In recent years, Alabama-Clemson national championship games have been back-and-forth battles. Monday night has been nothing like the prior meetings.

The big plays, the turnovers and the breaks are going one way – Clemson’s way. Entering the fourth quarter the Tigers lead the Crimson Tide 44-16 having scored 30 unanswered points.

As noted at halftime, giving up 31 first-half points and trailing by 15 points is uncharacteristic of UA during the Nick Saban dynasty. In the third quarter, Saban’s squad failed to cut into that lead. Clemson, on the other hand, added 13 more points to the lead. The 28-point deficit is Alabama’s largest in the Saban era.

Meanwhile, Clemson scored on a backbreaking 74-yard pass play from QB Trevor Lawrence to Justyn Ross. The freshman wide receiver already has six catches for 153 yards.

Clemson extended the lead again when Lawrence found Tee Higgins for a five-yard touchdown catch. Lawrence is currently 19-of-29 for 347 yards and three touchdowns.

We’ve seen Alabama comebacks, but 28 points in the fourth quarter feels like too much even for Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts.