Ezra Shaw/Getty Images For the second time in three years, Clemson has beaten Alabama to win the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. While there were plenty of new faces on this team, the celebration was just as big this time around after the 44-16 win Monday night. The fans were especially excited both at the stadium and on campus: Those on the field seemed more subdued than you would expect immediately after the game: Christian Wilkins didn't hold back his emotions after getting some time to think about his career: Of course, there were more smiles when the trophy came around: Clelin Ferrell produced one of the more memorable moments of the night, channeling Suge Knight in a recruiting pitch: Wilkins also had fun at his coach's expense, giving Dabo Swinney a wet-willy on national television: It wasn't just current players who were excited about the win. Former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was also on the field celebrating: Video Play Button Videos you might like With the way the game went, the Tigers were able to celebrate throughout the game, including Swinney in the third quarter: The team kept the pressure on throughout the second half and came away with a shocking blowout win over the No. 1 team in the country. While Alabama has been the most dominant team in the sport over the past decade, Clemson has somehow figured out this squad: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence especially turned heads during the game with 347 passing yards and three touchdowns, causing many to discuss his NFL prospects despite being two years away from eligibility: With Lawrence and plenty of other talent set to return next season, this team could be celebrating again a year from now.<doc-sep>Clemson has its second national championship in three seasons. Unlike in 2017, when a touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to Hunter Renfrow with one second left was necessary to secure a victory over Alabama, Clemson’s win Monday night over Alabama was over not long after the fourth quarter began in a 44-16 blowout win over the Crimson Tide. It’s the first time an Alabama team coached by Nick Saban has lost by more than 14 points. And it’s the first time in major college football history that a team has finished a season 15-0. Clemson’s performance was powered by dynamic plays from its two freshmen offensive stars. And in a second-half defensive performance that will go down in Clemson lore. Alabama (14-1) turned the ball over on downs three times inside the Clemson 25-yard-line. [Pat Forde: Clemson proves it’s Alabama’s peer with convincing win] Freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. One of those scores went to Justyn Ross, who caught a short pass from Lawrence and took it 74 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to extend the Tigers’ lead to 37-16. The score came three plays after Alabama made the odd decision to go for a fake field goal when Clemson’s defense was waiting for it. Justyn Ross (8) had 153 yards receiving while Trevor Lawrence had over 300 yards passing. Both players are true freshmen. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Alabama drove down the field after Ross’ touchdown but got stifled in the red zone again. Clemson’s defense held as the Tide approached the end zone and Tua Tagovailoa’s scramble towards the sticks was stopped a yard short by a cavalcade of Clemson defenders. Ross went HAM after that. The freshman made two crazy catches on third downs on Clemson’s next drive. The drive ended when Lawrence tossed his third touchdown of the evening, a five-yard score to Tee Higgins. Ross finished the game with 153 yards receiving. Lawrence was named the game’s offensive MVP. He’s the first freshman quarterback to start for a national champion since Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway in 1985. Tagovailoa throws two interceptions Perhaps Alabama’s opening possession was a sign. Tagovailoa threw a pick-six on the Tide’s first possession of the game as a pass meant for Jerry Jeudy was caught by A.J. Terrell and returned for a touchdown. Story continues Tagovailoa bounced back on the next drive and found Jeudy for a long touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. But he threw his second interception of the day in the second quarter and with the Tide trailing 21-16. Trayvon Mullen’s pick set up a short field for Clemson, who took advantage and went up 28-16 on a pass from Lawrence to running back Travis Etienne. The possession that ended with Tagovailoa’s second interception was the last time Alabama would be within a single score for the rest of the night. The Tide did have one last gasp after Higgins’ touchdown and Tagovailoa led Alabama down the field in short order. But just like it had on the previous two drives, Clemson’s defense came up huge and Tagovailoa was sacked for a loss on fourth and goal. Tagovailoa was replaced on Alabama’s next drive by Jalen Hurts. He finished the game 22-of-34 passing for 295 yards and two touchdowns. [ Get your Clemson Tigers championship gear right here!] Clemson ties Alabama for most playoff titles The national championship is the third in Clemson history and ties the Tigers with Alabama for the most titles in the