Alabama and Clemson are a cut above the rest of nation when it comes to playing college football, and they bring out the best in each other.

That was proven in yet another classic National Championship Game between these two heavyweights.

Entering the fourth quarter down 24-14, Clemson’s offense came alive. On the third play of the final quarter, Deshaun Watson hit Mike Williams with a 4-yard strike to cut Alabama’s lead to three.

Neither offense moved the ball with much consistency in this rematch, and it appeared entirely possible that Watson’s pass might be the final score of the game. Champions know how to perform in crunch time, however, and a flurry of points in the last five minutes showed just how good these teams are when the pressure is on.

The Tigers took the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Wayne Gallman with 4:38 remaining in the game. Jalen Hurts and the Tide offense hadn’t been able to move the ball in the second half, but they had one more moment of greatness left in them when Hurts broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run to regain the lead at 31-28 with just over two minutes left.

It looked to be a defining moment in Hurts’ career, and one that would cement this Alabama team’s legacy among the greatest in college football history.

Then, Clemson jogged onto the field to begin a two-minute drill with vengeance on its mind.

A 24-yard leaping catch by Williams jump-started the Tigers’ drive, breathing life into the comeback attempt. Clemson’s No. 1 receiver had a relatively good outing against Alabama’s secondary, finishing with eight catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, and had several acrobatic catches in big moments.

Five plays later, it was Jordan Leggett’s turn to make a spectacular grab. Working against Ronnie Harrison, the Tigers’ tight end pirouetted toward the left sideline and fully extended his body to reel in the pass. At its best, that play is virtually indefensible.

Leggett’s catch moved the ball to Alabama’s 9-yard line with 14 seconds remaining in the game. A pass interference call against Anthony Averett on the ensuing play moved the ball to the 2-yard line.

One of the best red zone defenses in college football needed to make one stop to force a potential overtime.

Clemson snapped the ball for its 98th play of the game and receiver Artavis Scott ran a slant route right into Marlon Humphrey, which prevented him from reaching Hunter Renfrow in time to stop the game-winning pass.

The last-second touchdown capped as wild a finish as college football can produce, but it wasn’t one that Alabama will remember fondly.

Much of the damage on that final, nine-play, 68-yard drive came through the air, which was reflective of the game as a whole. Watson again made the Crimson Tide pay, throwing for 420 yards with three touchdowns and adding another 43 yards and a score on the ground.

The loss of Bo Scarbrough late in the third quarter hampered Alabama’s offense and allowed Clemson to hang around long enough to strike at the end.

The Crimson Tide pulled away in last year’s championship game, but they couldn’t do so in the rematch.

In the end, it was Clemson that completed the comeback and capped a year-long journey to prove that they couldn’t just hang with college football’s best, they could beat them.