(CNN) In the end, the sequel was better than the original.

And this time, it was a happy ending for Clemson.

The Crimson Tide couldn't hold off two-time Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson, and the second-ranked Tigers upset No. 1 Alabama in a College Football Playoff title game rematch 35-31 early Tuesday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

With one second remaining, Watson found sophomore wide receiver Hunter Renfrow for the game-winning score, a 2-yard touchdown pass. It capped a fourth quarter in which the Tigers scored 21 points.

Alabama defensive linemen Da'Ron Payne (No. 94) and Jonathan Allen (No. 93) corral Watson in the first quarter.

Alabama defensive linemen Da'Ron Payne (No. 94) and Jonathan Allen (No. 93) corral Watson in the first quarter.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney argues a call during the first half. Swinney graduated from Alabama and played football as a walk-on there in the early 1990s.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney argues a call during the first half. Swinney graduated from Alabama and played football as a walk-on there in the early 1990s.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban reacts during the second half. Saban has won four national championships with the Crimson Tide. He also won one as coach of LSU.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban reacts during the second half. Saban has won four national championships with the Crimson Tide. He also won one as coach of LSU.

Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson strips Gallman in the third quarter. The turnover led to an Alabama field goal and a 17-7 lead.

Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson strips Gallman in the third quarter. The turnover led to an Alabama field goal and a 17-7 lead.

Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell holds his ankle after spraining it in the third quarter. He was unable to return to the game.

Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell holds his ankle after spraining it in the third quarter. He was unable to return to the game.

Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain, left, celebrates with Renfrow after Renfrow's 24-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Clemson cut the Alabama lead to 17-14.

Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain, left, celebrates with Renfrow after Renfrow's 24-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Clemson cut the Alabama lead to 17-14.

Watson spins in the air after being hit by Alabama defenders in the third quarter.

Watson spins in the air after being hit by Alabama defenders in the third quarter.

Alabama tight end O.J. Howard runs down the sideline for a touchdown after catching a third-quarter pass from Hurts. The 68-yard play helped Alabama stretch its lead to 24-14.

Alabama tight end O.J. Howard runs down the sideline for a touchdown after catching a third-quarter pass from Hurts. The 68-yard play helped Alabama stretch its lead to 24-14.

Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough is looked at by trainers after getting hurt in the second half. He didn't return to the game. Scarbrough had two touchdowns in the first half.

Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough is looked at by trainers after getting hurt in the second half. He didn't return to the game. Scarbrough had two touchdowns in the first half.

Clemson wide receiver Hunter Renfrow pulls in the game-winning score with one second remaining. The game was played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Clemson wide receiver Hunter Renfrow pulls in the game-winning score with one second remaining. The game was played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to win the championship game of the College Football Playoff. Clemson defeated Alabama 35-31 for its first national title since 1981. The Tigers also avenged their loss to Alabama in last year's title game.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to win the championship game of the College Football Playoff. Clemson defeated Alabama 35-31 for its first national title since 1981. The Tigers also avenged their loss to Alabama in last year's title game.

"I knew before I even snapped the ball it was going to be a touchdown," Watson said. "All I had to do was just get the ball to him. I slowed down the moment, everyone made their blocks and did their part, and I did my part, and we pulled it out."

It's Clemson's first national title since the 1981 season and the first time it has beaten a top-ranked team.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to stomach watching that one any time soon," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "That has to be one of the greatest games of all time, just absolutely incredible, to have to take the field and go down the field to win the game, that's what it's made of. That's what I told them when it was over. This is what it's all about right here, boys."

The last 7 National Champions before tonight:



Bama

Ohio St

FSU

Auburn



Clemson beat them ALL this season. pic.twitter.com/QfgZ92j69c — Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) January 10, 2017

In last year's title game, which Alabama won 45-40, Watson gave the Crimson Tide trouble, completing 30 of 47 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 73 yards.

On Monday night, the Clemson junior quarterback got off to a slow start but heated up as the game went along, finishing with 36-of-56 passing for 420 yards and three touchdowns and had 43 yards rushing with one score. He was named the game's MVP.

