Rapid Reaction: Perfectly heartbreaking as Clemson topples Tide to win title
TAMPA — Alabama failed in its bid to win a fifth national championship in eight seasons, losing a 35-31 thriller to Clemson.
A Crimson Tide team that historically doesn’t blow leads under coach Nick Saban did exactly that, as Deshaun Watson hit Hunter Renfrow on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1 second left in regulation to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Rarely do rematches live up to the hype, especially in the game of college football, but this one did and more. Avenging a 45-40 loss to ‘Bama in last year’s CFP title game, Clemson won its second ring in school history and first since 1981. Watson was nothing short of sensational with 420 yards passing and 4 total touchdowns.
With three lead changes in the last five minutes, a record crowd of 74,512 at Raymond James Stadium certainly got its money’s worth. There were hereos all over the field for both teams, but in the end Watson stood out above all.
So close to winning their 27th consecutive game and yet another trophy, the Tide (14-1) now face the offseason knowing they let this one get away.
WHAT IT MEANS
Alabama was on the verge of potentially breaking the game of college football as we know it. So many national championships in so short a period of time would have been unprecedented, yet it wasn’t meant to be. The Crimson Tide have more four- and five-star talent than any team in the country. However, they didn’t have Watson in this one. Quarterback is the game’s most important position for a reason.
WHAT I LIKED
Despite the final stat line for Watson, it’s not like the Alabama defense played poorly. Reuben Foster was a man possessed. Ryan Anderson made a handful of big plays for the second consecutive game. Rashaan Evans was another standout for the Crimson Tide. They simply got beat down the stretch by Watson, who was helped by a couple of brilliant catches by Mike Williams. Much of what Clemson did offensively, there’s no way to defend it.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Jalen Hurts clearly hit some sort of freshman wall throwing the football once the regular season came to an end. He was shaky at best in the SEC Championship Game against Florida, in the Peach Bowl against Washington and again in the CFP final against Clemson. The conference’s Offensive Player of the Year was just 13-of-31 for 131 yards through the air, and the one touchdown he threw to O.J. Howard came on a busted coverage.
Key play: On Alabama’s go-ahead touchdown drive, offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian rolled the dice and called a double pass. After catching a lateral from Hurts, ArDarius Stewart delivered a strike to Howard for a 24-yard gain. On the very next snap, Hurts evaded the Clemson pass rush and scrambled 30 yards for what we thought was the deciding score. Sarkisian’s trick play caught the entire building off guard.
Who’s the man: For Alabama, Bo Scarbrough bounced off a few tacklers to go 25 yards for the game’s initial score. A few drives later, he made it 14-0 with an equally impressive 37-yard TD dash. Injured for so much of his football career and relegated to third-string duty earlier this season, Scarbrough ran for 93 yards on 16 carries before leaving with yet another health issue. Imagine if he were ever 100 percent.
What’s next: Saban will soak in this loss for about 24 hours. After that, he’ll start “The Process” for the 2017 campaign. The man has admitted that he takes very little pleasure in winning. He hates to lose, though. There wasn’t much to hate in his life until today, but now he’s angry. Other coaches won’t like him when he’s angry. Every five-star kid across the land watched this one. Saban will surely be visiting them soon.
John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
What a game!!!!!!! This sequel did not disappoint.
Sark called a pretty good game. Had nothing to do with him. The freshman QB not making things happen and playing efficient cost them the game
Crazy finish. Probably good for Hurts’ development. Can’t have things too easy for the young quarterback. Clemson’s receivers are incredible.
Great game. Both teams fought hard and never gave up. Congratulations to Clemson!
Unbelievable. That was a really good game but I felt like that Bama defense wasn’t locked in. Towards the end of the game Clemson marched down the field. If I was a Bama fan I wouldn’t worry too much, because Bama always comes back with a vengeance.(Ex. 2015 season and 2011 title game.) Get ready for espn to try to shove all this Clemson bull$hit down our throats. I also think it might be time to address the state of our conference.
Everyone that was pulling for Clemspon because of a hatred of Alabama is going to have some buyers remorse this next year. They are going to realize they were pulling for a team that made it a year of testicle grabbing and dirty players. Then again, maybe that’s karma for Alabama because of Harvey Updyke and the Wendys teabagger.
I think they were locked in, they just got tired at the end. Clemson had to run close to 100 plays. Bama started to run out of gas in the fourth quarter.
That’s the thing though, I have never seen Bama run out of gas. They are supposed to have the best of the best in conditioning with Scott Cochran.
This ^^ Florida defense know how that feels. Clemson’s offense was just on the field for way to long.
Roll Tears Roll. LOL
Don’t cry Crist. I’m sure Saban will still let you shine his boots.
Fact is with less talent Clemson won.
Lol a Vol fan trying to troll, and they wonder why we all laugh at them.😂😂😂
Nobody wonders anything about you fool.
Nice comeback, douche canoe, now put the meth pipe down before you blow up the trailer park, trash.
42-10
Anybody who thinks I’m an Alabama fan is positively clueless. I cover the league for a living. Don’t give a damn who wins or loses.
