Game Info:
The stage was set for one of the best National Championships in college football history. A rematch between the two powerhouses of the decade in Alabama and Clemson. Alabama sat at 14-0 and had coasted to this game through dominating all their opponents. The Tigers of Clemson were 13-1 and had looked majorly improved after an upset loss to Pittsburgh in November. The 2016-2017 National Championship was perhaps looking to be one of the best in history.
The game was scheduled for January 9th, like many of the title games in today’s era. It was to start at 8:00 PM ET and to mark the final game of the season, until the march into spring practice. Raymond James Stadium was the hostess of the game and nestled quietly into Tampa, Florida. We all respected the outcome of the playoff so far and expected a classic.
Summary:
Both team started off with drives with no productivity, until Alabama got the ball back from Clemson. The Tide had help from Bo Scarbrough to get a 25 yard touchdown rush. ALA-7 CLEM-0. Nothing happened in the next 13 minutes, except for the fumble by Clemson and forever punting plays. This all came to an end when Scarbrough hushed the Clemson fans again with a 37 yard touchdown run. ALA-14 CLEM-0. Clemson was quick to answer, however, within the next 2 drives with a touchdown of their own. Deshaun Watson had ran it in from 8 yards out for a Clemson TD. ALA-14 CLEM-7. A fumbled followed the Tigers next possession, but other than that, it spelled the end of the first half.
A fumble right out of half gave the ball to the Crimson Tide. Alabama capitalized on this a got field goal out of the deal. ALA-17 CLEM-7. Two punts later set up the Clemson in a scene to score. Renfrow caught a 24 yard pass from Watson to get another touchdown on the board. ALA-17 CLEM-14. And with some deja vu, we see two punts later, Alabama, in the same opportunity. This time with a 68 yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to give the Tide another score. ALA-24 CLEM-14. Clemson didn’t find this threatening to their game at all. In fact, they drove the field to score a TD of their own with Watson. ALA-24 CLEM-21. A long series of punts ensued the teams and it looked to end the game that way. Then the Tigers, behind Watson, rolled down the field to score with 4:38 left. ALA-24 CLEM-28.
Alabama more so took this as a challenge and weren’t about to lose on the big stage. Jalen Hurts helped a ton with great passes to meet his receivers. This all led to a 30 yard run behind Hurts to get the Tide up with 2:07 left. ALA-31 CLEM-28. It was looking to be all down for Clemson. Then it was if we had seen something out of a movie with Clemson making great plays down field to get them on the Tide’s goal line. Then with a pick-and-roll type play by the receivers, it found Hunter Renfrow wide open for a TD pass. ALA-31 CLEM-35. This served as the real final true play of the game and crowned the Tigers as National Champs.
Key Players:
Alabama
Bo Scarbrough, RB (16 Carries, 93 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TDs)
Scarbrough had one of his best performances in his college career this game. Unfortunately, it had been for a short effort without a win. He decided to stay another year and it paid off because Alabama had secured another National Championship the next year. Scarbrough was then drafted by the Cowboys, but now plays for the Seahawks.
Clemson
Deshaun Watson, QB Clemson (36-56, 420 Passing Yards, 3 Passing TDs, 43 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD)
Watson had an amazing game, which might have been his greatest game of all time. Virtually, he was perfect with throwing no picks and amounting over 400 yards. Watson decided to forgo his senior year and enter the draft. In the draft, Watson ended up on the Houston Texans where he is now leading his team to the NFL Playoffs.
What Happened After?
Alabama: The Tide changed their fortune this year. They suffered an upset loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, but managed to slip into the Playoff at the 4th seed. The Tide beat the Clemson Tigers and then went on to the National Championship. In the Championship they beat Georgia in a thriller a were crowned champs.
Clemson: The Tigers next season went much like this one. They had an upset loss, but made it to the playoff. However, this time, they met Alabama in the Semifinal game instead of the Final. They ended losing to the Tide this time with a score of 24-6. They ended up 12-2 with an ACC Championship and a CFP appearance.
Photo Credits: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2686173-bo-scarbrough-injury-alabama-rb-injures-leg-vs-clemson-in-cfp-championship https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/alabama-football/video-deshaun-watson-allegedly-kicked-tuscaloosa-bar/ https://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/09/alabama-vs-clemson-updates/