Final Clemson game for Watson

Following the win, Watson confirmed this was his final game playing for Clemson (14-1) and that he would enter the upcoming NFL draft.

"It was a tough decision," Watson, who graduated in December, said. "You know, Clemson is a special place. I've enjoyed every single moment since I came in, in January of 2014. Three years kind of flew by. But I think it's my time to go, just kind of end it with a bang, and I felt like Coach Swinney knew my time was up.

"I've enjoyed, like I said, the three years, and I just wanted to sign my name and end it with an exclamation point, and I think I did that. Moments like this I'll never forget. Clemson was the best three years of my life, and credit me as the person I am today. Through my faith, as a citizen, as a football player, as a student, I've learned so much, and it's just been special."

The best player in college football and there is no debate. 4️⃣#ALLIN pic.twitter.com/GpiNiCX262 — Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) January 10, 2017

It's also special for Swinney, winning his first title as a head coach. A walk-on wide receiver at Alabama, Swinney was on the 1992 Crimson Tide team that won the national title. He joins Bud Wilkinson as the only person to play on and serve as head coach of a team that won an Associated Press national championship.

Wilkinson played on Minnesota's title-winning team in 1936 and was head coach of Oklahoma teams of 1951, 1955 and 1956 that won titles.

"I can't tell you how humbled I am, blessed and so thankful to be a part of helping get Clemson back on top, this moment, 35 years, and doing something that a lot of people didn't think we could do," Swinney said. "I'm just so thankful for that opportunity, and I'm excited about continuing to help Clemson be the best."

Alabama (14-1), which had the chance to go wire-to-wire as No. 1, lost its first game since September 19, 2015, ending a 26-game win streak.

"I don't think one game defines who you are, you know, as a person, as a competitor, or as a team and certainly not define what this group of young men was able to accomplish this year," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. "It was a hard-fought game out there today, very disappointing to lose a game like that, and I wish there was something else that I could do for the players to help them be more successful in the game."

The loss kept Saban from winning a sixth title, which would have tied him with another Alabama legend: Bear Bryant.

A dramatic comeback

It didn't start well for the Tigers.

Alabama sophomore running back Bo Scarbrough, who rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the Peach Bowl semifinal, continued his dominance in Tampa before leaving with an injury, running for 93 yards and two first-half touchdowns. That gave the Crimson Tide at 14-0 lead.

A 24-yard pass from Watson to Renfrow cut the score to 17-14 with 7:10 left in the third quarter. But later in the period Jalen Hurts, who had been quiet for much of this game, stepped up. The freshman quarterback connected with senior tight end O.J. Howard for a 68-yard touchdown to give Alabama a 24-14 lead.

Hurts passed for 131 yards with a touchdown, going 13-of-31.

Then came a frentic fourth quarter. With 4:38 remaining, Clemson regained the lead at 28-24 with a 1-yard touchdown run from junior running back Wayne Gallman. Hurts counterpunched, scoring on a 30-yard run to make it 31-28 with 2:07 left and giving him 63 rushing yards on the night.

That set up the final drive from Watson. In that final quarter, he was 12-of-18 for 130 yards.

"I just smiled right when they scored," Watson said. "I had seen the two minutes and one second on the clock, and I just smiled and I just knew, I just told my guys, 'Hey, let's be legendary, let's go be great.' I told myself they left too much time on the clock. Last year they ran out the time, but this time they left us a little bit too much."

Alabama entered the night leading the country in total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense and defensive touchdowns. But it didn't look like it in the final quarter. Thanks in huge part to Watson, Clemson finished with 511 total yards of offense.

"I knew he was going to come back strong in the second half," Alabama senior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen said of Watson. "They made the adjustments they needed to and we didn't."</s>TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — In a sequel as thrilling as the original, Clemson defeated ‘Bama 35-31 to win its 1st college football title since 1981.

Deshaun Watson’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow with 1 second remaining gave Clemson a wild 35-31 win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Watson completed 36 of 56 passes for 420 yards and three scores in his last college game, as the Tigers (14-1) got their first national title since 1981.