College Football Playoff era. Only Ohio State, who won the inaugural playoff after the 2014 season, has also won a playoff title. The Clemson win keeps Saban tied with Bear Bryant for the most national championships by a college football coach and cements the Tigers and coach Dabo Swinney as Saban’s biggest foil. Especially when you consider how Monday night’s game played out. Thee were no last-second touchdowns or fluke plays needed in this one. Clemson straight-up beat Alabama in every facet of the game. Alabama went scoreless in the second half It’s the worst blowout of Saban’s career at Alabama and it’s not even close. Until Monday night, a 31-17 loss in the 2009 Sugar Bowl to Utah, a 35-21 loss to South Carolina in 2010 and a 45-31 loss to Oklahoma in the 2014 Sugar Bowl stood as the largest losses of Saban’s Alabama tenure. It’s also the first scoreless half for an Alabama team since Nov. 5, 2016, when Alabama and LSU went into halftime of their matchup at 0-0. Alabama won that game 10-0. – – – – – – – Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports. More CFP title game coverage from Yahoo Sports: • Woman who ran onto field is carried away at title game • Imagine Dragons gets roasted after halftime show • Alabama’s fake field goal fails spectacularly • Clemson trounces Alabama to win national championship<doc-sep>SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- You simply don't get blowouts against Nick Saban's Alabama like that very often -- or ever, in fact. And yet, that's exactly what Clemson did by beating the Crimson Tide 44-16 to win the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship and capture its second national title in three years. In doing so, the Tigers became the first team in modern college football history to finish a season 15-0 and the first overall to do so since Penn in 1897. No. 1 seeds, meanwhile, fell to 3-5 in CFP games and a resounding 0-for in the national championship. Alabama-Clemson IV was polarizing in a number of ways. There was no doubt that these were the two best teams in college football, as they had been the top two wire-to-wire from preseason until now. However, with "fatigue" apparently setting in among casual fans, this game didn't quite have the build-up as previous editions did. That view looked to be silly early on, though, with a 27-point first quarter that had plenty of momentum swings -- from pick-sixes to long touchdowns. In the end, Clemson pulled away in stunning fashion as it accounted for 482 yards of offense on just 63 plays. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 347 yards for his second straight postseason game and nearly became the 10th college quarterback to throw for 350 yards against a Saban-led defense. Lawrence became the first true freshman starting quarterback to win a national championship since Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway in 1985. 1. Clemson is going to be terrifying for years to come. Clemson won its first national championship under coach Dabo Swinney two years ago with a NFL-ready quarterback in Deshaun Watson and lots of veteran leadership on both sides of the ball. It was a title three or four years in the making that took recruitment and development by Swinney and his staff. And while there were plenty of veterans on this year's team, Clemson's title in 2019 feels far more youthful. Lawrence and receiver Justyn Ross, who hauled in a pair of miraculous catches as part of a 153-yard day, are true freshmen. Running back Travis Etienne, the ACC's leading rusher, is a sophomore, as is leading receiver Tee Higgins (who had 81 yards and a score vs. Alabama). The impact that these offensive players made not just tonight but all season long is something that defenses will have to deal with for along time. In Lawrence's case, we're talking another two years at least, though he did tell ESPN after the game he wanted to win "three" more national championships. Take that for what it's worth, but with plenty of young talent around him, Clemson's trajectory doesn't look like it's plateauing anytime soon. And now that Clemson is recruiting at a top-10 level, young guys will continue to come into the program and push for playing time. 2. The real MVP? Brent Venables: Lawrence and cornerback Trayvon Mullen were named the game's most valuable players, but if we're being honest, the real MVP (MVC?) was Clemson's defensive coordinator. Venables was the one who disguised coverages that led to a pair of Tagovailoa interceptions as well as seven tackles for loss. He was the one who in the second half orchestrated a defense that stopped Alabama's offense cold on three straight trips inside the 25-yard line. Alabama averaged 6.06 yards per play, well below its average of 7.89 that ranked second nationally. The Crimson Tide were held to 31 points below their season average as well. Of all the mismatches on the field, the one in the booth was most noticeable. Venables called one heck of a game. 3. Alabama uncharacteristically played its worst game at the worst time: This isn't to say Alabama would have won if it had been sharper on Monday night, but goodness, the Tide did not play their best game at all when they absolutely needed. Tagovailoa threw two bad interceptions that were good