Alabama, Clemson to play for CFP title

The 13-1 Crimson Tide will face the 14-0 Tigers on January 11 for the national championship.

Baker Mayfield was chillin’ in his hotel room with some of his Oklahoma teammates when, suddenly, things got serious.

No one, even those in the national media who wrote dynasty and season obituaries after the loss to Ole Miss, is writing Alabama off after a 38-point shutout over a quality Big Ten champion. But Alabama has the nation’s best run defense and tremendous depth in the front seven, which allows Smart to rotate players and wear down opponents in the second half.

For Oklahoma, it was a disappointing end to a comeback season. The Heisman finalist also ran for 145 yards on 24 carries, scoring the Tigers’ first touchdown on a 5-yard run.

This isn’t exactly a slow period for Avery Johnson and the Alabama basketball team. Even soap opera stars on “General Hospital” made not-so-subtle references to making plans to watch the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Eve.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky). Clemson running back Wayne Gallman (9) celebrates his touchdown with defensive lineman Christian Wilkins (42) during the second half of the Orange Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game against Oklahoma, Thursday, De… “Seven years ago, when I got this job, I knew that we would be here”. He’s gone so far as to say he doesn’t think anyone on the Oklahoma campus can beat him in Halo. No. 1 Clemson ended Oklahoma’s 2015 campaign with a 37-17 Orange Bowl victory Thursday inside Sun Life Stadium.

Watson quickly brought Clemson into the redzone after converting a 3rd-and-long, but he forced a pass to Jordan Leggett that was intercepted in the endzone. It ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense and total defense. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

Coker completed 25-of-30 passes for 286 yards.

Now that it has become both deeply excellent and deeply competent, Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin gave a little tour of his units and said freshman receiver “Calvin Ridley had never played, and Jake had never played, and we had nine new starters on offense, and Richard Mullaney, the third receiver from Oregon State”. “It’s your time”, Lawson said, of the role his understudy would take on that night. We were still in a quarterback situation, rotating guys and figuring that out.

But alas, the Sooners just ran into a better team. “All we require in the recruitment of any player is that he must be a great player at his position, meet the academic requirements and have good character”.

Alabama took a 10-0 lead to to the locker rooms.

Clemson junior outside linebacker Ben Boulware was selected the game’s Defensive MVP after producing eight tackles, one interception, one sack and one tackle for a loss. With Henry running the ball as well as he has, Coker has taken a backseat in the offense and has been more of a game manager than an integral part of the Tide’s success. Cook had a record of 34-4 in the past three seasons with 70 touchdown passes and only 19 interceptions in 1,113 attempts, and he’s a projected first-round National Football League draft pick.

The Tigers turned to Gallman on the opening drive after halftime, and the move paid off. His one-yard plunge pushed Clemson ahead again by six at 23-17.

Of course, so is Watson, but clearly they’re men, and a week from Monday in Arizona, they’re about to oppose other men.