You don’t give a damn if you’re good at what you do.
Your bias is very clear John. You can try and defend yourself and that’s OK. But everyone knows.
I know you’re an FSU grad. But you’re a Saban sniffer of the highest order.
Or he could just enjoy writing about a program that dominates college football, particularly Tennessee every single year…Champions of life though!
Man I’m jealous of your Championship of Life. All we Alabama fans got was an sec Championship….
I’m sure like most bammers, you’re jealous of anyone with teeth.
42-10
Clemson made good use of the rub play. I’m sure most Bama fans would insist that was offensive pass interference. They may be right. Bama got a few calls also. This game was decided by the QBs. Hurts just wasn’t very good.
Welp, sucks to lose the big one, but saw some positive signs for the future. Here’s to next year!
RTR
So much for that “Hurts is a future Heisman candidate” BS. The last 2 games he’s played like a high schooler, hopefully now the media doesn’t over-hype him and put him up on an undeserved pedestal. (*ahem* John Crist)
In all seriousness I felt like I was an Alabama fan for this game even though I’m not usually. I was really pulling for a Bama blowout of Clemson, it was the first time I was ever pissed off when things didn’t go Bama’s way lol
Hey maybe that Hawaiian guy will get a chance.
I’m not saying Clemson didn’t deserve it because they played a heck of a game but the pick play in the End was bullcrap. And I’m trying to be as unbiased as possible. Reciever never tried to even look for the ball. But congrats to Clemson. I had a bad feeling when corso picked us.
when corso picks you your screwed.
Congrats to Clemson !!!! What a game. I think Clemson had more heart and wanted it more.
Congrats to Dabo and Clemson. They played a heck of a game and deserved to win.
So if Nick Saban were to say, our brand of football won tonight…. what would Dabo Swinney’s response have been?
Why would Saban say that? It seems like a pretty ridiculous comment.
Yeah it’s not like he’s butch Jones or something
Losing Scarborough was a huge hit to the Bama offense. Good game and good season to the Bama fans.
Very true. He was their most important offensive piece.
He has great potential but can’t stay healthy.
You’re a SC fan and just wondering, if Clemson can have that kind of success in a small state, why hasn’t SC had the level of success of Clemson? Just a curious question.
Clemson has the luxury of playing in the ACC, it’s kindof like how FSU has owned the state of FL. lately.
Right but they just proved they can beat the top team in the SEC. That goes to recruiting.Both Florida and FSU have won national championships. I’m just wondering why SC hasn’t shot up the football ladder. If Clemson can do it so can SC. Just need the resources, coaches, and great recruiting.
It also takes timing, we had 3 10+ winning seasons and 5 wins in a row against Dabo and the Tigers, and all we got out of it was one SEC East Championship and we lost to Cam Newton and Auburn. As a Florida fan are you concerned with where the Gators are with recruiting this year?
Man recruiting sucks..coach Mac needs better recruiters on staff..no reason Florida shouldn’t be in the top with the kind of talent in the state of Florida.
I understand that, man GA is what scares me right now, they are killing it recruiting this year and they are pushing hard for one of our best recruits right now. Well good luck and congrats on the East win this year and last, I better rest work comes early.
Congrats to Clemson. Hell of a game.
This.
Quit your crying and excuse making bammers and bammer boot shiners.
Bammer boot shiners that would be a good name for the third Saturday in October, at least one our teams have beat Bama this decade, and we didn’t play them every year.
We have a game that books have been written about. You have a chicken….
What the game of life? Or was it the nascar game? What book, a pop up one so you and the inbreds in Knoxville can actually follow it?
Psssst the book is title “Third Saturday in October”.
Your team is a deal breaker for coaches. Like Vandy and Kentucky, coaches who lose to South Carolina find themselves in hot water. That’s who yall are… nothing more. You never have been and never will be.
UT lost to vandy…… I thought the book about UT was “How to pay off title IX lawsuits”….
All books about payments and collegiate football is best written by the experts from Tuscaloosa. I mean that is y’alls wheel house.
Your coach was named in the lawsuit……
24-21…lol so Volbeef if we are nothing, what does that make the Vols, the dogsh*t on the bottom of our shoes.
Like I said, coaches who lose to y’all catch serious heat. Ask Jones about it…
Face it man, that’s who y’all are. The greatest year y’all ever had ended with the most lopsided loss in an SECCG….
A chicken, that’s all y’all have.
And your Vols will continue to be the laughing stock of college football. “Brick by brick” and “champions of life” your arrogance is only exceeded by your ignorance which equals comedy gold for every other fan base. Have fun going back to being a punching bag for the rest of the sec next year. Much better to be a chicken than chicken sh*t which is what the Vols, their fan base, and the state of TN equates to.😂😂😂
Bama just didn’t take enough time. The defense never had a chance to rest. It was a quick strike and score or quick 3 and out. They never had that signature, methodical, clock killing, opponet’s dream destroying drive.