Renfrow caught two scoring passes for Clemson, which rallied from a 14-0 deficit and snapped Alabama’s 26-game winning streak.

Bo Scarbrough ran for two touchdowns for Alabama (14-1), which failed in its quest to be the first 15-win major college team since Penn in 1897. Scarbrough left the game with a leg injury in the second half.

Alabama beat Clemson 45-40 last season in the title game. This sequel was as thrilling as the original.

Clemson put up 511 yards on Alabama’s defense, held the ball for nearly 35 minutes and scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Clemson then recovered an onside kick, and fittingly that gave Watson a chance to kneel down for the game’s final play — then streamed onto the field in celebration.</s>Clemson won the toss and deferred, kicking to Alabama to start the title game _ with Steve Spurrier, who isn’t exactly revered by either fan base, getting booed when he took part in the festivities.

And the first play called by new Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was a pass, which was batted down.

Former Tide coordinator Lane Kiffin called passes on the first play of each of the last 10 games of his Alabama career.

Bo Scarbrough’s 25-yard touchdown run with 9:23 left in the first quarter has given Alabama a 7-0 lead in the national championship game.

It capped a three-play, 59-yard drive that took less than a minute _ and came after the first big play of the title game was made by Alabama’s defense.

Clemson faced fourth-and-1 from the Alabama 41, and called time to figure out what it wanted to do. But Alabama’s defense snuffed out the toss to Wayne Gallman, who stumbled to a stop short of the first-down marker, and the Crimson Tide took over in a scoreless game.

Clemson hasn’t faced a double-digit deficit all season _ and for now, it still hasn’t.

Alabama still leads 7-0, and was driving before a holding penalty and Jalen Hurts’ second batted-down pass of the night forced the Crimson Tide to punt.

Making matters worse for Alabama is this _ the punt was partially blocked by Tanner Muse, and Clemson is taking over at its own 37 with 2:30 left in the opening quarter.

A turnover on a bad snap is bad news for Clemson.

Alabama’s Ryan Anderson emerged with the football after Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson couldn’t handle a snap on third down, and the Crimson Tide takes over on the Clemson 35 late in the first quarter.

It was the first turnover of the game, not counting Clemson getting stopped on downs early in the game.

The big plays through one quarter of the national championship game have mostly been made by Alabama.

A stop on fourth-and-1, emerging from a scrum with a fumble after Deshaun Watson couldn’t handle a snap cleanly, and downing a punt at the 1-yard line are among the first-quarter highlights for the Crimson Tide, who lead Clemson after the first 15 minutes of the College Football Playoff title game 7-0.

Bo Scarbrough’s 25-yard run is the lone touchdown so far.

It’s Bo Scarbrough again, this time on a 37-yard run as Alabama has taken a 14-0 lead over Clemson with 10:42 left in the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Scarbrough’s jaunt down the left sideline put Clemson in its biggest hole all season. The Tigers never trailed in any of their first 14 games by more than eight points.

Alabama leads 155-63 in total yards, and Scarbrough has eight carries for 71 yards and two touchdowns already.

The Tigers ar finally on the scoreboard in this College Football Playoff national title game.

Deshaun Watson’s 8-yard rush with 6:09 left in the half has Clemson on the scoreboard, and the Tigers are within 14-7 of Alabama.

Clemson went 87 yards in seven plays, and it only took 1:33.

The 14-0 deficit was the largest Clemson faced to start a game since October 2013.

Halftime has arrived in Tampa, and it’s Alabama leading Clemson 14-7 at the break.

And a title game that was an offensive showcase a year ago _ when the Crimson Tide prevailed 45-40 _ has been a defensive slugfest of sorts so far in the rematch. Clemson outgained Alabama 203-183 in the half.

Clemson has had some success passing the ball. Deshaun Watson is 13 for 23 for 153 yards, and four different Tigers receivers have one catch that went for at least 19 yards. He also has Clemson’s lone TD on an 8-yard run.

