It was Alabama's worst half of the Nick Saban era, and it only got worse from there.
The Crimson Tide racked up 266 yards during the first 30 minutes of Monday night's College Football Playoff championship game against Clemson, but two Tua Tagovailoa interceptions helped the Tigers stake a 31-16 halftime lead on their way to a stunning 44-16 slaughter.
Alabama had never allowed 31 points in any half since Saban's first season with the Tide in 2007, and it was the largest halftime deficit under Saban as well.
"I think we did a good job on offense moving the ball against them," Saban said after the second quarter before heading to the locker room. "We had a good plan, but we turned the ball over twice by throwing two bad interceptions, one that was a pick-six. We get the ball on the half-yard line and get a penalty and take points off the board.
"We're not playing very well on defense. We can't get off the field on third down and too many penalties."
The Tigers handed Alabama its worst defeat since a 38-7 thumping the Crimson Tide endured against Virginia Tech in the inaugural Music City Bowl in 1998.
"I'm so proud of our guys and these seniors," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said afterward on ESPN. "We beat Notre Dame and Alabama, and we left no doubt."
Clemson true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence shook off some early nerves to complete 12 of 21 first-half passes for 197 yards. That accounted for most of the 224 first-half yards by the Tigers.
A 74-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to fellow true freshman Justyn Ross gave Clemson a 37-16 lead at the 8:26 mark of the third quarter. The three-touchdown deficit was the first for Alabama during a second half since a 2005 loss at Auburn.
Top-seeded hex
Alabama's lopsided loss Monday night continued a frustrating run for the top seed in the College Football Playoff.
The Crimson Tide entered the inaugural playoff in 2014 as the No. 1 seed but was abruptly bounced by No. 4 Ohio State in a Sugar Bowl semifinal. Alabama was the top seed again in 2016 but lost to No. 2 Clemson in the championship game, with history repeating Monday.
Clemson was the No. 1 seed in the 2015 and 2017 playoffs but lost to Alabama in each of those years.
Smith carted off
Crimson Tide junior cornerback Saivion Smith was carted off the field following the 74-yard touchdown from Lawrence to Ross after suffering an apparent ankle injury.
Smith had two tackles before having to leave the game.
Tide tidbits
Alabama junior running back Josh Jacobs converted three fourth-and-short situations Monday out of the wildcat formation. Despite suffering the pick-six on their first offensive possession, the Tide regrouped to produce 224 yards in the first quarter for an average of 8.96 yards per play. Alabama's captains Monday were running back Damien Harris, tight end Hale Hentges, linebacker Christian Miller and center Ross Pierschbacher. Miller (hamstring) did not play in the game. The Crimson Tide had 19 minutes and 26 seconds of possession time in the first half, compared to 10:34 for Clemson.