Clemson, Oklahoma Advances to College Football Playoff Championship Game

Most, if not all, Alabama players haven’t seen much – or anything – of Clemson aside from highlights. The bad blood started Wednesday when Clemson defensive lineman Shaq Lawson was jawing with the Oklahoma players when he boarded their team bus after a function. The 1981 team also accomplished the feat.

The second game in the playoff, the Cotton Bowl in Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, featured second-seeded Alabama and third-seeded Michigan State.

Elliott said he was surprised that Tapper chose to do so much talking prior to such a big game.

Clemson seniors are now 46-7.

Alabama and the SEC are trying to win their first national title in three seasons, hoping for a return to their dominance of the BCS era.

That was Oklahoma’s last gasp – Clemson scored another TD four plays later.

No team has won more AP national championships that Alabama’s nine.

Alabama, playing in and winning their first Cotton Bowl since the vacated 2006 victory over Texas Tech, finished out the night and the calendar year with “Victory Formation”, performed by all 11 offensive players. In the second half, two picks. The Tigers also did it in 2012 at the Georgia Dome.

Clemson won Thursday by owning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and imposing its will on the Sooners in the final 30 minutes while finishing with 312 rushing yards. With Clemson gaining momentum and its sizable crowd advantage – the stadium was about 80 percent Tigers’ fan – Oklahoma still managed to keep it close for a half.

Many analysts are already beginning to give their predictions on the game and, as you would expect, the vast majority of them are going with the Crimson Tide to win it all.

Swinney earned his ninth win in last five years over a coach ranked among the top 10 winningest active coaches.

But the biggest difference was the day the games were played.

Today’s co-captains (and permanent co-captains for the year) were Travis Blanks, B.J. Goodson, Eric Mac Lain, Charone Peake, D.J. Reader and Stanton Seckinger.

Watson is “the best player in the country, it’s that simple”, Swinney said later. But just as important to Clemson’s ascendance into the elite of college football is its defense, the unit that has been deftly led by Venables since 2011. Just ask North Carolina, who allowed Gallman to rush for 187 yards and Watson to erupt for 137 in the ACC title game.

Watson went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark, becoming only the third quarterback in FBS history with at least 3,500 passing yards and 1,000 rushing in the same season.

With its running game grounded, Oklahoma was forced into obvious passing situations, and Clemson’s defense proceeded to tee off on Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Watson’s 145 rushing yards set a Clemson bowl record. Oklahoma is now a 4-point favorite. Wayne Gallman rushed for 150 yards and a pair of TDs. He passed Raymond Priester, who had 1,345 for the Tigers in 1996. Clemson got on the board with a 26-yard field goal by Greg Huegel to end the first-quarter scoring. It was Andy Teasdall’s second career completion.

Oklahoma, which was determined to atone for a 40-6 loss to the Tigers a year ago in the Russell Athletic Bowl, came out of the gate fast, driving 75 yards after the opening kickoff to score on a 1-yard run by Samaje Perine.

Now Lawson, who had 9.5 sacks on the year and led the nation in tackles for a loss, has a chance of following Vic Beasley in the first round in May, and on the Tiger line there’s talent all around him: junior Carlos Watkins and freshman Christian Wilkins have filled the void left by the departed.

Cordrea Tankersley broke up two passes Thursday, giving the junior a total of 16 passes defended this season.