Rammer Jammer, Bama Hammered: A look back at the National Championship

Clemson was emphatic and dominant in capping off a perfect 15-0 season, the first in modern college football history, with a 44-16 beatdown of Alabama. The Tigers cruised past the previously unbeaten Crimson Tide bringing home their second national championship in three seasons.

We gave you plenty of reasons to believe in the Tigers before the game, but after watching it again, here are a few more thoughts on what took place Monday night.

Fireworks early

Things got off to a quick start in Santa Clara as the two teams traded touchdowns within the first three minutes of the contest. Clemson’s defense struck first with a quick pick-six of Tua Tagovailoa on Alabama’s first possession.

Looking back on it, A.J. Terrell’s interception return was a bit of foreshadowing of what was to come from Brent Venables’ defense. However, after Alabama’s second drive, when Tua Tagovailoa hit Jerry Jeudy for a 62-yard touchdown, it looked like the Tiger defense might be in for a long night trying to slow down the Heisman runner-up.

Cue the fireworks.

After a bit of a slow start for Trevor Lawrence, the true freshman got heated up. Once Clemson trailed 16-14, the Tigers closed with an impressive 30-0 run. Lawrence and crew picked apart the Crimson Tide on third down throughout the night and freshman wideout Justyn Ross was incredible adding 153 yards and a touchdown. 

Perhaps the biggest momentum shift coming on an early 3rd-and-14. With the game tied at seven, the Tigers were backed up deep in their own territory, Lawrence found Tee Higgins for a 62-yard gain. On the next play, Travis Etienne scored from 17 yards out giving Clemson the lead 14-7, instead of being forced to punt the football back to the Crimson Tide in a tie game.

© Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Justyn Ross, a freshman from Phenix City, Alabama, was dominant against his home state Crimson Tide.

Beat Down

Watching Clemson shred Alabama’s defense was surprising, given how good Nick Saban’s teams have been throughout the years. Monday’s 44-16 loss was the worst in program history under Saban.

In fact, the last time Alabama lost a game by 20 points or more was back in 2003, when an LSU team (coached by Saban) beat the Tide 27-3. Clemson's 28-point win was the largest against Alabama since they lost to Virginia Tech in the 1998 Music City Bowl, 38-10.

Clemson’s 44 points tied Auburn's 44 points scored against Alabama in 2014 for the second most ever allowed under Saban. The Crimson Tide gave up 45 points to Oklahoma in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, but that game was seen as one that perhaps Alabama wasn't all that interested in. Clemson's beatdown of the Tide took place on the biggest stage. 

In Clemson's three title game matchups with Alabama, the Tigers have scored 40 (2015), 35 (2016), and 44 (2018) points on Saban's vaunted defenses.

Third Down Wizardry

Perhaps the most significant thing that took place Monday night was Clemson's ability to convert on third down. The Tigers were 10-of-15, but more impressively look at what Clemson did through three quarters on seven of those key conversions, ending drives with points.

First Quarter:

3rd-and-14 at the Clemson 21-yard line

• Lawrence to Higgins - 62 Yards - First Down at the Alabama 14-yard line
  • Drive Result: Touchdown
    • Score: 14-7 Clemson

Second Quarter:

3rd-and-5 at the Alabama 19-yard line

• Lawrence to Higgins - 14 Yards - First Down at the Alabama 5-yard line
  • Drive Result: Touchdown
    • Score: 21-16 Clemson

3rd-and-2 at the Alabama 39-yard line**

• Lawrence to Renfrow - 5 Yards - First Down at the Alabama 34-yard line

3rd-and-7 at the Alabama 31-yard line**

• Lawrence to Rodgers - 26 Yards - First Down at the Alabama 5-yard line
  • Drive Result: Touchdown
    • Score: 28-16 Clemson

Third Quarter:

3rd-and-8 at the Clemson 26-yard line

• Lawrence to Ross - 74-yard touchdown
  • Drive Result: Touchdown
    • Score: 37-16 Clemson

3rd-and-12 at the Clemson 25-yard line**

• Lawrence to Ross - 27 Yards - First Down at the Alabama 38-yard line

3rd-and-9 at the Alabama 37-yard line**

• Lawrence to Ross - 17 Yards - First Down at the Alabama 20-yard line
  • Drive Result: Touchdown
    • Score: 44-16 Clemson

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Trayvon Mullen intercepts Tua Tagavolia early during the 2019 National Championship.

Where the game changed

Early in the game, Nick Saban elected to go for it on a 4th-and-1 in his own territory, which paid off as Josh Jacobs picked up eight yards on the play. Jacobs carried the ball eleven yards on the next play moving the ball towards midfield.

On the next play from scrimmage, Tagavolia threw a deep ball down the left side of the field, thinking he had man coverage and Trayvon Mullen brought in the second interception of the game for Clemson.

Mullen returned the ball back out past the 50-yard line and Clemson was back in business.

Clemson’s defense got some additional rest while the offense took advantage of the mistake. The Tigers went 47 yards on eight plays with Travis Etienne scoring his third touchdown of the game, putting the Tigers up 28-16 with just 4:38 remaining in the first half. 

Clemson made one final stop in the half, then quickly drove down and added a field goal to take a 31-16 lead into the break.

Second half domination

Coming out of the locker room, the Tide put together an eight-play drive, but Clemson’s defense held them to a field goal attempt. Saban, feeling the pressure to get back into the game, elected to run a fake instead, and Nyles Pinckney made the Crimson Tide pay. Clemson’s backup defensive lineman busted through a gap, rocking Alabama holder Mac Jones, giving Clemson the football back.

Three plays later, Lawrence hit Justyn Ross for a 74-yard touchdown, the longest play in Clemson bowl history, essentially putting the game away. Ross put on a show in the second half adding receptions of 37 and 17 yards later in the game. The second of which was a one-handed reception, giving Ross 153 yards receiving on the night. Ross’ one-handed grab was a Top 10 play on SportsCenter.

Lawrence made Alabama’s defense look elementary and Saban had no answers for the true freshman. He’ll be back for at least two more years, and with a vast majority of the offense returning, it’s hard not to imagine Clemson being back in the playoffs next season, perhaps as the favorite to win it all. 

What’s next

Clemson has climbed back to the top of the college football mountain. Two years ago, it took some late game heroics from Deshaun Watson to knock off the Crimson Tide. This time around, there was no doubt who the best team was in Santa Clara, and it wasn’t even close.

The scary part for college football is that this program isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon with the talent that Dabo Swinney is bringing in through recruiting. Combine that with the talent that’s already on campus, and the Tigers are built for sustained success.

Christian Wilkins, Austin Bryant, and Clelin Ferrell returned for Monday night and the focus that Clemson had on winning a title in 2018 was incredible. There wasn’t a game in which they appeared to be “going through the motions”. The Tigers were locked in from the start of the season. 

You have to give Swinney credit for being willing to honor Lawrence’s ability to throw the football and passing the starting job to a freshman. Not to mention the fact that the guy he replaced, Kelly Bryant, led the team to a No. 1 seed and the College Football Playoff one year ago. Not many coaches would be willing to do that, but Swinney isn’t just any other coach. He’s now the only three-time Bear Bryant Award winner, and Swinney isn’t even 50. 

Clemson has one of the top two coaches in college football, and there isn’t any reason to think that there will not be more opportunities to win the national championship over the next few decades.

Soak it up, Clemson fans. Spring football will be here before you know it.