It was a ok performance for AL’s offense. Saban made a good decision with less than a week changing OCs. In a close game a defense has to be totally focused on stopping every yard. There no room for trying to take opponents out of the game. Nobody wants to watch low class thugs, no matter whose roster they play on. It tough for the SEC to not win the CFP. But it would have been a little shameful to have won with some of those hit squad plays. Saw it coming.
Go away…
Remember Shane Ray?
Shane Ray lead with his hands and got robbed by the refs in Atlanta, big shock.
Sure he did…..Hypocrite….
Thug code word for the n-word, but not suprising coming from a mizzou fan. No disrespect to all other mizzou fans.
A thug is a small time criminal employed by bigger time criminals. People of all faiths, both genders, national origins, cultures, and races reject thugs…. except you and a few others.
Seems as if Missouri doesn’t reject thugs….. There has been such great things come out of Missouri lately…
Great game by Clemson, but it leaves me wondering what might have been had Alabama not let go of Kiffin the week of the title game. Sark had some good play calls but also more than a few head scratchers (as Kiffin often did), but unlike Kiffin he didn’t seem to have a feel for the rhythm of the game.
Sark was fine. Clemson is a good team.
I give Sark as much hell as anyone, but this one ain’t on him… Watson and Co. flipped th script and kept y’alls d on the field for over 100 snaps…
Yeah, not on Sark at all. Solid game plan, imo, but the passing game killed us. Losing Bo was big as well. Clemson and watson deserve it though, great game.
I just feel like during the season Hurts was more comfortable throwing Stewart’s direction but Stewart had very targets last night. It was like Bama was trying to go to Ridley more in the title game. The stretch of calls on the drives before Scarbrough got hurt were weird, too. Kiffin often rode the hot hand and when Scarbrough was hot last night, Sark shied away from him for one or two drives where as even in his poorly called game against Washington Kiffin rode #9 in the 2nd half.. 11 punts in a game is unheard of for a Saban team and, I feel, an indicator a) of Clemson’s defense being good but also b) Sark’s unfamiliarity with the offense. It had a different feel and rhythm to it and Sark didn’t seem as… ready to take a shot after the turnovers as Kiffin often was. Whether it was Jalen’s play that decided the approach, who knows. Overall, Sark I think did the best he could with what time he had, but at the same time I can’t help but wonder what may have been. No doubt in the end the team’s play is what decided they game and they definitely could have played better. Hurts showed a lot of bad tendencies over the past two games but after last night’s showing I have faith in Sark. I just wish they’d have either kept Kiffin or made the swap to Sark earlier. Because with the timing of the move as it was, I feel had minimal impact.
Didn’t anybody listen to Dabo? It was God’s plan that Clemson win and God is obviously Clemson grad the they are all blessed and that nonsensical bullshit only flies in a backwoods ignorant sate like South Carolina. Akways in a race to the bottom with Mississippi in every thing that matters.
you are a moron. South Carolina isn’t such a bad state. any state in the south has their fair share of christians. It’s not called the Bible Belt for nothing
I’m sure you would of been happy if he had said it was allah’s plan ?
Dude you are a moron !
Two monikers for this game. (My intellectual property.)
Clemson Tide
or, possibly more accurately…
Crimson Slide
Both work well–if you’re a Clemson fan that is–but I think the second is more fitting due to Bama’s D surrendering twenty-one 4th quarter points.
42-10
Awesome game. What didn’t understand was Jalen rolling out so much to pass. One particular play OJ was wide open, but because of the roll out, he caught tunnel vision. I’m proud of my Tide anyway. . . That’s what real fans do.
It was a great game played by the two best teams in college football. Watson was the difference maker. Hurts is a good football player, but he’s a liability in the passing game at this point in his career. Clemson did an excellent job of putting bama in obvious passing downs. The injury to Scarborough was huge, it just put more on Hurts.
Not a bad rebuilding year…going to suck for FSU come Sept in the new dome. Hell of a season and hats off to Clemson, they deserve the Title. Roll Tide
Rebuilding year? If that makes you feel better.
I meant that more in jest…but considering we’re starting a true freshman at QB, replacing a Heisman RB and have a lot of young talent out there, don’t think it’s far off to say it’s a ‘rebuilding’ year for the Tide, should be better next year with Jalen having a year under his belt (hopefully he can work on his pass game…), Bo coming back, along with Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs.
Or maybe I should say ‘reloading’ year…
When your D is on the field 99 plays…..
Great game. Congrats to Clemson. Not the kinda fan to make excuses or blame the lose on players. They had the better quarterback tonight. One thing I am curious about and certainly don’t know the answer to is why is just about every pass play end up a roll out to the right? Just would like to know if it’s by design or not. You just take away half the field and miss opportunities. Still extremely proud of this team we have a 18 year old kid at quarterback that’s a heck of a athlete, just gotta get him coached up. Really excited for 17 season with the talent and offseason development should be another great year. A special thank you to all the seniors, your commitment to this team and the way you represented the university of Alabama. Roll Tide
Even giving the Tide two gifts on turnovers the Tigers showed , on this night, they wanted it more. Congrats to Clemson.