Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said after his team’s 45-40 loss to Alabama in Monday’s national championship game that the Tigers will be back in the College Football Playoff final.
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Clemson (14-1) was trying to win its first title since 1981 and to become the first Football Bowl Subdivision team to win 15 games in a season.
“I made the decision to do it because the score was (tied) and we were exhausted on defense and weren’t doing a great job of getting them stopped and felt like if we didn’t do something or take a chance to change the momentum of the game that we wouldn’t have a chance to win”, Saban said.
Christian Petersen/GettyWith Alabama playing soft defense with a two-score lead, Deshaun Watson led the Tigers down the field in just 55 seconds before connecting with Jordan Legget for a 24-yard score that would prove inconsequential to many, but meant everything to anyone with money on the game. Kicker Adam Griffith blooped it perfectly to the right, defensive back Marlon Humphrey sprinted underneath it … and dropped it. Not for the first time.
Steve Edelson (@SteveEdelsonAPP): I thought this would be a close game, having predicted Alabama would win, 24-21. Two plays later, Howard, the tight end, was wide open for a 51-yard touchdown catch from Coker, and it gave Alabama a lead they wouldnt relinquish. Kenyan Drake returned the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to extend the Tide lead to 38-27 with 7:31 on the clock. Henry plunged into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game to make it 45-33 with 1:07 left.
The Tide won while overcoming a brilliant performance by Watson, who finished 30-of-47 passing for 405 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 73 yards.
Each time Clemson faced adversity throughout the game, the Tigers fought back to even score.
Clemson scored again with 12 seconds left to make it a five-point difference.
Alabama’s O.J. Howard catching one of his two touchdown receptions. However, Clemson defied expectations and played Alabama with everything they had, keeping the game alive until the very last play. Clemson’s onside kick went out of bounds.
Saban won his fourth national title at Alabama and fifth overall.
“There were a few plays we didn’t really capitalize on, and I missed some throws”, Watson said. 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.
“I got goose bumps just watching Derrick Henry and Jake Coker and Reggie Ragland – you know the three mainstays”, said Shaw, 77, over the noise from the crowd behind him.
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After several big-bowl blowouts, Alabama and Clemson put a whopper of the topper on the college football season in front of 75,765 at University of Phoenix Stadium. Like Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Texas QB Vince Young piled up over 400 total yards, but his Longhorns came out a victor when he scored on fourth down in the closing seconds. Thanks to Alabama’s win over 14-0 Clemson, all 253 have now lost games. This year’s championship was Saban’s 5th national title, where four of them was with Alabama.
