In what was a great game from start to finish, the No. 2 Crimson Tide just played a little bit better than the No. 1 Clemson Tigers, using a tremendous special teams effort en route to victory in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.
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The second College Football Playoff National Championship ended in dramatic fashion, with Alabama pushing past Clemson 45-40 for the school’s fourth title since 2009.
For Saban, it is his fifth national championship – four in his nine seasons at Alabama – leaving him only one short of former Tide coach Bear Bryant for the most all-time.
Not only that, though, the Tide would capitalize shortly after recovering the onside kick, as Coker hurled his second touchdown pass of the game. O.J. Howard, who hadn’t caught a touchdown pass all season, had touchdown catches of 53 yards and 51 yards.
Clemson responded with a 31-yard Greg Heugel field goal with 7:27 to go, but Kenyan Drake electrified the crowd with a 95-yard kickoff return to give Alabama a 38-27 lead.
Watson, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, had carried the Tigers (14-1) all season.
Alabama will win this game by containing quarterback Deshaun Watson on defense and on offense, quarterback Jake Coker will need to be on point and be able to be consistent in his passing and being able to throw downfield so they set ups he placation after the run game gets going.
Derrick Henry rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns in 36 attempts, including the game-securing one-yard TD run inside the two minutes. OJ. Watson has run for more than 100 yards in five of the last six games and his dual-threat ability could give Alabama fits. In both the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State, and the SEC Championship game against Florida, Coker thew for more 200 yards and two touchdowns – with no interceptions.
Despite having a Heisman Trophy victor and a freshman receiver who was the No. 1 recruit at his position on the offensive side of the ball, the calling card of the 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide was defense.
Boom. @AlabamaFTBL with the quick strike after an onside kick. Man this was one of the best fourth quarters of any College Football Championship in recent memory. “I thought we had it in the game any time we wanted”, he said. The tiniest mistake-a poor kick, a botched recovery or even an unlucky bounce-would’ve gifted Watson the ball in Alabama territory.
The 31-yard touchdown throw Watson made for Clemson’s first touchdown might have been the second-best of his college career.
Special teams: Cyrus Jones has four punt return touchdowns this season.
That pop kick helped the Tide get it rolling with the defense tiring against the constant onslaught from Watson & Co.
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Alabama went back to basics, and nobody does basics better than Saban. Wayne Gallman led in rushing with 150 yards and two touchdowns in 26 carries.
