Clemson stifled Alabama and Nick Saban’s pro ready machine with freshman sensation Trevor Lawrence and a vicious defensive effort.
Before Clemson shocked the college football world and smashed Alabama 44-16 in the 2019 College Football Playoffs National Championship game, the anticipation and hype surrounded the two young, exceptional quarterback prospects.
Clemson beats Alabama to win the 2019 CFB National Championship pic.twitter.com/xHige2Rlft
— Baller Alert 🚨 (@balleralert) January 8, 2019
By the time the game ended, Clemson phenom Trevor Lawrence had made history as the first true freshman to start and win a college football national championship game in 33 years.
#nationsbest #shoutout to Trevor Lawrence & @clemsonfb beating @alabamafbl 44-16 to win the #Natty. Trevor Lawrence, a true freshman QB, lit up the Crimson Tide going 20-32, 347yds passing with 3 TD'S to be named Offensive MVP of the @cfbplayoff championship.
@coverthreeCTE pic.twitter.com/LmBrdc4FjI— Nationsbest Football (@NationsBestFB) January 8, 2019
Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, who stormed the college scene by leading Alabama to a dramatic 26-23 OT, comeback win over Georgia in last year’s national title game, looked very human on Monday night. The classic battle between the two leading 2019 Heisman candidates ended up a dud.
Clemson jumped out to a 31-16 halftime lead and never looked back. The offense rolled over an Alabama defense that was supposedly pro ready. Sometimes in games of this magnitude teams can either play like gangbusters or crumble under the pressure. Clemson soared and Alabama faltered.
Entering this game, Tua Tagovailoa had 4 interceptions this season. Now he has 6. https://t.co/xNOJAU3Hwq
— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) January 8, 2019
If we are going to call Nick Saban The GOAT and credit him for dominating college football for the past decade by putting the best talent in the country on the field, then we have to call this blowout loss to Dabo Swinney and Clemson one of the worst losses of Saban’s Hall of Fame career.
It’s actually Swinney’s second national championship win over Alabama. In 2016, Clemson and Deshuan Watson, whose records Lawrence shattered as a four-year starter at Cartersville, defeated Alabama 35-31 in a scintillating comeback win.
If not for Tua’s unexpected heroics last seasson, Saban would be looking at losses in the last three national title games.
It got so bad on Monday night that Jalen Hurts was inserted into the game. Trailing by such a large margin, it was obvious that with 11 minutes left in the game, Saban was waving the white flag by allowing Hurtsto finish out the game.
Nice gesture by Saban, but it was his only power move of the night. Everything else was all Clemson.
