The Clemson Tigers are the new kings of college football. Clemson dethroned the Alabama Crimson Tide in spectacular fashion, 34-31 on Monday, January 9.

Trailing 24-14 after three quarters, it seemed as though Clemson’s hopes for victory were slipping away. The lead changed hands twice before Clemson received the ball trailing 31-28 with 2:09 remaining and one last chance, one last prayer to cap off an epic championship game. As time expired, Clemson junior quarterback Deshaun Watson fired a two-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore receiver Hunter Renfrow to seal the victory and put a stamp on an unbelievable game-winning drive.
Raymond James Stadium erupted. Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney received a Gatorade shower from his excited players. Clemson was crowned the new champions of college football.

The College Football Playoff National Championship was one for the ages, one that will be remembered for decades to come and recognized as quite possibly the greatest and most competitive national championship game in history. Here are the facts behind this spectacle of a game:

Not only were the teams ranked numbers 1 and 2 in the nation, but it was also the first rematch of a national championship in the BCS and playoff eras. Last year the roles were reversed, with Alabama capping off their win in the fourth quarter against Clemson.

This is Clemson’s first national championship in 35 years. The Tigers defeated Nebraska in the 1981 National Championship game, their only national championship prior to this season.

Clemson’s win marked only the second time that a team won a national championship game after trailing at halftime. The Tigers trailed Alabama 14-7 at halftime, coming back to win 35-31 with the two teams combining for a total of 45 points in the second half. The only other time this happened was in 2013 when Florida State came back against Auburn.

Prior to this game, Alabama was 97-0 under head coach Nick Saban when holding a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, a streak that was broken after Monday night. Also Saban was handed his first loss in a national championship or any title game (he was 5-0 before Monday). A tough pill to swallow.

Clemson head coach, Dabo Swinney, won a national championship as a wide receiver at Alabama in 1992. Though he may be an Alabama alum, Swinney is certainly proud of his Tigers for beating his old team on the biggest stage in college football.

Auburn is the only team this year to have played both Clemson and Alabama. Clemson topped Auburn, 19-13, in the first week of the season on September 3, and Alabama defeated Auburn, 30-12, in the Iron Bowl on November 26, the final week before bowl season.

Alabama quarterback, Jalen Hurts, was the talk of the season. He would have been the second freshman quarterback to win a national championship in college football history. Jamelle Holieway, the only freshman to quarterback a team to a national title, won the 1985 National Championship with Oklahoma.

The strongest point on Alabama’s team was their defense. This season they accounted for 45 sacks, nine defensive touchdowns, and only allowed 11.8 points on average per game. However, the Tigers were able to roll over the Tide, accounting for over 500 total yards, the most yards given up by Alabama’s defense this season.

This game set the attendance record for Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. 74,512 fans were on hand to witness this incredible game.

This National Championship Game checked off every box for a viewer. It had thrill, it had excitement, it had big plays and big names, but most importantly it had a spectacular victory for an amazing team.