Alabama defeats Clemson to win the College Football national championship game

Clemson’s Jordan Leggett, right, catches a touchdown pass in front of Alabama’s Ronnie Harrison during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz.

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin).

The College Football Championship game is being played this evening in Glendale, Arizona, with top-ranked Clemson going against second-ranked Alabama.

This is your College Football National Championship Open Thread… It needed all its talent and steely resolve.

The Crimson Tide (14-1) won its three previous championship game appearances in runaway fashion. Griffith said the Tide practices what Saban calls “a pop kick” about once a week.

After a field goal a third of the way through the fourth quarter, Alabama kicked off to Clemson, tied 24-24. “I know how that works, you get frustrated, you start messing up plays and then you’re getting other guys hurt”.

Clemson answered with a promising drive but Bama held it to a 31-yard field goal.

Alabama struck quickly early in the second half when Coker hit Howard with a 53-yard scoring pass just over two minutes into the third quarter for a 21-14 lead. The Tigers just kept coming.

Alabama will win this game by containing quarterback Deshaun Watson on defense and on offense, quarterback Jake Coker will need to be on point and be able to be consistent in his passing and being able to throw downfield so they set ups he placation after the run game gets going.

The game features a pair of Heisman Trophy finalists in Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Alabama running back Derrick Henry.

“We stand toe-to-toe with everybody in the country”, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “This program doesn’t take a back seat to anybody”. One more Watson touchdown pass, his fourth, would narrow the final margin, but Clemson’s last hope ended with an onside kick that failed. After a disappointing semifinal loss a year ago, Alabama will be looking to retake the top spot.

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

Clemson has one national championship to its credit.

Watson led Clemson in passing with 405 yards and in rushing with 73 yards. Derrick Henry led in rushing with 75 yards and two touchdowns. But Watson couldn’t finish the job the way Young did in Pasadena, California. “Two great teams. I’m sure it will be a great game”. We dropped some balls. Alabama blanked LSU for No. 2 and crushed Notre Dame to repeat. He finished with 158 yards on 36 carries.

He was expected to be assigned to cover Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, a breakout freshman star receiver who totaled 83 receptions for 1,031 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Coker’s 63-yard pass to Howard set up the 1-yard touchdown run by Henry that finally sealed the victory with 1:07 to play.

Let’s go back to last week.

But when Alabama tried to go downfield with Coker, things got complicated.

The biggest beneficiary of Clemson’s screw-ups was Alabama TE O.J. Howard, who I swear to god was invisible to Clemson’s secondary. With Clemson’s defense pinching in, Henry got to top speed and ran past strong safety Jayron Kearse and into the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 7:55 to go in the first quarter. But all those five-star recruits and future National Football League players that dot the Alabama roster showed they also have plenty of resiliency and toughness. Nick Saban-who surely has the biggest balls in college football-opted for a surprise onside kick. Behind Danny Ford, an Alabama native and former Tide player for Bryant, the Tigers won the title in 1981 by beating favored Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.