Any national championship win is special, but what Clemson did on Monday night in Santa Clara was emphatic.
The Tigers dominated Alabama in all facets, winning by a final score of 44-16. Trevor Lawrence was magnificent all night long, finishing 20-for-32 for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Clemson’s national championship win was Dabo Swinney’s second at the school, and the Tigers’ second win over Alabama in four years.
FULL ALABAMA VS. CLEMSON STATS
Scroll below for anything you may have missed from Clemson’s impressive victory at Levi’s Stadium.
Here were the semifinals:
Going into this year's College Football Playoff, three of the four programs in the semifinals have won titles since 2000. With the Tigers and the Tide winning, the two met for the fourth year in a row in the College Football Playoff (three times for the title, once in a semifinal).
MORE: Alabama-Clemson series history | College football rankings
National Championship Game: History, scores
This is the fifth year of the College Football Playoff. Alabama is the only school to win more than once, with the Tide winning in 2015 and 2017. Before the CFP, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) had two teams meet for the BCS title.
MORE: College football teams with the most national championships
College Football Playoff era
| Year | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Alabama | 26-23 | Georgia | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| 2017 | Clemson | 35-31 | Alabama | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. |
| 2016 | Alabama | 45-40 | Clemson | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. |
| 2015 | Ohio State | 42-20 | Oregon | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
MORE: How every conference has fared in this season's bowl games | College football bowl schedule, TV channels
BCS era
| Year | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Florida State | 34-31 | Auburn | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. |
| 2013 | Alabama | 42-14 | Notre Dame | Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. |
| 2012 | Alabama | 21-0 | LSU | Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans |
| 2011 | Auburn | 22-19 | Oregon | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. |
| 2010 | Alabama | 37-21 | Texas | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Cali. |
| 2009 | Florida | 24-14 | Oklahoma | Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardena, Fla. |
| 2008 | LSU | 38-24 | Ohio State | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans |
| 2007 | Florida | 41-14 | Ohio State | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. |
| 2006 | Texas | 41-38 | Southern California | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. |
| 2005 | Southern California* | 55-19 | Oklahoma | Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardena, Fla. |
| 2004 | LSU | 21-14 | Oklahoma | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans |
| 2003 | Ohio State | 31-24 (OT) | Miami | Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Fla. |
| 2002 | Miami | 37-14 | Nebraska | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. |
| 2001 | Oklahoma | 13-2 | Florida State | Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. |
| 2000 | Florida State | 46-29 | Virginia Tech | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans |
| 1999 | Tennessee | 23-16 | Florida State | Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Fla. |
*-Vacated
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