Alabama’s strength, as expected, has been on the ground. Bo Scarbrough has 12 carries for 76 yards and both Crimson Tide scores, and quarterback Jalen Hurts is a mere 6 for 15 for 43 yards.

Clemson will have the ball to open the second half.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney gave a televised interview before heading into the locker room for halftime, and made the second-half plan very clear.

“We’ve got to make this quarterback throw the ball,” Swinney said to ESPN.

Here’s why: Alabama has rushed 21 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns. But when freshman Jalen Hurts passes, the Tide have gotten 40 yards on 16 attempts _ at least three of those throws getting batted down at the line of scrimmage.

Adam Griffith’s 27-yard field goal with 12:25 left in the third quarter has given Alabama a 10-point lead in the national title game.

And Clemson is lucky the deficit isn’t bigger.

Ryan Anderson’s second fumble recovery of the night set up the scoring drive. Anderson stripped Clemson’s Wayne Gallman a minute into the third quarter, then recovered the ball and returned it 12 yards to the Clemson 16.

Alabama only got seven yards in three plays after the fumble, settling for the field goal.</s>The two best teams in the country will face off in the College Football Playoff National Championship for the second year in a row. Alabama vs Clemson.

For Nick Saban, he is hunting his sixth National Championship and for Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, he’s trying to end Clemson’s 36 year drought.

Clemson fans have been travelling down I-75 in groves with car flags, magnets, and even tiger tails hanging from their trunks. They’ve stopped in Gainesville along the way – taking pictures with the gator in front of The Swamp. It’s quite possible that Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and playmaker Mike Williams are the best travel agents in all of South Carolina.

They have come to Florida equipped not only with a very talented team but also with $2 bills.

According to the Clemson University website, the tradition of bringing $2 bills to away games started in 1977 when Georgia Tech threatened to not play Clemson after that season. Out of protest, students and alumni traveled to Atlanta for the game and used $2 bills with tiger paws stamped on them. The amount of money Clemson fans brought to the area was so overwhelming that Georgia Tech continued to schedule Clemson.

The circulation of $2 bills in Tampa is about to increase significantly.

The Clemson Tigers are a -6.5 point underdog against Alabama. But that won’t bother them as they were also a -3 point underdog against Ohio State, and we all witnessed that 31-0 smack down.

On ESPN Gainesville with Steve Russell, SEC Network’s main anchor Dari Nowkah said that Vegas is getting this National Championship wrong.

Nick Saban is looking to lead Alabama to a 15-0 season which hasn’t been done in NCAA Division 1. Ever.

This week leading up to the National Championship game hasn’t been smoothing sailing for Alabama. Their offensive gameplan will be executed by a man who has never called plays for them before.

The Sunday after Alabama’s win over Washington, 24-7, Lane Kiffin parted ways with Nick Saban and the University of Alabama.

Despite the obvious struggles this will present to the offensive side of the ball for Alabama. It also throws a curveball into the preparation for the Clemson coaching staff. Do they prepare for the offense that Lane Kiffin designed? Or do they go back in time to Steve Sarkisian’s head coaching tapes from USC and Washington?

No matter what Clemson will prepare for, Nick Saban can still shock you.

Dabo Swinney will always remember this play. No one expected it. Has Saban ever gone for an onside kick before this?

Plays like these give Alabama the edge in this match-up. They can create something out of nothing. Especially on defense and special teams.

While on ESPN Gainesville, Laura Rutledge of the SEC Network says that Alabama will score two non-offensive touchdowns to win.

Kickoff is scheduled at 8 p.m. on ESPN.</s>Clemson 35-31 over Alabama for the College Football National Championship and good for Greensboro

Clemson 35, Alabama 31

 Big win for the ACC which has their home offices located in Greensboro and good win for former Greensboro high school football players Chris Register(Dudley HS) and Diondre Overton(Page HS), who are both members of the National Champion Clemson Tigers football team…..Former Clemson Tiger D.J. Reader(Grimsley High School), who was with the Tigers last year when they fell to Alabama in the Title Game, has to be happy for his Tigers too, as do former Clemson Tigers Joe and Jeff Bostic from Ben L. Smith High School….

