January 15, 2020

On Monday, January 13, the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers defeated the Tigers of Clemson University 42-25 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. LSU’s win capped a perfect 15-0 season in which the team led the nation in scoring and total offense. The national title was also the crowning moment of a magical year for senior LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who set a single season record for touchdown passes (60) and earned the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best college football player. It was the first national title for LSU and head coach Ed Orgeron since 2007. For defending champion Clemson, the loss was the team’s first since losing the national championship against Alabama two years ago.

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow rushes for a touchdown during the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 13, 2020, in New Orleans. Credit: © Todd Kirkland, Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Clemson kept LSU pinned down with poor field position early in the game and took a 17-7 lead in the second quarter. Clemson’s 10-point advantage—LSU’s largest deficit this season—did not last long, however. LSU’s Burrow came to life, putting up three touchdowns in the space of nine minutes to give LSU a 28-17 halftime lead. Clemson cut the lead to 28-25 with a touchdown in the third quarter, but LSU added two more scores to take firm control and coast to the national title.

Burrow finished the game with 463 yards passing, 5 touchdown passes, and 1 rushing score. His 521 yards of total offense (including 58 yards on the ground) were the most ever recorded by a quarterback in a national championship game. LSU junior running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 110 yards on just 16 carries. Clemson sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 18 of 37 passes for 234 yards and no touchdown passes. Clemson junior running back Travis Etienne, a native of Louisiana, ran for 78 yards in the loss. Etienne’s 4,038 career rushing yards are the most in Clemson history.

The four-team College Football Playoff began with a bang on Dec. 28, 2019, as No. 2 Ohio State University fell to No. 3 seed Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. OSU fans were irate as two controversial officiating calls went against the team in the closely contested game. The first controversial call was made against OSU defensive back Shaun Wade following a hit on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the second quarter. After a review of the tackle, Wade was ejected from the game for targeting the quarterback and lowering his helmet to hit Lawrence. Clemson later scored a touchdown on that offensive drive. In the game’s second half, an OSU defensive back appeared to strip the ball away from a Clemson wide receiver and return the interception for a touchdown, giving OSU a 23-21 lead. However, an official review led the referees to overturn the call, ruling the pass incomplete and negating the score. Clemson went on the win 29-23 and advance to the championship game.

Also on December 28, the No. 1 LSU Tigers had a much easier time in a 63-28 romp over No. 4 seed Oklahoma at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow tied a college bowl game record with seven touchdown passes. Oklahoma has appeared in four of the six College Football Playoffs held since the end of the 2014 season, but has yet to win a game.

January 9, 2019

On Monday, January 7, the Clemson University Tigers trounced the University of Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It was the second national championship in the past three years for Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney. With the win, the Tigers became the first team in modern college football history with a 15-win undefeated season. Clemson’s victory also prevented legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban from earning a seventh career national football championship.

Clemson’s A. J. Terrell returns an interception for a touchdown early in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi’s Stadium on Jan. 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, California. Credit: © Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images

On Alabama’s first possession, sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception that was returned 44 yards for a touchdown by Clemson defensive back A. J. Terrell. But Alabama quickly scored on their following drive to tie the game at 7-7. The teams swapped scores through the end of the first quarter, but Clemson pulled ahead in the second for a 31-16 halftime lead. Clemson dominated the second half, adding two more touchdowns while stopping Alabama on three consecutive fourth-down conversion attempts.

Clemson’s final possession was an epic example of clock domination as they ran 14 plays to move 94 yards. After forcing an Alabama punt with 10:02 remaining in the game, Clemson took over the ball on their own 1-yard line. A series of runs and first downs then slowly shoved the Crimson Tide defense backward as the clock ticked the season away. The game ended following a fourth-down run by Clemson’s Adam Choice, who fought to Alabama’s 5-yard line on the final play.

Clemson freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished the game with three touchdown passes and no interceptions, completing 20 of 32 passes for 347 yards. Lawrence shared the game’s most valuable player honors with junior cornerback Trayvon Mullen, who anchored the defense with six tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a 46-yard interception return.

Rarely have two teams dominated college football more than Alabama and Clemson did during the 2018 season. Alabama began the year ranked number one in the country. Clemson reached the number two ranking nine weeks into the season. Both teams went 13-0 during the regular season. In the four-team College Football Playoff that began on December 29, second-ranked Clemson easily dispatched third-ranked Notre Dame 30-3 at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. Top seed Alabama jumped out early against fourth-ranked Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida, and held on for a 45-34 win to set up the national championship title game.

This was the fourth straight year that Alabama and Clemson have faced each other in the College Football Playoff, and the third time they have matched up in the national championship. Alabama defeated Clemson in the 2016 title game. Clemson beat Alabama to win the championship in 2017. In 2018, Alabama took out Clemson in the playoff before defeating Georgia in the title game.

January 9, 2018

Last night, on January 8, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide needed a magnificent performance by an unlikely hero to grind out a second half comeback and a 26-23 overtime victory over the University of Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The victory gave Alabama head coach Nick Saban an unprecedented fifth national football championship in the past nine years. The win also established the Crimson Tide as the first great college football dynasty of the 21^st century.

Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith catches a 41-yard touchdown pass in overtime to give the Crimson Tide a 26-23 victory over Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 8, 2018. Credit: © Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

Up against a stout Georgia defense, Alabama trailed 13-0 at halftime. But Alabama’s top-ranked defense kept the game within reach, stunting the Bulldog’s vaunted running game and twice intercepting Georgia freshman quarterback Jake Fromm. To start the second half, Saban pulled sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts, who had started most of Alabama’s games during the season. Saban sent in freshman backup Tua Tagovailoa, and the Hawaiian quarterback quickly led a third quarter touchdown drive to close the gap to 13-7. Georgia struck back with an 80-yard touchdown pass from Fromm to make it 20-7. Alabama notched two field goals to make the score 20-13 before the confident Tagovailoa drove the Crimson Tide downfield for the tying touchdown. Alabama missed a field goal that would have capped their comeback win in regulation time.

Georgia, who had defeated Oklahoma in double overtime in the college championship playoff a week ago, got the ball to start overtime play against the Crimson Tide. The Bulldog drive stalled, but kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made good on a 51-yard field goal. The Alabama possession started off poorly as Tagovailoa was sacked for a 16-yard loss. But on the next play, he hit freshman receiver DeVonta Smith on a 41-yard touchdown pass to complete the epic comeback. The win gave Saban a total of 6 national championships (his first came with Louisiana State University in 2003), equaling the title total of legendary Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

In the four-team college football playoff, Alabama avenged their defeat in last year’s title game by beating the defending national champion Clemson Tigers 24-6 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. Clemson enjoyed a 12-1 season and had gone into the NCAA playoff ranked number 1 in the country. Alabama went 11-1 during the season, but the team barely made the playoffs as the number 4 seed. Many football fans thought that spot should have gone to 11-2 Ohio State instead. Southeastern Conference champion Georgia (12-1) entered the playoff as the number 3 team against the second-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The Bulldogs needed double overtime to scratch out a thrilling 54-48 victory over the Sooners at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day to set up the national title game. It was the first overtime game in Rose Bowl history.