Defending champion Alabama looked to continue a decade of success, which includes winning two of the last three titles and seven straight trips to Football's Final Four. The Tide rolled into the 2018-2019 tournament as top seed, and ready to repeat as champion.
The selection of the tourney teams included only one narrow decision, with LSU narrowly ahead of Florida for the last at-large slot, despite their loss to UF in Gainesville in the regular season.
ESPN predicted an Alabama repeat title, emerging over second seed Clemson, with Georgia and Ohio State joining them in Football's Final Four:
But, time to play it out on the field:
FIRST ROUND:
Atlanta (Georgia Tech, Bobby Dodd Stadium): #10 Louisiana State 40, #7 Central Florida 32
Central Florida looked to repeat their amazing run from the previous season, in which the Knights beat Auburn, then #1 Clemson in the Orange Bowl, before giving all eventual champion Alabama wanted for a half in Football's Final. This year, a win over LSU would provide another chance for 12-0 UCF to take on Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Early, that possibility looked probable as the Knights returned a pick six in the first quarter to take a 14-3 lead over LSU. But Tiger QB Joe Burrow, after taking a viscous hit on the interception, went on to dominate. Three Burrow TD passes provided a 24-14 LSU lead, although the Knights' Gabriel Davis 32 yard pass from Darriel Mack Jr. cut the lead to 24-21 with four seconds left in the half.
But in the second half, Burrow, who finished 21/34 for 394 yards, with four TD passes and the single interception, dominated, leading LSU to a 40-24 margin. UCF narrowed the margin to 40-32 with 2:24 to go on Taj McGowan's two-yard run, followed by Mack's pass to Otis Anderson for two-point conversion. But LSU was never threatened, ending Central Florida's undefeated season. Next up for the Tigers, the #2 Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl.
Pullman, Washington: #9 Washington 29, #8 Michigan 15
Both Big Ten at-large team #8 Michigan (10-2) and Pac-12 champion #9 Washington (10-3) returned to the tournament two years removed from being top six seeds. This season, they would play a First Round game for a trip to the Sugar Bowl game against top-seeded Alabama. Michigan started the scoring on Donovan Peoples-Jones 9-yard touchdown reception from Shea Patterson. The Huskies answered in the first quarter on Drew Sample's 2-yard touchdown reception from running back Myles Gaskin. In the second quarter, Michigan's 48-yard field goal by Jake Moody provided the Wolverines' 10-7 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, the only scoring was Washington's 38-yard field goal by Peyton Henry. Tied at 10-10, it looked like a tight game to come. However, the Huskies dominated the fourth, with two Gaskin TD runs, and the Wolverines giving up a Jake Browning TD pass to a wide open receiver to seal the victory. Just as the temperature on the field was dropping, it seemed like UW was just heating up. Michigan's field goal and safety off a blocked punt could not match the hot Huskies, and Washington prevailed 29-15. Next up, a Washington-Alabama re-match from two season's ago in Football's Final Four.
BOWL QUARTERFINALS:
Peach Bowl: #1 Alabama 38, #9 Washington 23
Washington coach Chris Peterson's Boise State teams were known for high powered trickery, and tournament success, culminating with an appearance in the National Championship game loss in 2009-2010. After a loss to Alabama in Football's Final Four 24-15 two seasons ago, certainly the Huskies would pull out gimmicks galore to turn the Tide. Alas, Washington's entertainment quotient was notably unspectacular for the second time meeting Nick Saban and crew.
Number one from day one, Alabama burst to a big lead early in the Peach Bowl. Two Tua Tagovailoa TD passes and a Josh Jacobs TD run provided a 21-3 Tide lead at the end of the first quarter, and a Joseph Bulovas field goal gave Bama a 24-3 halftime lead. Damien Harris' TD run in the third provided the Alabama 31-9 lead going into the final frame. The defenses loosened up in the fourth quarter, but Alabama was in charge, with the scoreboard showing 38-23 by the final frame. An eighth consecutive appearance in Football's Final Four awaits a rolling Crimson Tide.