defense (see above) but also terrible throws and reads on his part. Though Tagovailoa, the Heisman Trophy runner up, still finished with 295 yards passing, he was replaced in the fourth quarter by Jalen Hurts when it was clear the game was out of hand. Of course, Alabama's loss is not only on the quarterback. Bama was uncharacteristically sloppy with ball security (two fumbles, none lost) and penalties (six for 60 yards). Plus, there were Alabama's usual kicking woes (one missed extra point and a kickoff out of bounds) and Saban's decision to try a fake field goal while using his kicker as a lead blocker was ill-advised to say the least. This was a strange game for Saban in that it actually seemed out of control on his end. That never happens. CBS Sports was with you the entire way, updating this story with the latest scores, analysis and highlights from the 2019 CFP National Championship. If you are unable to view the updates below, please click here. Thanks for stopping by.<doc-sep>Advertisement Clemson Tigers celebrate championship win at White House with fast food, pizza Share Shares Copy Link Copy The Clemson Tigers celebrated their championship win at the White House with fast food and pizza on Monday night. The team traveled to Washington, D.C. to take part in a celebratory ceremony after winning the College Football Playoff National Championship against No. 1 Alabama. "We ordered American fast food, paid for by me. Lots of hamburgers, lots of pizza," Trump said after returning to the White House from a trip to New Orleans. "We have some very large people that like eating, so I think we're going to have a little fun," added the president, a fast food-lover himself.Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said much of the staff in the White House residence has been furloughed because of the shutdown, "so the president is personally paying for the event to be catered with some of everyone's favorite fast foods." The dinner included items from McDonald's and Wendy's, as well as salads and pizza. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott were in attendance to the ceremony at the White House. President Trump applauded Trevor Lawrence, Hunter Renfrow, Brent Venables, Dabo Swinney and A.J. Terrell during his speech. Trump thanked the team for inspiring the country. After Trump spoke to the team, head coach Dabo Swinney spoke. Swinney thanked Trump for the opportunity to come to the White House. Rep. Jeff Duncan led a Clemson cheer before President Trump spoke. Duncan was a walk-on and played for Former Clemson coach Danny Ford.“I want to say a huge thank you to President Trump and the White House staff for putting on the event tonight to recognize a very special program and one that is very important to me. I am immensely proud of how the football program has elevated Clemson University, the Third District, and the entire Palmetto State, and I am and forever will be “All In.” Go Tigers!” Rep. Jeff Duncan said. Sen. Tim Scott and Sen. Lindsey Graham said a few words to the championship team. The President invited the team to the Oval Office at the end of the visit to take pictures. The Clemson team's visit is its second since Trump took office. The Tigers last visited in June 2017 after their championship run the previous season.<doc-sep>
Clemson crushed college football’s no. 1 dynasty Monday night in the College Football Playoff national championship game, becoming the first perfect playoff champion. Freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns and the second-ranked Tigers beat Alabama 44-16. In the fourth consecutive playoff meeting between the Tigers and Tide, Clemson evened the series and beat 'Bama for the national championship for the second time in three seasons. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Coach Nick Saban and the Tide (14-1) were looking for their sixth national championship in 10 years. Clemson instead, crushed Alabama, becoming the first opponent to beat the Tide by more than 14 points since Saban became coach in 2007. Coach Dabo Swinney's Tigers sealed their status as a superpower, no longer just 1A to Alabama's 1. Clemson's new star quarterback didn't need the late-game heroics. The long-haired Lawrence cut through Alabama's defense with the help of another formidable freshman, Justyn Ross, who made a juggling grab, a one-handed snare and broke a 74-yard touchdown about midway through the third quarter that made it 37-16. Ross, who scored two touchdowns in the semifinal rout of Notre Dame, had six catches for 153 yards against his home-state team. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions in the first half, the first returned 44 yards for a touchdown by A.J. Terrell to put Clemson up 7-0. The Tide came in scoring 48 points per game, but was shut out over the final 44 minutes by a Clemson defense that stiffened in key spots. Tagovailoa, the sophomore who came off the bench to win the championship game last year for the Tide, went 22 for 34 for 295 yards and two touchdowns. The Heisman runner-up was also the second-best quarterback on the field in the championship game. Lawrence finished 20 for 32, but went 18 for 25 for 277 yards over the final three quarters. The Associated Press contributed to this report.