The Alabama Crimson Tide are seven-point favorites over the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 11 in Glendale, Ariz.
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The line helped Watson become Clemson’s single-season total yardage leader (4,731) and Gallman gain the most rushing yards (1,482) in school history.
Clemson’s defense harassed star Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield, sacking him five times, intercepting him twice and ultimately knocking him out of the game late in the fourth quarter.
College football has changed quite a bit since the ’48 Gator Bowl against Missouri, when, “As coach Howard said we humiliated them 14-13”, Prince said.
Citrus Bowl, Ohio State to handle Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, Stanford to outscore Iowa in the Rose Bowl, and MS to handle Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl.
Even with the loss of Lawson, arguably the best player on the Tigers’ entire defense, Clemson held Oklahoma to 17 points, tying the score to which the Sooners were held by Texas in their only previous loss this season. “This year, we really wanted to make a statement and do something special”. Ridley had eight receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and it was his 50-yard reception in the second quarter that set up the first touchdown of the game that really cleared the plumbing for Alabama’s offense.
No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Alabama more than validated their rankings with dominant showings in the New Year’s Eve semifinals.
The Sooners scored a touchdown, retaking the lead 17-16.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson turned in another stellar all-around performance, beating Oklahoma with his arm and his legs.
“As a unit”, Watson said, “it’s tough to beat us when we’re all on the same page and have each other’s back”.
“I think they’re fantastic”, said Phil Prince, a former Clemson University president and member of the Tigers’ unbeaten and untied 1948 team who joined the crowd to welcome the Tigers home.
Even without Lawson, Clemson’s defensive front is stout and is joined by linebacker Ben Boulware, the defensive player of the game. “Final Four… everybody earned their way”, Dabo said.
Just moments after Dabo Swinney and his Tigers had been buried in confetti – and praise – for their shocking rout of Oklahoma in the first College Football Playoff semifinal, someone dared mention the term “Clemsoning” in the postgame press conference and asked if it was time to put that choking label to rest. He was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament. “But never in my career, never, any sport, going back to when I was a little kid have I been undefeated”.
Just more than a minute later, Coker found a wide-open Calvin Ridley for a 50-yard touchdown pass and the Tide continues to roll along 31-0. Freshman Calvin Ridley was brilliant, streaking by defenders on deep throws and outfighting them on jump balls. Two plays later, Heisman victor Derrick Henry punched it in for the Alabama touchdown. He caught eight passes for 138 yards.
The last team to go 14-0 was Florida State, which brought a national title back to the ACC in 2013.
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The Tigers took the kickoff to start the second half and marched 75 yards for a touchdown to take the lead for good.
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Swinney doesn’t want them hiding from the opportunity. She came out the welcome the team home with her husband, a 1978 graduate, after helping their son, who was just accepted to Clemson this week, find an apartment. “Seven years ago, when I got this job, I knew that we would be here”.
