Round number four. The Alabama Crimson Tide met the Clemson Tigers in the playoffs again. Obviously, the two best teams this season, there was no arguing that there should have been any different teams in this year’s National Championship game.

Alabama was a -5.5 point favorite and many people expected them to easily win the game, but in the first few minutes you could tell it was going to be a long night for the Tide. Their first possession ended terribly in a pick-six that was brought in by A.J. Terrell. Alabama was able to quickly respond with a 62-yd Jerry Jeudy TD catch, but they simply could not keep up with Clemson’s fast scoring. There was never any sort of momentum shift, and the game was one-sided the entire time. The Tigers had 482 total yards on offense, but the defense is where they really shined. The Crimson Tide could not score in the red zone and only converted on 4 of 13 tries on 3rd down. The Tigers also forced two interceptions as well as three fumbles, which the Tide barely managed to recover. These were very influential in the outcome of this game, as they prevented Saban’s from ever establishing a rhythm.

Freshman QB Trevor Lawrence really showed out in this game also, throwing for 350 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers will have a lot riding on him in the next couple of years, which should be successful for him if he continues playing like this. Sophomore RB Travis Etienne also had himself a strong night rushing for 86 yards, two touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown. The MVP’s for the game were Trevor Lawrence on offense and Trayvon Mullen on defense.

It was quite a surprise to see the Tide get routed like this, but that doesn’t mean they are going anywhere anytime soon. They have the No. 1 recruiting class for 2019, so expect both teams to be in contentions for the title next season. The Tigers will lose a majority of the veterans on defense, players that have brought them two national titles and several ACC championships. These will include Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, Tre Lamar, Trayvon Mullen, and Tanner Muse. Now we have to endure eight months without college football; it is not going to be easy, but all of the offseason changes should be pretty entertaining.