Plenty of Greensboro connections with the Clemson Tigers and you may know of a few more….I believe Joe Franks, who used to be over at Grimsley HS and the football field at Grimsley is named for him, pretty sure Joe is a former Clemson man…He used to have his Grimsley car, which I believe was an old station wagon, it was painted and dressed up in Clemson colors for many years…Pretty Rusty Lee, the Athletic Director at Page, his wife is a Clemson Tiger-grad and that makes the Lee household Clemson Tiger fanatics and I’m sure there are many more connections around town and plenty of tight Tiger ties being tossed around town today….</s>The Clemson Tigers have avenged last year’s loss, defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 35-31 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship.</s>College football's first national championship rematch was even better than the original, with an incredible twist at the end.

Deshaun Watson and Clemson dethroned the champs and became the first team to beat Nick Saban's Alabama dynasty in a national title game, taking down the top-ranked Crimson Tide 35-31 Monday night in the College Football Playoff.

Watson found Hunter Renfrow for a 2-yard touchdown pass with a second remaining to give the Tigers their first national championship since 1981. A year after Alabama won its fourth title under Saban with a 45-40 classic in Arizona, Clemson closed the deal and denied the Tide an unprecedented fifth championship in eight seasons.

The lead changed hands three times in the fourth quarter, but Watson got the ball last. Likely playing in his final college game, the junior quarterback threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns. In two games against Alabama and the most ferocious defense in college football, Watson has thrown for 825 yards and accounted for eight touchdowns.

Coach Dabo Swinney, the native Alabaman and former Crimson Tide walk-on receiver, has built an elite program at Clemson that was missing only one thing. Now the Tigers can check that box, too.

"Eight years ago we set out to put Clemson back on top," said Swinney, who can turn postgame interviews into a rousing sermon. "We came up a little short last year, but today on top of the mountain, the Clemson flag is flying."

After three quarters of vicious hits and tight defense, Tigers-Tide II ended up looking a lot like the first meeting when the teams combined for 40 points in the fourth quarter.

Clemson took its first lead when Watson found Mike Williams for a 4-yard touchdown a minute into the fourth quarter to make it 24-21.

The Tigers took a 28-24 lead with 4:38 left in the fourth quarter when Wayne Gallman surged in from a yard out.

The Tide's offense, which had gone dormant for most of the second half, came to life with the help of a sweet call from newly promoted offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Receiver ArDarius Stewart took a backward pass from Jalen Hurts and fired a strike to O.J. Howard for 24 yards.

On the next play, Hurts broke free from a collapsing pocket and weaved his way through defenders for a 30-yard touchdown run to make it 31-28 with 2:07 left.

More than enough time for Watson.

"I was calm," Watson said. He said he thought about Vince Young's last-second touchdown for Texas that derailed the Southern California's championship run in the 2005 championship game at the Rose Bowl. He told his team: "Let's go be great."

Watson hooked up with Williams and Jordan Leggett, who made great catches for big gains to get to first-and-goal with 14 seconds left.

A pass interference on Alabama made it first-and-goal at the 2 with six seconds left. Time for one more play to avoid a game-tying kick and potential overtime. Renfrow slipped away from the defense at the goal line and was alone for an easy toss. It was the walk-on receiver's second TD catch of the night, adding to the two he had last season against Alabama.

When it ended, Clemson's 315-pound defensive lineman Christian Wilkins did a cartwheel and Ben Boulware, one of the toughest linebackers in the country, was in tears.

The Tigers had snapped Alabama's 26-game winning streak and beaten a No. 1 team for the first time ever.

"It's been 35 long years!" Boulware screamed. "It's coming home baby! It's coming home!"</s>Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers beat the defending champions with a last second touchdown to with the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Aggie fans watched the Crimson Tide hand Texas A&M its first loss of the year. It was that game in Tuscaloosa that began a downward spiral that the team would never recover from. If you can’t beat them, might as well lose to the eventual champion, right? Not this time.

