

Through the first half, taking Clemson and the points seemed like a great play, as the Tide had shown no signs that they were about to start blowing them out any time soon.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney argued with the officials that the kick was against the rules and the outburst may have distracted his team as it allowed a 51-yard touchdown pass two plays later. They pulled within a point with less than a minute left, but instead of kicking the extra point that would have ensured them of a championship, coach Tom Osborne made a decision to go for the win with a two-point try. And when Kenyan Drake took a kickoff back 98 yards for a score, after a Clemson field goal cut Alabama’s lead to 31-27, the outcome was all but determined. Clemson’s onside kick went out of bounds.

As ESPN’s Bomani Jones pointed out, the play crucially denied the Tigers a possession in the final quarter.

“O.J., quite honestly, should have been more involved all year long”, Tide coach Nick Saban said.

Throughout Alabama’s unprecedented run under Saban, the Tide was hardly challenged in a championship game.

Clemson fell short of becoming the first college team to complete a 15-0 season and failed to get the school its second national title, and first since 1984.