CFB: Title Game To Remember

January 11, 2016, became a day that stuck in the mind of the Clemson Tigers, because it was the day their 14-0 record ended in a thrilling National Championship game to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 45-40. Now, an entire year later, Clemson has it's revenge.

"We finished it," Ben Boulware said, per Bleacher Report. "It's been 35 long years. It's finally coming home, baby." Even after falling down 14-0, following a pair of Bo Scarbrough touchdown runs, the Tigers refused to give up. After the first 20 minutes of the game, Deshaun Watson who has arguably been the best player in college football over the last two seasons, could not get anything going.

That is until he found Deon Cain on a simple wide receiver screen that blossomed into a 43-yard gallup. Watson was than able to find Jordan Leggett over the middle of the defense for 26 yards, which led to an 8-yard keeper by Watson to cut the Alabama lead to 14-7 at halftime.

It wasn't even close to the best half the Tigers played throughout the season. Dabo Swinney's crew looked nearly unstoppable in the first halves against Louisville, Florida State, and Virginia Tech. But it was enough to keep them within striking distance, and with such an explosive offense, that is all they needed.

Then the unexpected happened. On Clemson's opening drive of the second half, a potentially game-tying drive, vanished almost instantly, as Wayne Gallman was stripped by Ryan Anderson and recovered by Tide in field goal range.

Teams don't beat Alabama with multiple turnovers. It just doesn't happen. You can't afford to give the No. 1 team in the country a couple of extra opportunities to score. But the Tigers kept their heads held high, focused, with belief that they could still win.

That type of attitude led to an enormous defensive stand in which Alabama only gained seven yards in three plays, and had to settle for a field goal. A handful of possessions later and Watson found Hunter Renfrow on 3rd & 6, at the Alabama 24-yard line. Renfrow, Alabama's kryptonite over the last two years, was able to avoid a few defensive backs and scamper into the endzone, once again cutting into the lead.

But the Crimson Tide were not about to let Clemson snatch the victory away from them without a fight. Jalen Hurts, who struggled passing down field in the CFP semifinals and title game, found O.J. Howard slashing down the boundary for a 68-yard touchdown. ESPN's Chris Fowler reminded all of us of Clemson's inability to cover the big tight end in the 2015-16 championship game, in which he torched the Tigers for 208 yards and two scores.

But once again, the Tigers refused to fold tent and quit. Watson led his team down the field, in nine plays, that spanned over 2:53, and ended with a fade route for a touchdown to Mike Williams at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Then for the first time in the game, Gallman was able to give his team the lead, with a one-yard power run with just over four minutes to go in the season. Gallman's dive was preceded by a 17-yard pass to Leggett, a 26-yard jump ball to Williams, and a 15-yard run and leap by Watson.

But similarly to the third quarter drive that ended in an Alabama touchdown, the Tide responded well. The only way they know how. Hurts kept Alabama's title hopes alive by getting outside of the pocket and floating a 15-yard completion to Ardarius Stewart. Then offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian pulled out a trick play at the perfect time, as Hurts hit Stewart in the flat who found Howard on a 24-yard post route. On the following play, the freshman phenom Hurts glided 30 yards to the endzone, dodging a plethora of Tigers attempting to trip him up.

With a 31-28 deficit for Watson, he knew what he had to do. "I saw the two minutes, one second on the clock, and I just smiled," Watson said. "I knew they left too much time on the clock." C.J. Fuller's 20-yard return to get out to the Alabama 32-yard line will likely be forgotten as time passes, but it was able to get the Tigers in favorable field position. The same goes for a 5-yard completion to Leggett on first down. These two plays seemed to settle everyone down.

Which was just in time for a back shoulder throw to Williams, who snatched the ball out of mid-air, for 24 yards. A couple of plays later, on 3rd & 3, Renfrow ran a short hitch route and caught a low ball past the sticks.

With 19 seconds left, and the Tigers on the hinge of field goal range, Leggett laid out for a bullet pass from Watson, reaching the 9-yard line. Following two incomplete passes and a defensive pass interference, Clemson had 1st & Goal at the 2-yard line with six seconds remaining.

“I just kind of slowed down the moment and smiled to myself, because I knew we were inside the 5(-yard line), and I knew they would play straight cover-zero man,” Watson said, per SEC Country. “I knew if (Scott) makes his block and gets the pick, Renfrow would get in the end zone.”

Artavis Scott was able to do just that, slanting into the middle of the Alabama defense, allowing Renfrow to come wide open on the outside. Watson rolled out and put some touch on a perfect pass into the gut of his sophomore slot receiver.

As soon as the ball left his hand, he began sprinting toward the other side of the field, celebrating Clemson's first title since 1981. An extra point, an onside kick, and a kneel down made it official, as Boulware ran onto the field to rejoice with Watson.

The Rematch, nearly a year later, as the same two teams met with the exact same stakes on the line. However, this time, it was the Tigers who came out on top, in what will go down as one of the greatest National Championship games of all-time. "Eight years ago we set out to put Clemson back on top," Swinney said, per Ralph D. Russo. "We came up a little short last year, but today on top of the mountain, the Clemson flag is flying."

Photo Credit: Fan Sided.