Five reasons why Clemson returns to National Championship next year

“A kickoff return for a touchdown [and] onside kick, probably changed the momentum of the game”. Those numbers look absurd in any context, and then you remember that Watson did this against the Alabama Death Star.

Watson, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, had carried the Tigers (14-1) all season.

Outside of that interception that would have been a score had he put more air under the ball, Watson owned Alabama’s defense in Kirby Smart’s last game as defensive coordinator to take over at Georgia. Young’s 467 total yards – 200 rushing, 267 passing – represented a seminal effort for dual-threat quarterbacks, and Watson was better.

After a 33-yard Alabama field goal tied the game at 24-24, Humphrey caught the ball cleanly at the 50-yard line. The waves were crashing down on Watson, and he just kept sailing right over them. But it was a still debated pass interference call in overtime that gave the Buckeyes another chance, and they won 31-24 in double OT. “It won’t be 34 years before we’re going to be back, I promise you that”, he said. Those spells were enough to defeat Clemson, but the only thing that could stop Deshaun Watson was time. Alabama’s go-ahead touchdown in the 45-40 victory in Monday night’s national championship game followed a stunning onside kick. Saban said he met with the players after the SEC championship game to see who wanted to submit their paperwork to the NFL’s junior committee to find out what their draft status would be.

Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban gave a small and quick smile at the moment that Clemson unintentionally kicked away a National Title to Alabama. But Watson’s run on the two-point conversion try failed, leaving Clemson five points down. He scored twice in the first half and iced the victory by running for a one-yard TD with 1:07 remaining.

Steve Edelson (@SteveEdelsonAPP): I thought this would be a close game, having predicted Alabama would win, 24-21. After Clemson cut Alabama’s lead to four points, Alabama quickly struck again when Kenyan Drake returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. “I know how that works, you get frustrated, you start messing up plays and then you’re getting other guys hurt”.

Clemson was No. 1 every week in the college playoff rankings and had won 17 in a row dating to last season. Two plays later, on a second-and-12 play, Coker found Howard in the left flat and Howard raced past defenders for 63 yards to the Clemson 14. On Monday night, thanks in part to a great set of skills and in part to narcolepsy in the Clemson secondary, Howard finished with 208 yards on five catches and two long touchdowns.

MIAMI 31, NEBRASKA 30 (1984 ORANGE BOWL): Miami pulled off one of the greatest upsets to win its first national title. The Tigers’ offense could not make a play, and their defense was no match against Alabama’s offense in the final minutes.

Editor’s Note: Jadon Bosarge, a Casa Grande High School freshman, obtained press credentials for all media events surrounding the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers for the college football national championship.