On Monday, January 11, 2016, the number two Alabama Crimson Tide took on the undefeated number one Clemson Tigers in Glendale, Arizona at University of Phoenix Field for the college football National Championship. The game would determine to best of the best of the 2015-2016 college football season.

Alabama, led by head coach Nick Saban, was the underdog to win the game despite having one loss on the year to the Ole Miss Rebels. Alabama running back, Heisman Trophy winner and high first round draft pick, Derrick Henry was hoped to carry the Tide to their sixteenth National Championship and their fourth under Saban. The Tigers, having an undefeated record of 14-0, went into the bowl game hoping to have their first undefeated season in 35 years after going 12-0 in 1981 under head coach Danny Ford. Current head coach, Dabo Swinney, who played and coached football for Alabama in 1989 and and 1995, was announced the Tigers Assistant Wide Receiver Coach in 2003 and has been with the Tigers ever since. After being named the head coach in 2008, he led the Tigers to where they are now, National Championship contenders in 2016.

In the first quarter, Alabama quarterback, Jake Coker, led the charge against Mackensie Alexander and the Clemson defense. After a scoreless first seven minutes of the game, Alabama RB Derrick Henry broke loose scoring the first touchdown of the matchup with a 50 yard rush putting the Tide up 7-0. Shortly after the run by Henry, Clemson quarterback, Deshaun Watson, threw a bullet to WR Hunter Renfrow in the back of the endzone tying the score at 7 all. After getting the ball back and failing to get into the endzone for one last drive of the first quarter, Alabama kicker, Adam Griffith, shanked a 44 yard field goal to keep the score at 7-7. With five seconds left in the first quarter, Watson delivered another strike to Renfrow to bring the first quarter to end with a score of 14-7 Clemson.

Early into the second half after Alabama turned the ball over, Deshaun Watson threw a momentum changing interception to defensive back Eddie Jackson which led to another touchdown from RB Derrick Henry on the one yard line. Prior to getting the ball back, with 37 seconds on the clock, Watson and the Tigers drove down the field completing multiple first down attempts. All of the momentum came to a stop when with six seconds left in the first half, Clemson redshirt freshman kicker Greg Huegel’s 44 yard field goal attempt was tipped and fell short of the goal post failing to get three points on the board for the Tigers.

After a field goal put Clemson up 17-14 early in the third quarter, QB Jake Coker delivered a long touchdown pass to a wide open OJ Howard for Howard’s first touchdown catch of the season. After a couple turnovers and failed possessions, the Tigers drove down to the one yard line and RB Wayne Gallman punched it in for six and be the last score of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter is where all scoring broke loose. After the Tigers turned the ball over on their first drive late in the third, Alabama got the ball to start the fourth where after driving down field with a long pass to WR ArDarius Stewart secured a 33 yard field goal from Griffith to tie the score at 24. This is where things started to get hairy. Instead of kicking the ball off to give the Tigers the ball, the Tide took a gamble with an onside kick, and succeeded. A minute later, Coker threw a beautiful pass to OJ Howard for his second touchdown catch of the game putting the Tide up 31-24. Soon after the touchdown from Alabama, the Tigers could do no more than putting up a field goal to make it 31-27 Alabama. Clemson kicked it off to senior RB Kenyan Drake and what do you know, he takes it back for a touchdown putting the Tide up 38-27 with four minutes to go. After the kick return, Watson threw a touchdown pass to Artavis Scott to make the score 38-33. Soon after, the Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry punched in his third touchdown of the night putting the Tide up 45-33. After a touchdown pass from Watson to Jordan Leggett, the score was 45-40 and Clemson did what any other team would, and kicked an onside kick. But to no prevail, Alabama recovered leading them to their sixteenth national championship and fourth under Nick Saban. Although Clemson lost the game, QB Deshaun Watson had a historic night having a record breaking 478 total yards. Alabama RB Derrick Henry finished with another record breaking feat with 158 rushing yards on 36 carries along with three touchdowns. This game put him on top as Alabama’s leading rusher of all time surpassing Shaun Alexander who had the current record of 3,565 yards in 1998.