Jalen Hurts was not sharp during the first half. His longest pass in the first 30 minutes traveled just nine yards down field. That didn’t seem to matter much, because Bo Scarborough came to play. Scarborough carried the ball 12 times for 76 yards before halftime, including touchdown runs of 25 yards and 37 yards.

The Clemson offense showed some signs off life towards the end of the second quarter. Deshaun Watson led the Tigers on a seven play, 87 yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 8 yard scamper for the score by Watson himself. That would bring the score to 14-7. No more points were scored before the break.

Clemson began the second half with a fumble which was oh-so-close from turning into yet another Alabama defensive touchdown. The Tide offense had begun to slow down and was held to a field goal. A Hunter Renfrow touchdown grab put Clemson within three points and got SEC fans on the edge of their seats.

Then Clemson decided not to cover OJ Howard. That ended about how you expected it would. Alabama grabbed a 24-14 lead on the 68 yard catch and run for six.

Clemson would answer with a touchdown pass from Watson to Mike Williams to bring the game within three points at the start of the fourth quarter.

With less than five minutes remaining Clemson punched one in and took a 28-24 lead. The national championship rested on the shoulders of freshman Jalen Hurts. He didn’t disappointed. The true freshman, 18 year old quarterback led Alabama 68 yards down the field, finishing the drive himself with a 30 yard touchdown run to give the Tide a 31-28 lead.

Then Deshaun Watson became a legend. With one second remaining Watson hit former walk on Hunter Renfrow in the front corner off the endzone to take down the Tide in Tampa Bay with ONE. SECOND. REMAINING.

When these two teams met in 2016 both sides aired it out. Watson passed for 405 yards and Tide quarterback Jake Coker threw for 335 yards. There were points a plenty.

This year’s game was supposed to be lower scoring, and it was. Both offenses were less effective than they had been a year ago. Alabama converted just 2 of 15 third downs while Clemson wasn’t much better, converting 7 of 18. But that didn’t mean there weren’t any fireworks. Five of the nine touchdowns in this game were longer than 20 yards.

Alabama did the majority of their damage on the ground. It sure seemed like new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian didn’t trust freshman Jalen Hurts to throw the ball down field. He took a deep shot midway through the third quarter that fell incomplete, but beyond that his passes stuck close to the line of scrimmage. Without a downfield threat, Clemson was able to dig in to the trenches and keep this game close with their defense.

Deshaun Watson was abused. Reuben Foster and Ryan Anderson wrecked havoc in the Clemson backfield all night. The Tide collectively tallied four sacks and forced two Watson fumbles in the process.

At the end of the day the difference was simply that there wasn’t anyone in a red jersey that could cover Mike Williams. The senior Clemson wide receiver hauled in eight passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. The numbers don’t do it justice, as Williams made highlight worthy catch after catch in the fourth quarter.

Implications of The Alabama Loss and Clemson Win

People were starting to throw around the “D” word – Dynasty. With a victory on Monday night Nick Saban would have won FIVE national championships in the last SEVEN years. Instead the Crimson Tide have only won FOUR titles in the past SEVEN years. The three years in which Alabama failed to win the title? 2013 when they lost to Auburn on the infamous Kick Six, 2014 when Urban Meyer and Ohio State beat the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff, and this year.

This year, in a “down SEC”, Alabama beat No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 9 Tennessee, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 13 LSU, No. 13 Auburn, and No. 15 Florida.

They also opened the season with a win over then No. 20 Southern Cal that will finish the season as a top 10 team. Talk as much conference smack as you like, that’s an impressive resume. And they did it without a blemish.

Texas A&M made a jump up in prestige when it joined the SEC in 2012. Unfortunately for the Aggies they stepped in at the same time that Saban was just getting started. As long as Saban is at Alabama the Aggies are going to have a hard time making a championship run – no matter who they hire as defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator, or head coach. Championship or not, Alabama is ridiculously talented.

Dynasty talk will have to wait another day. 2017 will be the year of the Tiger as Dabo Swinney bests Nick Saban in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Hats off to Clemson, they deserve it.</s>The Clemson Tigers stunned Alabama on Monday night, rallying for a wild 35-31 victory, snapping the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide’s 26-game winning streak and clinching the school’s second-ever national championship.

