So, as you might expect, Dabo was dancing in the locker room after the game. Clemson defeated Oklahoma 37-17 to adv… The last made it 38-0 halfway through the fourth quarter.
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You could say that Oklahoma’s offense ran right into Clemson’s sweet spot.
That would be determined in the late game between the two seed Alabama Crimson Tide and the third seed Michigan State Spartans. Alabama won 38-0…
UNDATED (AP) – There are some good matchups in today’s five bowl games.
And, boy, they both look impressive.
There’s another story line to the title game.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Lawson sprained his medial collateral ligament (MCL), but did not believe the injury was very serious.
Bryant credited his coaches with having he and his defensive linemates ready to step up when the star of their unit went down. They were embarrassed, 40-6, by the Tigers previous year in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Embattled coach Tommy Bowden resigned after six games, and Swinney – who was in charge of receivers – took over as the head coach. And yet Clemson enters the new year standing as one of two teams with national championship hopes alive, joining Cotton Bowl victor Alabama, the gold standard for modern football programs.
“We were just a better team (Thursday)”, Swinney said. It was just a matter of when. That includes victories against Notre Dame, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina (twice), Louisville (twice) and now Oklahoma twice in back-to-back bowls by a combined score of 77-23.
Saban said his team came into this playoff with a different attitude.
“I feel great, just hurting in the knee a little bit”, Lawson said. “This year, we really wanted to make a statement and do something special”.
From then on out, the Clemson defense overwhelmed the Sooners offensive line, putting constant pressure in the face of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield (26/41, 311 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs).
This Cotton Bowl was the 80th one ever played.
With Alabama favored by 7 points, Clemson is the underdog for a second straight game.
Even though they were the top seed, few gave them a chance Thursday in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma. Watson then went back to work, hitting Renfrow in stride for a 35-yard score to expand the lead to 30-17.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson turned in another stellar all-around performance, beating Oklahoma with his arm and his legs.
Boulware was named the defensive MVP for the game. Throw in Wayne Gallman, who gained 150 yards on the ground, and Clemson has weapons that could – just maybe – cause problems for Alabama.
However, the Tigers lost defensive end Shaq Lawson, a finalist for the Lombardi and Nagurski awards, who sustained a left knee injury in the first half and did not return. The Sooners (11-2) actually came into the game as favourites, but the Tigers showed their unblemished mark was no fluke.
Mayfield wasn’t the only Sooner undone by the Tigers’ muscle.
The Tide is the only team to be playing in the College Football Playoff each of its first two seasons. He was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament.
“I’m not going to rule out our Tigers”.
Alabama looked like a team with no weaknesses against Michigan State. Don’t let Derrick Henry beat you, force Jake Coker too. Freshman Calvin Ridley was brilliant, streaking by defenders on deep throws and outfighting them on jump balls. The Tigers lined up to punt, but punter Andy Teasdall rolled out to pass, finding defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who slipped out of the backfield, caught the ball and picked up 31 yards.
Now, the Tide will try to prevent Clemson from becoming the first team in FBS history to finish 15-0.
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“Deshaun Watson is the best player in the country. Young guys got some great experience, played some huge plays on this stage and probably made the difference between winning and losing”. “I sure will be rooting for them though”.
