Former Clemson coach Danny Ford weighs in on College Football Playoff

Top-ranked Clemson takes on Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. However, the excitement quickly faded as Clemson forced Oklahoma to punt after three straight losing yardage plays.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban already has three national titles under his belt, while Clemson’s Dabo Swinney has to answer questions on a weekly basis as to why his team can’t win the big game despite a 75-26 record over eight years with the Tigers.

Clemson (14-0) dominated the second half and shut down Oklahoma’s high-scoring offense, which had averaged 52 points over its last seven contests.

Then there’s Clemson pilot Deshaun Watson, the only quarterback invited to NY for a Heisman Trophy show so interminable that it might not have ended just yet, and the third-place finisher in that balloting. After going 8-5 a year ago, including a 40-6 loss to Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl, coach Bob Stoops shook up his staff and guided the Sooners within two victories of their first national title since 2000. Clemson piled up 550 yards in the game.

The downside is it makes things hard for the offensive line, because they never know when he’s going to run. The Tigers, however, didn’t play the part thanks to a rushing attack that racked up 332 yards on the ground and a defense that sacked Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield five times.

Clemson and Alabama will be playing for the first time since 2008, when Alabama won 34-10 in a game that signaled the Tide’s return to national prominence under Saban.

“Certainly would be neat to play Alabama”, Swinney said before learning of Clemson’s title game opponent.

“We’re not anxious about who we play”, said linebacker Ben Boulware, named the defensive MVP.

He went out with a knee injury in the opening minutes and watched the rest of the game from the bench.

“It’s exciting”, Alabama defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson said of advancing to the national championship game. While splitting time with Cole Staudt, he completed 2 of 4 passes and threw his first touchdown pass in the season-opener against Georgia. “We’re just little ol’ Clemson”, coach Dabo Swinney said.

Watson ran for 149 yards and passed for another 187 on Thursday. He led the team to the first championship win in school history after the 1982 Orange Bowl against Nebraska, and said he thinks the Tigers can take home the title again this year.