Clemson clawed back from a 14-0 deficit, and Hunter Renfrow hauled in the winning 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson with one second left.

With less than five minutes left in the game, Clemson’s Wayne Gallman punched into the end zone to give the Tigers the lead for the first time, 28-24. But Alabama promptly marched downfield and reclaimed the lead on a 30-yard run by freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts with two minutes left. But that was enough time for Watson to drive the Tigers 68 yards for the winning score.

After a defensive struggle in the first half, the second half opened up for both offenses. Watson passed for 420 yards and three touchdowns against the nation’s top defense.

It was the second year in a row the two teams squared off in the NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and the rematch was every bit as exciting as last year’s 45-42 shootout.

Clemson’s win denied Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban a fifth undisputed national championship, which would have tied him with Alabama legend Bear Bryant for the most ever. Saban had led Alabama to four championships in the previous seven seasons.

It was Clemson’s first win over Alabama since 1905, and their first national title since 1981.</s>TAMPA, Fla. — Nick Saban and Alabama are on the verge of leaving college football history behind.

The top-ranked Crimson Tide face Clemson on Monday night in a College Football Playoff national championship game rematch. A victory would give Alabama five national championships in eight seasons, a feat never completed at the highest level of the sport during the poll era.

The Tide (14-0) can become the first FBS program to finish 15-0, along with the first to win four championships in span of six seasons, going back-to-back twice in that span.

A case can already be made that Alabama’s current run is the greatest in college football history. Better than Notre Dame back in the grainy black-and-white footage days of Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy. Better than Miami’s long run of dominance in the 1980s and early ’90s. Better than anything Alabama did when Bear Bryant was leading the Tide in the 1960s and ’70s.

Another title would give Saban six during the poll era that began in 1936, including a BCS crown at LSU in 2003, matching Bryant for the most of any major-college coach.

With one more championship, there will be no more college football dynasties left to compare to Saban’s.

“I mean, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, an Alabama native who grew up worshipping Bryant and ended up playing for national championship Tide team in 1992. “Every year is kind of that season of its own and you have your challenges, and it’s a journey of its own. But to be able to regroup and create that edge and meet those challenges, continue to manage your staff and your roster and compete at the highest level, I mean, it’s just unbelievable what has happened.”

Swinney and Saban held a joint news conference Sunday morning at the convention center in downtown Tampa. The same deal as last year, just in a different place.

Swinney’s team stands in the way of an Alabama championship again. The Tigers have not won a national title since 1981. As Swinney and his players have said over and over, it is the only box left for the program to check as it has taken a place among the elite in college football.

Heisman Trophy runner-up Deshaun Watson said he knew when he decided to come to Clemson in 2012 he was joining a program poised for big things.

“I felt the energy, I bought into what Coach Swinney was saying and what he thought the future was going to bring to this program and I wanted to be a part of it,” said Watson, a junior most certainly playing his last college game.

Clemson is working on a streak of six consecutive 10-win seasons, topped only by Alabama’s 10 straight.

Watson, the quarterback from Gainesville, Georgia, has been maybe the biggest reason why Clemson has become Alabama’s final and greatest challenge the last two seasons.

He was spectacular against the Tide in the title game last year with 478 total yards. Unable to stop Watson, Alabama used a surprising onside kick to swing the game its way and win 45-40.

The Crimson Tide defense enters the game ranked tops in the nation in total defense, rushing defense, yards per play allowed and points allowed. It is also responsible for 12 of the team’s stunning 15 non-offensive touchdowns.

Clemson, meanwhile, is coming off its best defensive effort for the season in a 31-0 Fiesta Bowl win against Ohio State.

The Tide has won 26 straight games. The Tigers are 27-2 the last two seasons.

“Frazier-Ali type of fight,” Alabama tight end O.J. Howard said. “Two great teams, and we’re going to go at it and it’s going to be a great game Monday night.”

