Love wins for Clemson

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney knew his team had an edge in Monday night’s College Football Playoff Championship Game rematch against Alabama.

“I told them tonight the difference in the game is going to be love,” Swinney told ESPN’s Samantha Ponder after the Tigers’ last-second 35-31 win over the Crimson Tide, his alma mater. “We’re going to win because we love each other.”

That emotion-fueled incentive helped pull Clemson (14-1) through a frantic fourth quarter, capped off by quarterback Deshaun Watson’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow to defeat top-ranked Alabama (14-1), avenge last year’s 45-40 title game loss to the Tide, and deny Bama and coach Nick Saban an unprecedented fifth championship in eight seasons.

“I couldn’t hear the crowd,” Watson said about the final touchdown. “I just felt at peace.”

Watson, who took a beating all night from a tough Alabama defense, came through in the final quarter, where the lead changed hands three times. The junior quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up, who graduated early and will head to the NFL next year, passed for 420 yards and three touchdowns.

“You know, I never got the sense that he was rattled,” said Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen, who helped lead a defense that sacked Watson four times, often with cringe-inducing hits.

But Watson’s game-winning toss to Renfrow wasn’t without controversy. Renfrow, a former walk-on receiver, slipped away from the Bama defense with the help of some traffic created by teammate Artavis Scott, who ran into defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.

“If you watch the ending, the slot receiver actually cut Minkah,” Alabama linebacker Tim Williams said. “Usually, on a pick route, you’re not supposed to chop somebody. You’re supposed to pick them. The guy there just chopped Minkah down, but it’s football.”

But the Bama coach wouldn’t blame the loss on the officials.

“Look, there’s not one play in the game that makes a difference in a game,” Saban said. “We could have done a lot of things a lot better.”

With his incredible record of success (five national championships at two schools), Saban is arguably one of the best coaches in college football history, but Swinney, known for his exuberance and enthusiasm, has earned a reputation for building success through the motivation of his players.

“I talked to them about letting the light inside of them always be brighter than the light that shines on them,” Swinney said about his pregame pep talk. “And if they focused on that, they’d be OK.”

Swinney also took time during Monday night’s postgame celebration to thank former Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips for taking a chance on an inexperienced assistant coach eight years ago.

“Only God can do this,” the outspoken Christian coach said, recognizing his humble beginnings growing up in Alabama, followed by walking-on as a player for the Tide, and working his way up through the coaching ranks at Alabama and Clemson, with a couple of years of selling real estate in between.

“Eight years ago we set out to put Clemson back on top,” Swinney said. “We came up a little short last year, but today on top of the mountain, the Clemson flag is flying.”

The title is Clemson’s second ever. The Tigers finished atop the polls and were named national champions in 1981.