Sugar Bowl: #4 Oklahoma 28, #5 Georgia 21
The Georgia and Oklahoma match-up was highly anticipated, with many expecting the Bulldogs earning another chance to dethrone Alabama. However, both teams seemed to continue the momentum of their conference championship games. Whereas Oklahoma (12-1) avenged their only regular season loss to Texas with a 12-point win, Georgia's (11-2) 14-point lead over Alabama collapsed with a 35-28 loss.
Oklahoma jumped out to a 14-0 lead by early in the second quarter, largely because of Georgia's mistakes on special teams and offense. Carson Meier 11 yard TD pass reception from Kyler Murray in the first frame was followed by a CeeDee Lamb 11 yard TD pass reception from Murray in the second quarter. Georgia attempted to get back into the game with a methodical 12-play drive that ended with Jake Fromm finding Brian Herrien for a 17-yard touchdown, but the Sooners still took a 14-7 advantage into halftime.
Sooner QB Murray used his legs for a 33 yard TD run for the only scoring in the third quarter to push the lead to 21-7. Bulldog QB Fromm completed 20 of 34 passes for 212 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Georgia scored a touchdown with 14 seconds left to pull within 28-21 but Oklahoma recovered the ensuing onside kick. After a year away, Oklahoma returns to Football's Final Four in Houston to face Alabama.
Orange Bowl: #2 Clemson 30, #10 Louisiana State 7
After a shocking Orange Bowl loss to Central Florida last season as top seed, would #2 Clemson (13-0) be up to the task against #10 seed, SEC at-large LSU (10-3)?
With the apparent upgrade at QB, Tiger true freshman Trevor Lawrence seemed quite comfortable on the tournament's big stage. Following a 40-yard Clemson field goal by Greg Huegel, a Justyn Ross 52-yard touchdown reception from Lawrence provided a 10-0 first quarter lead. The second quarter featured another Huegel field goal and a Ross 42-yard touchdown reception from Lawrence, while the Clemson defense pitched a first half shut-out on LSU.
In the third quarter, LSU's Tigers finally broke through on a Ja'Marr Chase 9 yard pass from Joe Burrow. However, Clemson's Tigers added another field goal and a Tee Higgins 19-yard touchdown reception from Lawrence, to take a 30-7 lead into the final quarter. The score remained the same at the final gun, and Clemson returns to their third Football's Final Four in four seasons.
Rose Bowl: #6 Ohio State 20, #3 Notre Dame 9
Though a Pac-12/Big Ten match-up is officially the Rose Bowl's optimum match-up, having undefeated Notre Dame (12-0) visit Pasadena to meet Ohio State (12-1) certainly will add smiles to the Tournament of Roses Committee.
Irish eyes were also smiling early, as Notre Dame started the scoring on a 28-yard field goal by Justin Yoon, the only points of the first frame. After this drive, however, the Buckeyes defense covered ND QB Ian Book like a book jacket, under constant pressure. The Buckeyes owned the second quarter, with Parris Campbell's 12-yard touchdown reception from Dwayne Haskins, Johnnie Dixon's 19-yard touchdown reception from Haskins, and Blake Haubeil's field goal, and Ohio State dotted the "i" at halftime with a 17-3 lead.
Haubeil's field goal upped the OSU margin to 20-3 in the third, then Yoon added two field goals in the fourth quarter, and the Irish undefeated season came to an end, 20-9.
THE SEMI-FINALS, FOOTBALL'S FINAL FOUR, HOUSTON
#1 Alabama 45, #4 Oklahoma 34
This season's Alabama juggernaut has yet to be stopped, and Oklahoma's shaky defense sure wasn't going to get in the way. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns and No. 1-ranked Alabama beat #4 Oklahoma 45-34. The high-scoring Sooners reached the semifinal despite a porous defense that was no match for Alabama's diverse attack, and the defending champion Crimson Tide led 28-0 after only 17 minutes. Alabama advanced to the national championship game for the fourth consecutive season and will play in Santa Clara, California.
Tagovailoa's performance argued for a recount in the Heisman Trophy vote. He finished as the runner-up to Oklahoma's Kyler Murray but won sweet consolation by completing 24 of 27 passes, with scores to four receivers. "It's always good to see your hard work pay off," said Tagovailoa, who played on a sore left ankle. While Tagovailoa connected on his first nine passes for 184 yards, Murray was sacked twice before he threw a pass, and his first completion came with his team already down 21-0. "The slow start got us beat," Murray said. "It's tough to come back from that."
#2 Clemson 30, #6 Ohio State 6
Clemson and Ohio State faced off in the nightcap, but the Tigers were far from sleepy. Running back Travis Etienne's 62-yard touchdown run, and Greg Huegel's field goal provided a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. In the second, Etienne added a three-yard touchdown run, the Tigers continued their shut-out, and Clemson was up 17-0 at the half.
In the third quarter, the Buckeyes finally broke through on J. K. Dobbins 3-yard touchdown run, but Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins and Huegel added two field goals, and the Tigers lead 30-6 into the final quarter. That is how it ended, and the top two seeds will face off for the championship in Santa Clara.
THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, SANTA CLARA: #2 Clemson 44, #1 Alabama 16
Nine tournament games, and the top-two undefeated seeds were left standing: Defending champion Alabama and previous champion Clemson.
With stunning ease -- and a freshman quarterback -- Clemson toppled college football's greatest dynasty again to become a perfect tournament champion. Trevor Lawrence passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns and the second-ranked Tigers beat No. 1 Alabama 44-16 in the College Football National Championship game.
"I mean, our guys had the eye of the tiger, but I'm so proud, and then for our seniors to be able to go out undefeated and truly be the best ever -- there was a lot of talk about best ever all year long," Swinney said, talking about Alabama. "We were never in that conversation. But tonight, there's no doubt. Undefeated, to beat LSU, Ohio State, and to beat Alabama to do it, led by an unbelievable group of seniors, amazing group. I'm just thankful to be a part of it."
Two seasons ago it was Deshaun Watson dethroning the Tide with a last-second touchdown pass. Clemson's new star quarterback did not need the late-game heroics. The long-haired Lawrence cut though Alabama's defense with the help of another fabulous freshman. Justyn Ross made a juggling grab, a one-handed snare and broke a 74-yard touchdown about midway through the third quarter that made it 37-16 and had Swinney high-stepping down the sidelines.
Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa threw two crucial interceptions in the first half, the first returned 44 yards for a touchdown by A.J. Terrell to put Clemson up 7-0. The Tide came in scoring 48 points per game, but was shut out over the final 44 minutes by an opportunistic Clemson defense. Nick Saban lamented numerous mistakes: blown coverages on third down (Clemson was 10 for 15), stall outs in the red zone and special teams mishaps, including a fake field goal that flopped on the first possession of the second half.
Lawrence finished 20 for 32, and went 18 for 25 for 277 yards over the final three quarters. The teenager who took over as the starter four games into the season raised the Tigers' play, giving them an explosive offense to match a suffocating defense, led by All-American linemen Clelin Ferrell and Wilkins.
"Just these seniors, just taking me in, and they kind of dragged me along until I got my feet under me, and they just -- they're awesome people as well as players," said Lawrence. Clemson hit Alabama with a 31-point first half, capitalizing on the Tide's mistakes and unleashing Lawrence's rocket arm.
"Our goal is not to win a national championship. People don't believe that. Our goal is to win the closer right there. The national championship is just a byproduct of that. It's never been my goal," said Swinney. "I don't measure teams by that, and I know we've got some rabid people that that drives them crazy, but I measure our team based on did we get better, did we reach our potential."
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