Alabama beats Clemson 45-40 to win national championship

Alabama slugged and Clemson danced in the first half, leaning on their two offensive stars with contrasting styles.

In the 50th game matching the No. 1 vs. the No. 2 team, Alabama (14-1) outscored Clemson 24-16 in a frantic fourth quarter to win and earned all 61 first-place votes from the AP panel.

But what a thriller it was in the desert. “Championship football is a game of a few plays, and that is what this came down to – just a few plays”.

But the Crimson Tide were rolling hard as on the next kickoff, Kenyan Drake ran the ball back for yet another Alabama TD, putting them up 37 -27.

Clemson had not lost a game in which it led heading into the fourth quarter in 51 games, and it got brilliant play from junior quarterback Deshaun Watson, who set himself up as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner for next season with 405 yards passing and four touchdowns to go with 73 yards rushing, but his play wasn’t enough.

He wasn’t able to get untracked much in the second half, but quarterback Jake Coker connected on scoring passes of 53 and 51 yards to Howard after the break. Clemson’s T.J. Green (15) knocks Alabama’s O.J. Howard out of bounds after a catch during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. This game was an instant classic – a relief for fans who sat through the blowouts that turned the New Year’s Six lineup into a dud.

Alabama tied it with Adam Griffith’s 33-yard field goal with 10:34 to play, then caught the Tigers by surprise with an onside kick. Coach Dabo Swinney took some comfort that next year he’ll still have Watson, who ran and threw for 478 yards against Alabama’s defense, one of the best in college football memory.

Clemson scored again with 12 seconds left to make it a five-point difference. Alabama RB Derrick Henry scored a touchdown in his 20th consecutive game, an SEC record.

His performance was reminiscent of Vince Young’s dramatic effort in leading Texas past USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl for a national title.

“I thought we had it in the game anytime we wanted to do it. I made the decision to do it. The score was tied… and we were exhausted on defense”.

Watson threw two first-half touchdown strikes to Hunter Renfrowe, but it was his balletic escapes from pressure that set the tone.

Back and forth it went. Former Alabama Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram was the Tide’s honorary captain for the game. Alabama blanked LSU for No. 2 and crushed Notre Dame to repeat.

Trying to become the first FBS team to go 15-0, Clemson did not crumble under the force of Alabama’s might.

That onside kicked stunned the stadium and Clemson, and brought a big grin to the face of the country’s most serious coach. There is another wave ready to roll.

“I think special teams may have been the difference in the game”, Saban said.