Clemson claims championship
Deshaun Watson was the best player on the field and Dabo Swinney coached the best game.
That was the difference as Monday night bled into Tuesday morning and the Clemson Tigers won their first national title since 1981. It, by almost every measure, was a thrilling game.
Watson leading the Tigers to a title-winning touchdown with one second left on the clock.
He was amazing, especially in the second half. He finished 36-of-56 for 420 yards and three scores. It was more than likely better than the numbers, too, since he was surviving the hysteria and blitzes and carnage around him. It was the rarity, a Godfather II version of a football rematch in which the sequel was every bit as good and entertaining and thrilling as the first.
But Watson was Michael Corleone on Monday, handling all the Clemson family BID-ness and making sure the journey was complete.
We picked Alabama. We have been on Alabama all year, and thought the Tide would win by multiple scores. We're not about excuses or calls, and there are some Tide fans who understandably are wondering what if this morning.
But the biggest swing factor was not an injured running back, a pick play in the corner of the end zone or who was or was not calling plays for the nation's top-ranked team coming into the title game.
Nope, the biggest swing factor was Deshaun Watson, and dude delivered and punched his ticket as an all-time legend.
Period.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban speaks to players during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football playoff game against Washington, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)Title game, take II
There was so much from last night. So much. Let's review some of the things that made our eyes pop. In fact, in fitting honor of the epic that we compared to the Godfather II, let's do some quote-connection. Deal? Deal.
* I don't feel I have to wipe everybody out, Tom. Just my enemies. Alabama crumbled late. It was the first loss under Nick Saban when the Tide entered the fourth quarter with a double-digit lead. They had won 97 in a row before Monday. Clemson outscored Alabama 21-7 in the final quarter.
* This was a great man, a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque, or a signpost or a statue of him in that town! Call it an excuse if you want, but that stat is directly connected to Bo Scarbrough leaving the game late in the third quarter. Scarbrough had 93 yards on 16 carries and two scores before being hurt.
* And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen; I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business! Didn't that feel like a strangely called game that was very simplistic, especially this late in the season. We do know this: If Kiffin had called the same game, there would have been at least one serious tail-chewing on the sideline.
* It ain't the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect! The Alabama offense looked disjointed at times period. Whether that was the coordinator change or the freshman quarterback, Alabama got 376 yards of offense and was terrible on third down, going 2-of-15 and missing their final 12 third-down tries.
* Sure it is. That's why they call him Superman. This much is clear: To beat Alabama, you have to have an elite-level performance form your quarterback. And Watson certainly delivered that.
* I make him an offer he don' refuse. Speaking of Watson, how - please someone tell us - is Watson not the top-rated quarterback in this draft class?
* Do me this favor. I won't forget it. Ask your friends in the neighborhood about me. They'll tell you I know how to return a favor. Anyone else think this will push Saban to a level of motivation we haven't seen?
Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson poses with the Maxwell Award after being named the College Football Player of the Year Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Too early top teams
We have in years past done a way-too-early Top 25. We're going to trim that down.
First, here's the list of top title contenders for the 2017 season according to the early numbers out of Vegas:
Alabama - 3-to-1
FSU - 7-1
Oklahoma, THE Ohio State, USC - 8-1
Louisville, LSU, Michigan - 12-1
Clemson 18-1
Oklahoma State 20-1
Texas - 25-1
Penn State, Auburn - 30-1
Washington, Georgia, Virginia Tech - 40-1
Kansas State, Tennessee, Florida, UCLA - 50-1
(Strange list, right? Alabama will have to rework its entire defense and Clemson has a lot of offensive questions to answer. And sweet buckets, how are Texas and Auburn preseason top 10 teams in Vegas' view. Granted, that is not a direct corollary, but you get the idea.)
Here's our too-early top five:
1. Alabama. The offense is loaded, as long as Sarkisian doesn't mess it up. And we all know there are five-stars waiting to replace first-rounders on defense.
2. FSU. The Seminoles will have the most athletic defense in the country next season.
3. USC. The Trojans welcome back quarterback Sam Darnold, who a) will be a Heisman frontrunner along with Lamar Jackson; and b) would be the top-overall pick if he was eligible to enter the thing.
4. Oklahoma. See a trend here - all of these teams return starting QBs who made a ton of plays. Baker Mayfield feels like he's been in college football for about 12 years, right?
5. Washington. The Huskies, depending on early NFL defections, could return a ton. Washington had only six seniors on its two-deep depth chart heading into the bowl game.
This and that
- Interesting read from TFP UT ace Downtown Patrick Brown on Mike DeBord leaving UT.
- Kris Bryant got married this weekend. His Cubs teammates showed up in style.
- Alabama reported revenue for football in 2016 - $103.9 million; Dab Swinney earned more than $700K in bonuses with last night's win. And when asked about paying the players, Swinney last night said: "I'll go do something else because there's enough entitlement in this world as there is." Man, every time we turn around, the conversation of not paying big-time college athletes gets harder and harder to support.
- Swinney also called out talk radio host Colin Cowherd after the win. "The guy that called us a fraud, ask Alabama if we're a fraud. Was the name Colin Cowherd? I never met him, don't know him. Ask Alabama if we're a fraud. Ask Ohio State if we're a fraud. Ask Oklahoma if we're a fraud. The only fraud is that guy, 'cause he didn't do his homework. I hope y'all print that," Swinney said.
- One more title game tidbit: Maybe Alabama would have won if they had anyone with the arm strength of that referee. Dude was ripped.
Today's question
It's a true or false Tuesday.
True or false, changing OCs cost Alabama the title.
True or false, Deshaun Watson will be the first QB drafted in April.
True or false, Alabama will be in the title game this time next year.
Whatcha got?