But with Alabama nabbing the title, its name is attached to a historic win for the school and its coach, Nick Saban.
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Several Alabama defensive players celebrated Monday night’s win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
The win gives Nick Saban his fifth National Championship (fourth at Alabama), and ties Saban with Alabama-great Paul “Bear” Bryant for most National Championships in College Football History (FBS).
Heisman Trophy winning running back Derrick Henry sealed the victory with a one-yard touchdown run with 67 seconds remaining, extending Alabama’s lead to 45-33 in front of a crowd of 75,700 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona.
Earlier Henry had given Alabama the lead with a 50-yard run midway through the first quarter. He connected on scoring passes of 53 and 51 yards to Howard in the second half. On Monday night, thanks in part to a great set of skills and in part to narcolepsy in the Clemson secondary, Howard finished with 208 yards on five catches and two long touchdowns.
The lead did not last long, with Clemson tying the game up at 7-7 moments later when Watson fired a ideal pass to Hunter Renfrow in the left corner of the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive after Alabama took the lead.
The Crimson Tide’s other touchdown came on Kenyan Drake’s 95-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter, which followed a Clemson field goal. With 4:40 on the time clock, Clemson’s Artavis Scott caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Watson.
A year ago when Ohio State routed OR 42-20 to win the national championship, the Buckeyes emerged from the game feeling as if they wouldn’t have had enough left if there had been another round of the playoffs. I think at least the nation saw why we have been so successful – they saw the heart of our team. Adam Griffith then kicked the football in for Alabama’s extra point to put them in the lead with a score of 31-24.
Onside kick? In a tie game? Now granted 167 of those yards came on three completions to a wide open O.J. Howard, but his 38-yarder to ArDarius Stewart was as good as it gets. Alabama scored four touchdowns on plays of 50 or more yards.
Deshaun Watson, the Clemson quarterback, kept his team even before Alabama went bonkers with a 24-point fourth quarter. “That’s quite a bit of sacrifice that gets made, and I think it’s challenging how do you get a team to maintain the focus that they need to have”.
But all those five-star recruits and future National Football League players that dot the Alabama roster showed they also have plenty of resiliency and toughness. That undefeated record was broken when Alabama’s Crimson Tide took advantage of Clemson’s failed on-side kick attempt.
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“We thought we could do a better job than we did against their quarterback”, Saban said. From there, Alabama was able to hold Clemson at bay, with the Tigers never getting closer than five points the rest of the way.
