Alabama Beats Clemson To Win National Championship

“A dynasty isn’t just winning the championship every year, it’s you’re in contention”, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstriet said during the post game coverage. Dabo Swinney complained to the officials, though there was no sign of any offside Alabama players or any other violations.

Alabama’s 45-40 win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff Championship on Monday night was one of the more exciting national championship games in recent memory. Only former Crimson Tide coach Bear Bryant has won more than four national titles during the wire-service era (since 1936).

NOTES: Next season’s national title game will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on January 9. Truth is, it was the ideal call by Nick Saban at the flawless time. “At the end of the day, this team’s on another level and next year we’ll try to get that national championship”. “I just wanted to get the win and do something that we haven’t done in 34 years”.

The game was tied at 14 at the half, but the offenses for both teams exploded in the second half.

Humphrey said he was surprised Saban called the play in such a high-stakes game, but center Ryan Kelly applauded his coach for the decision.

Alabama’s Derrick Henry gets to keep his Heisman after carrying 36 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns.

Still, the Tigers led 24-21 after Wayne Gallman’s 1-yard run with 4:48 left in the third quarter capped a nine-play, 60-yard drive. He also noted that Clemson’s near-miss against Alabama probably “put some ripples into the pond”.

How did Las Vegas like that final Clemson TD?

In the interest of full disclosure, let me say that in 1998, I wrote a Christmas column for The Plain Dealer about Kevin O’Keefe, one of the best offensive linemen in the history of the powerful Lakewood St. Edward program.

It was supposed to be a tough, defensive struggle, but each defense cracked at just the wrong times. Alabama had 473 yards. Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Leggett with 12 seconds left brought Clemson within a score, but the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds.

“I really appreciate the maturity that our guys showed this year in terms of staying focused on what was important for the team and putting that first, and I think it worked out really well for us”, Saban said.

“And I felt like if we didn’t do something … we wouldn’t have a chance to win”. It was Howard’s second long touchdown catch of the game.

Watson turned in another stellar performance Monday night on the biggest stage of his career.

The sophomore, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, had 478 total yards against a loaded Tide defense and bested Young’s 467 yards against the Trojans.

Not only did he light them up through the air for 405 yards and four touchdowns, he was also the Tigers’ leading rusher with 73 yards on 20 carries. “Just some little things like that is going to really force yourself in a hole, and it’s hard to beat a team like Alabama if you make those mistakes”. “The Tide flat-out had more answers when it mattered most, even on a night when the defense was uncharacteristically vulnerable and quiet and Derrick Henry struggled to locate much running room, save for an early 50-yard score”. He had three touchdowns.

Last year, the four-team playoff replaced the Bowl Championship Series in which the top two teams were selected to play in the final game.