In a thrilling back-and-forth contest that more than lived up to the hype, Alabama defeated Clemson, 45-40, on Monday to win the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship, the school's fourth national title in seven seasons.
The game featured massive performances from the usual suspects, such as Bama running back Derrick Henry and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. There were also superlative displays from less likely sources, such as Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard and Tigers walk-on freshman Hunter Renfrow.
Fans were also treated to a game that had just one turnover, few penalties and key special teams performances.