Alabama rolls to US college football championship over Clemson

At age 64 and heading into his 10 season with the Crimson Tide, Saban shows no signs of slowing down. Several times Alabama’s highly lauded defense had him trapped, absolutely.

It wasn’t the blowout Alabama is used to in national championship games, but it didn’t matter.

“But give them credit”. Three extra seconds ran off after a first down to:09, resulting in Clemson having to settle for a field-goal attempt that was partially blocked by Alabama’s D.J. Pettway.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – Alabama may have won its fourth national championship in seven seasons, but for the students in Tuscaloosa the party never gets old.

Saban thumbed his way to the page where it said, “Try the onside kick when you’re tied 24-24”. This season Bama faced nine teams in the preseason Associated Press poll, the most of any team in the nation, and the Tide was 8-1 in those games.

Alabama, which lost in last season’s playoff semifinals, was not done exerting its special teams superiority after the onside kick. A miscommunication on defense allowed O.J.

Alabama tied the game on a field goal to open the fourth quarter, and then stunned Clemson when they successfully attempted an onside kick.

Alabama running back Derrick Henry’s third touchdown made the game 45-33 with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter and Alabama bettors were breathing much easier at that point. Two plays later, Coker found Howard again on a blown coverage by Clemson for an easy 51-yard TD pass.

He’s gotten that in just three years.

It’s why he defended them so vehemently when thinking everyone had written them off after the Ole Miss loss. Henry left Monday’s game transcendent at Alabama. And they did so on a night that two of their premier defensive players, CB Mackensie Alexander and DE Shaq Lawson, were at less than full strength.

Ala-Henry 50 run (Griffith kick), 7:55. The title is the fifth for Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who also won one at Louisiana State.

Clemson was an entirely different task, Alabama’s biggest challenge.

Watson fought to the bitter end, throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Leggett with just 12 seconds remaining.

Clemson responded very quickly with a six play drive that took up 1:58 off the clock. Included in that was Kenyan Drake’s 95-yard kickoff return to put Alabama ahead 38-28. The Tigers had 550 yards total offense, but it wasn’t quite enough to claim their first national title since 1981. The others include: Kermit Whitfield (2013 – Florida State Seminoles) and Ted Ginn ( 2006 – Ohio State Buckeyes). What caused the Crimson Tide’s 45-40 win was the fact that Alabama has a bigger book. Alabama earned its fourth national championship since 2009 by defeating Clemson 45-40 on Monday night at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Coker to Howard is the name of the game.

Henry, who rushed for 158 yards for the game, will announce in the coming week whether he will apply for early entry into the 2016 NFL Draft. The Heisman finalist ends the season with over 4,100 passing yards and over 1,100 rushing yards while being responsible for 47 touchdowns. The top-ranked Tigers, though, needed even more against powerhouse Alabama.

Alabama seized control on special teams, first with the onside kick that led to Coker’s 53-yard TD pass to Howard.

“No question, no doubt about it”, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said when asked if Watson was the country’s best player. “This program doesn’t take a backseat to anybody”.

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.