Before January 9, 2017, there seemed to be three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Alabama winning the National Championships in college football. The Clemson Tigers, however, were not cowed by the hype over Alabama’s dominance, and soon after walked out of Raymond James Stadium as the new champions of the college football world. The game, an absolute nail-biter, will go down as one of the best National Championship games in college football history.

The buildup to the tilt between the Tide and the Tigers felt very familiar. After the two teams faced off in the National Championship last year, a wild game that Alabama won 45-40, it seemed very possible that Alabama and Clemson would once again go head to head for the title, a possibility that clearly came true. The Tigers, which had gone 13-1 prior to the National Championship, under the leadership of star quarterback Deshaun Watson and head coach Dabo Swinney, cemented its status as a good team, but still appeared an afterthought compared to Alabama. ‘Bama, being the only undefeated team in a power five conference, stayed at number one in the rankings throughout the season. Clemson, meanwhile, despite a heartbreaking upset loss to Pittsburgh, always found itself in the thick of the playoff picture.

Both Clemson and Alabama came into the title game fresh off dominant wins in the semifinals. Alabama, in its 24-7 drubbing of Washington, displayed perhaps the greatest strength of its team—the defense—by snuffing out any life in the Washington offense after allowing an early touchdown. Clemson, known primarily for its offensive star power, had a strong defensive showing against Ohio State that propelled the team to victory. The Tigers blanked the Buckeyes 31-0, completely stymying Ohio State’s offense. These commanding wins would set up the heavyweight clash between the two top ranked teams in the nation.

The National Championship game, which featured a wild comeback, circus catches, and late game heroics, certainly did not disappoint. Alabama’s defense had Clemson’s number for much of the game, only giving up its first points when Deshaun Watson ran in a touchdown midway through the second quarter. Capitalizing on the opportunities set up by the defense, Alabama’s offense scored the first fourteen points of the ballgame. Bo Scarbrough, Alabama’s workhorse back, appeared to be a man on a mission in the first half. His bruising running style proved too much for the Clemson defense, as he had two long touchdown runs.

Unfortunately, for Alabama, Scarbrough would go down later in the game with a broken bone in his right leg, and would not return, a critical loss for its offense. Still, Alabama managed to enter the fourth quarter with a 24-14 lead over Clemson.

In the fourth quarter, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson truly proved his mettle as a Heisman trophy finalist and a future NFL player, as did his star wide receiver Mike Williams. In the late stages of the game, it seemed like every throw Watson had to make was right on target, and every catch, no matter how difficult, ended up in Williams’ trustworthy hands. The two played a huge part in the impressive twenty-one points the Tigers scored in the final quarter, compared to Alabama’s seven.

Adding to the late game drama, Alabama and Clemson combined to score twenty-one points in just the final five minutes of the game. Clemson’s final score, which would prove to be the deciding play in the game, came with just a single second left on the clock. Watson took the snap, rolled out to his right, and hit tight end Hunter Renfrow for the touchdown that would give Clemson its 35-31 victory.

Radhika Puppala ’17 found this play call somewhat surprising: “When I saw that there were just a few seconds left and that Clemson was down by three, I expected a game-tying field goal. I was really nervous that the time would run out if Clemson did not score and they would lose. Luckily, [the team’s] aggressive strategy paid off!”

Pay off it certainly did, as with the victory, Clemson won its second National Championship in program history, with their championship coming over thirty years ago.

Clemson’s victory over Alabama marks an interruption in Alabama’s dominance, which prompted many to predict that the Tide would repeat as champions this year. These predictions came with good reason, as before this year, Alabama had won four of the past seven National Championships.

Joseph Barr 19’ comments, “I was honestly relieved that a team other than ‘Bama won. While it’s true that they do not win literally every year, they are always in contention and they most certainly win more than any other team does. A change of scenery is always nice.”

While the season may not have gone as intended for Alabama, there is little doubt that next year the Tide will be back with a vengeance. Clemson will lose some key talent to the NFL draft in the offseason, but will most certainly become a hotspot for highly touted high school recruits with the program’s recent success. Overall, the future is bright for both Clemson and Alabama, and Clemson and Alabama could soon form one of college football’s best budding rivalries.

Thus far, Clemson and Alabama’s clashes in the National Championship have made for some thoroughly entertaining football, with each side winning one of these matchups. Whether Clemson vs. Alabama III is a possibility is something that only time will tell.