In a battle between two college football heavyweights, the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in dominant fashion to win their second National Championship in three years. Both the Tigers and the Tide seemed destined for a matchup on the game’s biggest stage all season long as the teams thrashed their way to a combined record of 28-0. In the semifinal games, both teams left no doubt that they were the two best teams in the nation, winning their games by a combined 38 points. However, on Monday night, the Tigers were the ones leaving no doubt that they were the very best team, crushing the Tide by a score of 44-16.
In spite of objections from college football fans outside of Pickens County, S.C. and Tuscaloosa, Ala., Clemson vs. Alabama: Part Four proved to be extremely enticing early on. Fans that decided to tune in late missed some early fireworks from both sides. Just five minutes into the game, the score was already 14-7 in favor of the Tigers. On Alabama’s first drive of the game, sophomore phenom Tua Tagovailoa made his first of many uncharacteristic mistakes on the night. Trying to take advantage of a blitz, Tagovailoa threw the ball into the flat toward star receiver Jerry Jeudy when cornerback AJ Terrell came off his defender to intercept the pass and run it into the endzone to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead. While Tagovailoa finished the game with a solid statline of 22/34 and 295 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, the Clemson defense made him uncomfortable all night long. Tagovailoa was able to connect on a few big passes, most notably a 62-yard touchdown to Jerry Jeudy in the first quarter, but he and the Alabama offense stalled in the red zone on multiple occasions. Going into the game, it appeared as though Tagovailoa and his receiving core would have lots of opportunities against the inconsistent Clemson secondary. To the surprise of many, it was the interceptions by Terrell and Trayvon Mullen that were the difference in the first half.
The discomfort shown by Tagovailoa seemed to radiate through the Alabama sideline. Even Nick Saban, a man known for his unshakability and methodical coaching style, showed signs of panic. The Tide attempted six fourth-down plays, including two inside the opposing 23-yard line and one on their own side of the 50. The most head scratching moment of the night was a fake field goal call that resulted in holder Mac Jones running straight into the arms of about six Clemson defenders. To make matters worse, it seemed as though every lapse in judgement was exploited by Dabo Swinney and the Tigers. The result was Alabama’s worst loss in Saban’s twelve year tenure as head coach.
Perhaps the turning point in the game came on an Alabama drive early in the second quarter. Down 14-13, the Tide drove down the field with relative ease and looked primed to retake the lead. Had they done so, they would have continued the back and forth action that took place throughout the first quarter. A costly false start penalty and outstanding plays by the Clemson defensive line forced the Tide to settle for a field goal. While they were able to regain the lead, the stop was a sign of things to come for the Alabama offense as they failed to score another point.
Perhaps the biggest credit for Clemson’s success against Alabama goes to Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables. Through the first 14 games of the season, no defense had been able to slow down the Tide’s prolific offense. Venables and the Clemson defense showed throughout the night that they were willing to give up yards, but they made plays in the areas that mattered most, allowing them to hold Alabama to zero points in the final 44 minutes of the game. The Clemson defense managed to keep Alabama to just 10 points on five drives in which they moved the ball inside Clemson’s 23-yard line. A big part of the reason for Clemson’s defensive success in the red zone was the play of the defensive line. Even without Dexter Lawrence, who announced his decision to enter the 2019 NFL draft on Wednesday, the defensive line still managed to shut down the Tide when it mattered most. Alabama clearly attacked the 350 pound hole in the defensive line, gashing the Tigers with runs up the middle all night long. However, the will of defensive linemen Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant prevailed even with their backs against the wall. This same will that motivated all three players to forego the 2018 NFL draft was the motor for the Tigers all year long. Monday night was no exception.
Much like Tagovailoa in the 2017 National Championship, freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence showed the world what he’s capable of when the spotlight was brightest. Once he settled into the game after some early miscues, the freshman picked apart the Alabama secondary with NFL-caliber throws to the tune of 347 yards and three touchdowns. Spectators were awed not only by the jaw dropping throws, but by the composure of a kid that celebrated his 19th birthday just four months ago. Saban’s defense, loaded with future NFL players, looked like a high school defense at times on Monday night. Lawrence fearlessly took hit after hit in the pocket while still delivering bullets all over the field to 11 different receivers. The two most impressive pass catchers of the night were sophomore Tee Higgins and freshman Justyn Ross. Higgins sparked the offense in the first quarter with a 62-yard catch and run. Later, he delivered the final blow on a lunging grab in the endzone. Ross followed up his 148-yard, two touchdown performance against Notre Dame with another 153 yards and a touchdown. Along with the impressive statline, Ross filled up the highlight reel with a 74-yard touchdown reception and a pair of circus catches along the sideline in the second half.
While the obvious difference between this year’s 44-16 victory and last year’s 24-6 defeat against Alabama was the play of Lawrence and Clemson’s skill position players, the improved play of the offensive line may have had an even larger impact. While many point to former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant’s underwhelming performance as the main reason for last year’s loss, in many instances Bryant wasn’t given an opportunity to make a play because of immense pressure from Alabama’s defensive line. In this year’s game, Clemson’s offensive line, led by senior Mitch Hyatt, who also passed on a potential first round draft selection, dominated Alabama’s defensive line. While superstar defensive tackle Quinnen Williams still had his moments, the Clemson offensive line was able to allow for plays in both the running and passing games all night long. By the time the 10:02 mark in the fourth quarter came around, the offensive line was able to lead a drive 94 yards down the field, slowly crushing any hopes of another Alabama miracle.
Arguably the unsung hero of the game was Clemson running back Travis Etienne. With all the focus on the blossoming of Lawrence, the developing rivalry between Swinney and Saban and the final game for much of the star-studded defensive line, Etienne quietly racked up another three touchdown performance. The effort was indicative of Etienne’s season as a whole as he produced 1736 yards and 26 touchdowns on just 216 touches for the Tigers as a sophomore. Etienne came into the game a much different RB than Alabama remembered from a year ago. While the elite speed and explosiveness are still there, Etienne’s improved yards after contact ability proved difficult for the Tide to stop. While much of the 2019 Heisman Trophy focus will likely be on his teammate Lawrence, Etienne has emerged as one of the favorites for the award as well.
Beyond the implications for this year’s season, a win over Alabama proves that Clemson is, at the very least, on level playing field with the Tide. Not only did the 2018 Tigers defeat Alabama en route to their second National Championship in three years, their dominance was historic. They were the first undefeated College Football Playoff champions and the first team to finish 15-0 since the 1897 Penn State team who played without the benefit of pads or the forward pass. With the win, the senior classes for both Clemson and Alabama finished with records of 55-4 and two National Championships. The teams have also met four straight times in the College Football Playoff, splitting the games at two apiece. Clemson’s 2016 Championship was treated as a mere scratch on Alabama’s dynasty, however, what once seemed like a firm grip on the status of college football’s “team to beat” has now loosened with this Clemson victory. Then again, Alabama is still Alabama and 2019 is a new year. This next year gives them a chance to play with a chip on their shoulder and a challenger to defeat. With one of the greatest coaches of all time at the helm and another star studded recruiting class, the Tide will surely be contenders again next season. Clemson has proved to be the biggest threat to their throne since Saban’s first title with the Tide in 2009. College football fans will eagerly await the 2019 season to see if the kings of the past decade can reclaim their throne. If not, it may be time to crown a new king.
