Clemson Wins it All!
- Elliott Antler
- Jan 10, 2017
- 2 min read
The 2017 College Football Playoff will go down in history as one of the most remarkable college football games ever played. The rematch. Alabama vs. Clemson. Number one against number two. One undefeated. One loss for the other.
With perfection on the line, would Alabama be able to take home their second straight college football national championship and go down as one of the best teams in program history? Or would Clemson play the role of the spoiler and take home their first ever national championship? These were just some of the remarkable story lines leading up to the title game.
The culminating game was set to take place on January 9th, 2017 in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Clemson played an outstanding game against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl in the semi finals. They managed to shut the Buckeyes out 31-0. Likewise, Alabama looked phenomenal as they handled number four Washington and took it to them 24-7.
The headline was set and the two powerhouses were ready to dance for eternal glory. Only one could go down in history as the 2017 CFP National Champion. You could sense that nerves were high as both teams came out a little slow. Alabama started with a three and out, followed by a Clemson failed fourth down conversion.
As the tensions settled, Alabama struck first on a Bo Scarbrough 25-yeard touch down run. Alabama then scored again and found themselves in control up 14-0. Clemson responded with a touchdown of their own with 6 minutes left in the second quarter making the score 14-7. The score would remain that way entering halftime.
After the slow first half, both teams found their groves and were striking on all cylinders. Clemson received the ball the start the second half, but turned it over immediately on a fumble. This ensued an Alabama field and extending their lead to 17-7. Alabama found themselves up 24-14 entering the final quarter and looking to seal the deal on their second straight National Championship.
Not so fast. Clemson scored on the third play of the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 24-21. The Tigers then followed this with another score and took their first lead of the game, 28-24. The Tide responded, converting on a huge 4th&1 and alter scoring, taking back the lead 31-28.
With just over two minutes on the clock, Clemson got the ball back looking to make history. After a series of nice plays, Clemson was o the Alabama 26 yard line with 0:19 seconds left in the game. A beautiful ass landed them inside the 10-yard line. After multiple attempts towards the end zone and an interference penalty, with just one second remaining Clemson had a shot to take down Goliath. A beautifully designed pass play scored Clemson the game-winning touchdown! What a game!
Many agree that this will go down in the record books as one of the best, if not the best, National Championship games ever. Congrats to the Clemson Tigers and Dabo Swinney on the schools first National Championship. Look for Alabama to bounce back strong next year and Clemson to defend their title. Who knows, we might even see a rubber match.
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