Clemson vs. Alabama: 24-point fourth quarter gives Tide fourth title in seven years

Colleen Thomas

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Clemson vs. Alabama: 24-point fourth quarter gives Tide fourth title in seven years image

Alabama and Clemson were knotted at 24 with 10:34 remaining in the game, and up to that point, we thought we had a great game.

Then 40 more points were scored.

MORE: CFP title game in photos  |  Box score  | Everything you need to know about the game

And after all of the highlight-worthy plays, the Crimson Tide put on a magical fourth-quarter performance to beat the Tigers, 45-40, in the national title game Monday night.

Alabama used trickeration to complete an onside kick and Kenyan Drake took a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. O.J. Howard converted a crucial third down late in the game that led to Derrick Henry's touchdown that all but sealed the win. Jake Coker looked like more than a game manager, flinging a prayer to ArDarius Stewart that set up a field goal and breaking some ankles on his way to the first-down marker. 

The Tide are on top for the fourth time in seven years.

Relive the fantastic game:

12:32 —  We'll leave you with this beautiful image: Nick Saban smiling.

12:17 —  The onside kick goes out of bounds. Victory formation for the Tide. ALABAMA WINS, 45-40.

12:15 —  There's still hope for Clemson. Deshaun Watson hits Jordan Leggett for a 24-yard touchdown and makes it a 45-40 game. If this score stands, there will be a lot of angry bettors (Alabama was -7 ).

12:08 —  After review, Derrick Henry's touchdown stands. A good second effort by the Heisman winner, and that about seals it for the Tide. Alabama takes a 45-33 lead with just over a minute remaining.

12:01 —  What a killer play call. O.J. Howard escapes the Clemson defense again and goes 63 yards. Cover. This. Man. Fun fact: Howard had 260 yards all of last season (2014) and has 208 tonight. 

11:55 —  Clemson ain't dead. The Tigers march down the field and get a touchdown, but Deshaun Watson can't quite reach the end zone for the two-point conversion. Alabama's lead is down to five, 38-33. Let's see what Clemson's defense is made of.

11:52 —  The pylon cam is pretty cool, guys.

11:47 — There's that SEC speed. After Kenyan Drake shimmied out of a tackle, there was no way anybody was catching him. Big-time special teams play right there. Alabama leads 38-27.

11:43 — The Tigers recover quickly but can only manage a field goal. The Tide lead, 31-27.

11:36 —  Alabama wastes no time. O.J. Howard was wide open...AGAIN!

11:33 —  TRICKERATION! Alabama executes a perfect onside kick and the Tide get the ball on the 50.

11:29 —  How ArDarius Stewart made that catch, we'll never know. Jake Coker's 38-yard pass sets up a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at 24. We've got a good one, folks.

11:13 —  Clemson is 51-0 when leading heading into the fourth quarter. Can they make it 52? We'll find out in 15 minutes!

11:01 —  Wayne Gallman brought his own guts, goes head on into Alabama's defense and gets into the end zone. Touchdown, Clemson. Tigers up, 24-21.

10:58 —  This is what you look like when Deshaun Watson scrambles for a first down.

10:42 —  Another beautiful throw by Deshaun Watson, but this one falls incomplete. Clemson settles for a 37-yard field goal and the lead is cut to four. 21-17, Alabama.

10:35 —  Now might be a great time to remind you that Mackensie Alexander is out with a hamstring injury. Clemson really needed its star CB on that last play.

10:32 —  Coverage. Blown. O.J. Howard was wiiiiiiide open. Tide lead, 21-14.

10:26 —  Remember when I said the refs were good? Oops. They definitely botched stopping the clock at the end of the half.

10:23 —  So, about that Hunter Renfrow guy who caught two touchdowns in the first half... Well, he's a walk-on and Clemson's backup punter. Get to know him . I bet he has another big catch or two in the second half.

10:04 — HALFTIME: Clemson 14, Alabama 14. We've got a fun second half ahead.

10:03 — After some questionable clock non-stoppage, Clemson tries a 44-yard field goal and it falls short. DJ Pettway got a finger on the ball, just enough to knock it off course.

9:56 —  The Tigers' defensive line is eating up Alabama's offensive line. Clemson has four sacks in the first half and is getting lots of pressure on Jake Coker.

9:43 — Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander is down and holding his left hamstring, a different hammy that had been injured before. He leaves the game, a huge loss for the Tigers.

9:38 —  Well done, @nick_pants. Well done.

9:32 — Derrick Henry: Wash, rinse, repeat. He punches it in from the one and the game is all tied up at 14.

9:24 — There's the first mistake of the evening. Eddie Jackson undercuts the receiver and intercepts Deshaun Watson. Just a few inches higher and that's a touchdown, but a turnover is just what Bama needed.

9:13 — Barely two minutes later, Clemson strikes again. Hunter Renfrow snags another Deshaun Watson pass for a touchdown. He's ready for his close-up. Tigers up 14-7 after one quarter.

9:11 —  Alabama tries a 44-yard field goal and it's wide right. Clemson will take over on its own 27-yard line.

9:00 —  And Clemson answers! Deshaun Watson perfectly places the ball between two defenders and find Hunter Renfrow in the end zone. What a nice throw. After that 31-yard touchdown pass, the game is tied at 7.

Need another angle? Because I do. That was purty.

8:52 — What. A. Monster. Derrick Henry breaks a tackle and takes it to the house, and Alabama goes up 7-0 after his 50-yard touchdown run. There's a reason he won the Heisman Trophy.

8:37 — The refs made a good call, offsides on Clemson. A promising start. These are Pac 12 refs, FWIW.

8:33 — Clemson wins the toss and defers. Jake Coker and Alabama's offense is up first. Let's go!

8:31 — You tell 'em, Dabo! That even got me fired up.

8:22 — You don't say? Corso went 5-10 on headgear picks this year.

8:03 —  Here are some cool #statnuggets for your CFP championship game watch party.

8:00 —  Who's antsy? I'm antsy for this game to start, but this piece from Matt Hayes on how to beat Alabama is holding me over. 

7:42 —  Great news for Clemson. The defense needs these guys.

7:30 — We're an hour from kickoff, so let's start off with a primer. Here are the key numbers that make the matchup.

Colleen Thomas

Colleen Thomas Photo

Colleen Thomas is an Associate Editor at Sporting News. She joined Sporting News in 2014.