Roll, Tigers! Clemson's Last-Sec Heroics Claim the CFP Title
Published on 10-Jan-2017 by Alan Adamsson
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Didn't we just see this a few weeks ago?
It wasn't in the Pittsburgh game. That one didn't work out so well for Dabo Sweeney's crew.
But the Tigers were undefeated up until then.
That's because of their high-wire act against Florida State that served as an eerie peek into the future:
But it was an accurate one.
After last season's 45-40 loss to Alabama in the CFP championship, Clemson clearly entered this rematch confident they could not only hang with the inevitable tide, they could light 'em up, too.
It took a few quarters, but then ...
Controversial, but consistent. That was Clemson's second TD of the game via drive-by.
Meanwhile, as if there was any remaining doubt, this 35-31 classic squashed it:
The perjorative -ing is no more.
More pertinently, resident diesel Bo Scarborough was no more after this tackle in the third quarter:
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Broken leg. Dude had lugged the pigskin -- sans pig, of course -- for 93 yards on 16 carries to that point, scoring a pair of touches in the process.
Suffice to say, he was sorely missed.
The Tigers were fortunate the same wasn't said about Watson after his helicopter ride:
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Caveat emptor pick plays weren't the only occasions when refs swallowed their whistles. For example, this wasn't the only incident where the Tide's ferocious defense coulda been called for targeting and an ejection:
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Mike Williams returned to make awesome catches, and Watson picked a prime time to increase his draft stock.
Alabama, on the other hand, is returning to Tuscaloosa to reload.
That's more than Lane Kiffin can say at Florida Atlantic. However, his recruiting pitch will no doubt include the fact that he was undefeated as the OC at 'Bama.
It'll be a start. Just like another Tide winning streak. And Clemson's celebrations on into the night.
Click on a photo to enlarge.
