That was about as good of a national championship game as you could have hoped for. With five lead changes, Alabama and Clemson were clearly well matched as the two best teams in the country this season. The game wasn't decided until the final failed Clemson onside kick, which ended its comeback attempt.
It was a one-score game until Kenyan Drake's 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, which moved the score to 38-27 with 7:31 left in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, it was a back-and-forth explosive slugfest throughout the night. Special teams ended up as the critical difference between two otherwise equal opponents.