Clemson Returns Home Today; Championship Parade is Saturday

The quarterback who threw that pass was none other than Steve Fuller, a Clemson legend who spent three of his seven-year National Football League career with the Bears from 1984-86, winning a Super Bowl ring as Jim McMahon’s backup on the famed 1985 team.

In what’s being called “the best title game in college football history”, the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide Monday night on a touchdown with one second left in the game.

“(Swinney) was very appreciative”, said Maddon, adding that he was flattered by Swinney’s invitation. “All I had to do was just get the ball to him”.

Make friends: SB Nation’s Roll Bama Roll covers Bama, and Shakin The Southland covers Clemson. “We came up a little short past year, but tonight, at the top of the mountain, that Clemson flag is flying”.

Sweet revenge. After losing to the same team a year ago in the National Championship, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson delivered the Tigers its first title since 1981, and a stunning blow to Las Vegas sportsbooks.

“I’m speechless now”, said Watson, nearly certain to be a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

This only worked, however, because Clemson’s defense was able to neutralize Alabama’s offense and keep the Crimson Tide’s offense off the field.

Watson finished the game 36-56 for 420 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Clemson racked up 511 total yards to 376 by Alabama and posted a 31-16 edge in first downs. The Crimson Tide walked in with a freshman quarterback and without last year’s Heisman trophy victor Derrick Henry. They weren’t feeling so good when Clemson’s comeback win made big losers out of sports books up and down the Strip. “That’s the last thing I told them when we left the locker room”.

Watson and the Tigers denied Alabama all those postseason accolades in dramatic fashion with his 2-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow with a second left to snap the Tide’s 26-game winning streak and show that yes, Alabama can be beaten.

It’s not like Clemson didn’t deserve to play for the championship, much less win it. Clemson has Deshawn Watson, a quarterback who’s been a Heisman finalist the last two years.

The Crimson Tide played nearly the last 20 minutes without tailback Bo Scarbrough, who was injured after amassing 93 yards on 16 carries.

“I went back and took a look at the names”, Alvarez said.

“We couldn’t do this without these people”, said Ben Boulware, Clemson’s leading tackler who gave a stirring speech thanking the team’s past players as the confetti fell in Tampa, Florida, at Raymond James Stadium. Every single drive, was under less than three minutes. The Alabama giant was taken down by a scrappy Clemson team, looking for blood after previous year. Alabama would respond with a 68-yard touchdown from Jalen Hurts to O.J. Howard but Watson would again connect with a teammate to pull back within 3, 24-21. Well, the offense remained stagnant for too long in the second half and didn’t capitalize on the chances the defense kept providing.