Gutsy play helps Alabama win national title

With nine seconds remaining in the first half and the game tied at 14 Clemson lined up for the go-ahead field goal. By ripping off six absolutely huge plays, majority because Clemson was busier shooting their own dicks off than playing smart football. Saban’s first recruiting class was in 2007, he had some input into that class because he came to Alabama in January.

The Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate after defeating the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 11, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona.

Alabama (14-1) and Clemson (14-1) matched each other’s every move in the first half.

It finally broke open on perhaps the boldest call of Saban’s career. On the ensuing kickoff, he perfectly nailed an onside kick that the Crimson Tide recovered.

“That’s going to be a special memory for Kenyan, that kickoff return was really something special”, UA coach Nick Saban said.

There are 40 college football bowl games, and quite frankly, many of them this season were snoozers. For the first time in the game, a team had a two-score lead, and the breathing room belonged to Alabama at 38-27. Two plays later, Jake Coker connected with tight end O.J. Howard for a 51-yard touchdown, and suddenly the Crimson Tide led 31-24.

Clemson’s offense matched Alabama’s. The Tigers just kept coming.

That game was close until Clemson started handing the ball off to their running back in the second off who did the rest of the work.

Watson threw his third touchdown pass to make it 38-33 with 4:40 left, and then Alabama went back to its workhorse Heisman Trophy victor.

The Tide won big games all year by putting the burden on Henry to close out opponents. The onside kick wasn’t the only time the Alabama special teams unit came up big for the Crimson Tide. “This program doesn’t take a backseat to anybody”.

Against a Clemson team and quarterback Deshaun Watson that brought an incredible effort, Alabama needed any advantage it could find. Coker took a knee and Alabama’s dynasty was very much alive and well. But even at No. 2, one-loss Alabama (Ole Miss got the win in September) is still the seven-point favorite, according to Las Vegas oddsmakers.

Saban and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer, two coaches who have won championships at more than one school, are the nation’s best at what they do.

“I hit it on Saturday”, Griffith said.

Alabama (14-1) won its fourth national championship in seven years and Clemson failed in its bid to become the first team to finish a season 15-0.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and Alabama head coach Nick Saban pose for a picture during a news conference for the NCAA college football playoff championship game Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. Instead, he was held without a catch in five of his 14 appearances, notching just 260 yards on 17 receptions and failing to record a single touchdown.

Watson, who finished third behind Alabama’s Derrick Henry and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey in the Heisman Trophy voting, had carried the Tigers all season.