Things to know about Tide vs. Tigers II:

HURTS SO GOOD: Alabama’s Jalen Hurts could become the first true freshman quarterback to lead a team to the national championship since Jamelle Holieway did it with Oklahoma in 1985.

Hurts is coming off one of his worst games of the season. He was 7 for 14 for 57 yards against in a 24-7 victory against Washington in the Peach Bowl.

SARKISIAN’S DEBUT: Hurts will have to turn it around with a new offensive coordinator and play-caller. Former USC and Washington coach Steve Sarkisian takes over after spending the season in Tuscaloosa working as an analyst and aid to Lane Kiffin, who is now the head coach at Florida Atlantic. Saban made the change after the Washington game.

“So it’s really different, but I think we feel good about the situation we’re in, and we all think that he’ll do a great job come Monday,” Hurts said.

END OF AN ERA: Clemson won’t fade away after this season, but the Tigers are losing the core of a great team.

Mostly likely joining Watson as an early NFL draft entrant are receiver Mike Williams, a likely first-round pick, and leading rusher Wayne Gallman. Receiver Artavis Scott is also in the group the Swinney said he expects to leave early. The Tigers also will say goodbye to senior center Jay Guillermo and three defensive players who earned All-America honors in defensive tackle Carlos Watkins (second-team), linebacker Ben Boulware (third team) and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley (third team).

BEATING No. 1: This would be Clemson’s first victory over a team ranked No. 1 and would give the Tigers five victories against ranked opponents this season, the most in school history.

ROLLING VS. RANKED TEAMS: Alabama has won 16 straight games against ranked opponents, matching Southern California’s record streak during the Pete Carroll era (2001-09).

No. 3 Clemson (13-1, CFP No. 2) vs. No. 1 Alabama (14-0, CFP No. 1), 8 p.m. (ESPN)

The national championship and a chance for Alabama’s dynasty to reach another new level of unprecedented achievement. The Tide would become the first major college team to win five championships in eight years during the poll era (since 1936). Clemson is trying to win its first national title since 1981 and check the only box left for a program that has become one of the elite in college football under coach Dabo Swinney.

Alabama’s offensive line against Clemson’s defensive line. Much is made, deservedly so, of the Crimson Tide’s talented and tenacious front seven. All-America DL Jonathan Allen leads the way. Clemson’s defensive line is packed with future NFL players, too. Freshman Dexter Lawrence is a 340-pound immovable object in the middle. DT Carlos Watkins is a second-team All-American. DE Christian Wilkins has the versatility and athleticism to play inside and out. Redshirt freshman Clelin Ferrell was defensive player of the game against Ohio State last week. With a freshman quarterback in Jalen Hurts, the Tide’s offensive line must contain Clemson’s pass rush (49 sacks on the season) and open holes for RBs Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris.

Clemson: QB Deshaun Watson. Kind of obvious, but the Tigers probably can’t win unless the Heisman Trophy runner-up plays well. The junior, likely playing his last college game, has thrown for 4,173 yards and 38 touchdowns and run for another eight TDs. He has also thrown 17 interceptions.

Alabama: WR Calvin Ridley. The sophomore receiver has had a relatively quiet season compared his breakout freshman year (67 catches for 733 yards and seven touchdowns). He is capable of great things, and remember in last season’s title game it was Alabama tight end O.J. Howard who broke free for a career-best 208 yards receiving and two touchdowns against Clemson.

Alabama could become the third team to go start-to-finish in a season as No. 1 in the AP poll, joining Florida State (1999) and Southern California (2004) … Clemson will be looking for its first victory ever against a No. 1 ranked team. …. Alabama has won 16 straight games against ranked teams, matching a record set by Southern California during Pete Carroll’s time as coach in the 2000s. … Clemson has 69 victories over the past six seasons. Only Alabama has more with 76. … Clemson WR Mike Williams, who missed almost all of last season — including the national championship game — with a neck injury, has 90 catches for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns. … Hurts could become the first freshman quarterback to lead his team to a national championship since Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway did it in 1985.
Clemson defeats Alabama 35–31 to win the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship.