What I can't apologize for is the incredible emotions I've felt since last Monday. From the feelings leading up to the National Championship to the heartbreak as the final seconds ticked off to the pride I took in my university in the immediate days after.
Unparalleled.
That's the only way to describe it. I've never felt all the feels like I have in the past six days. As for the game, I guess this is what I can offer up at this point.
1) The nation wanted a great championship and the nation got it. Clemson and Alabama went back-and-forth for the better part of all four quarters. When the Tide landed a punch, the Tigers answered with an uppercut. The knockout blow came partway through the fourth quarter when Nick Saban called the greatest onside kick in the history of football. The air was let out of the orange sideline, if only for a few minutes. Those few minutes were the difference in the game. A 24-21 Clemson lead was suddenly 38-27 Alabama.
2) For all the doubters who believed a little ole ACC team couldn't hang with big, bad Alabama and the SEC, I have one thing to say: Sorry, not sorry. Clemson is for real. Deshaun Watson is the truth. Wayne Gallman is a beast. Brent Venables has worked wonders on the defense. The Tigers were just as strong as the Crimson Tide. Saban said it himself, and I'm paraphrasing here, "We needed to do something to change the momentum of the game. We didn't feel like we would win if we didn't call the onside kick. We were tired on defense and they were beating us at the point of attack."
Clemson fans have been clamoring for respect all year. We've been ranked No. 1, but were underdogs in our final two games and 99% of you picked against us in the Playoff games. Many picked North Carolina, or at least said to watch out for the upset, in the ACC title game. Sorry, but we're not sorry. We're here and we proved on the game's biggest stage that we can go toe-to-toe with the best of the best. Deal with it.
3) Jake Coker was much better than I thought he would be. Granted, it's easy to have the kind of game he had statistically when your unannounced tight end is streaking wide open down the field multiple times. But there were two key plays Coker converted. The first was a deep pass on third and long down the right sideline where he dropped a pass in the bucket for a huge conversion. The second was with his legs, scrambling and barely getting a first down inside the five yard-line, which ultimately led to the touchdown that proved to be the game winner.
4) I didn't think the Tigers D would miss Mackensie Alexander that much based on the reports of a bum hamstring. Boy, was I wrong. When Alexander went out, Alabama exploited a weakness in the Clemson secondary. It wasn't necessarily that his replacement couldn't cover anyone. It was the leadership Alexander provided on the field and his ability to make sure other guys were in position. With him gone, there were times the secondary looked utterly confused, and that was evident with the many busted coverages.
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| My brother and me at the National Championship. |
5) Tiger Nation showed up to the desert in huge numbers. We arrived Saturday evening and went straight to downtown Phoenix where all the festivities were ongoing. There was orange everywhere. Pockets of crimson were swallowed up by Tiger fans doing the Cadence Count. Two-dollar bills were dropped at nearly every bar and restaurant around town. At the game, it was loud. Clemson Loud. I'd say Clemson fans outnumbered Alabama inside the stadium 60-40, perhaps more. If the Tigers are able to make the Playoff next season and are fortunate enough to play in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta for the semifinal and win, expect Tampa Bay's stadium - the site of the championship game next year - to be 75% orange. Or more.
6) We ran into several Alabama fans after the game who were as complimentary as they could be. They said things such as, "You guys kicked our tails and we're lucky to be holding the trophy," and, "I can't believe we needed special teams to beat y'all. Clemson was impressive. Deshaun Watson is unreal. We have the Heisman Trophy winner and I'm not sure he was the best player on the field tonight." They had many more nice things to say about rooting for Dabo and how nicely they were treated by Clemson fans all weekend. It was pretty surreal to hear that from a fan base that is at the top of the mountain in college football.
7) I'm wrapping this up a little early than usual, but my final thought is this: I have never been a part of a season like this in my young life. At 29 years old, I witnessed a multitude of awesomeness from those student-athletes sporting the Tiger Paw. An undefeated regular season for the first time in my lifetime. A second ACC championship in five years. A first-time Playoff game in the tournament's second season leading to a second Orange Bowl victory in three years. And a national title appearance, the first since the 1981 season. What a ride this year was. Thank you all for reading my thoughts week in and week out. I'm already looking forward to the 2016 college football season.
But my biggest thanks goes to the team. Thank you for providing me one of the most thrilling rides of my life. Not many people get to experience their alma mater have the kind of season you did, nor do they get to go see their team play for the championship. I fully expect this won't be the last time I get to be on board for something like this and maybe next time we'll get the ultimate trophy. Hey, why not next year? Let's do it again. I'm still #ALLIN! CU in Tampa!
-BtW
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