Scribbler's 11th Hour Post of the Week: Recap of the 2016 CollegeFootball Playoff National Championship

Although I cannot say that I go crazy over NCAA football like I do with the NFL, I still enjoy a thrilling game nonetheless.  I was heartbroken as my favorite team in the land, the Miami Hurricanes, got cheated in 2002 against Ohio State--who I also liked a lot that year.  (I know have friends who are still adamant about not discussing that game.)  Then, despite Matt Leinart's butt-hurt remark about being the "better team", my favorite West Coast team, the USC Trojans, suffered defeat in 2006 at the hands (and feet) of Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns.  Finally, in one of my personal faves in recent memory, Jameis Winston led a thrilling game-winning drive as the Florida State Seminoles triumphed over the Auburn Tigers in 2014 and ended the BCS era in style.  After Ohio State surprisingly dominated Oregon in the inaugural CFP National Championship last year, this year's game between the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 1 Clemson Tigers more than made up for last year's let-down.  I'll try to keep my takes as short as possible.  (Keyword: TRY.)

THIS JUST IN: DERRICK HENRY IS PRETTY DARN GOOD.  I have been a fan of this young man all year long.  Every Crimson Tide game that I've watched, he has often been the saving grace for this team and it was no different last night.  After their first series sputtered, the third run was a charm on the second drive as he ripped off 50 yards to score the game's first points.  By the end of a tied first half, he had 123 yards rushing and two scores and finished the game with 36 carries for 158 yards and three TDs--one of his typical performances and one that was more than fitting of a Heisman Trophy winner.  In the long line of solid Alabama running backs, my hope is that his success in the NFL is more like Shaun Alexander and less like Trent Richardson.

NICK SABAN SAYS, "I FEAR YOU ARE UNDERESTIMATING THE SNEAKINESS."  Okay, so this is actually a quote from the Adam Sandler version of Mr. Deeds, but come on...was anyone surprised that Slick Nick the Ruler would pull a move like going for an onside kick at a pivotal point in a hotly-contested tie game for all the marbles?  Remember the head coach who snuck out the first back door of the Miami Dolphins organization to take one of the most coveted head coaching jobs at one of the most storied schools in college football history?  Yup...same guy.  Anyway, one of the biggest reasons why Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history is because he prepares and practices for every possible scenario--usually more than his counterparts.  Thus, Adam Griffith's onside kick and redshirt freshman CB Marlon Humphrey's recovery, which was specifically practiced on the Friday before the game to exploit Clemson's kick coverage weakness, was just the latest of his carefully devised schemes to gain the competitive advantage on the biggest stage. In this case, it  would lead to a permanent advantage and a fifth national championship for Saban.  So yes...he is very, very sneaky.

ALWAYS BEWARE OF AN O.J. ON THE RUN.   Okay, so you lose a tight end in coverage once and get burned for a 53-yard TD.  No big deal, right?  I'm sure Dabo Swinney probably consoled his defense and said something to the effect of "we'll get 'em next time".  However, how do you explain losing O.J. Howard a second time in coverage for another 50-plus-yard TD?  Now let's give Howard some credit: the brother can run the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, so it's not like he's Jason Witten out there.  Nevertheless, although he ended up being the MVP, he should probably share some of that glory with the Tigers' defense.  MORAL OF THE STORY: when in doubt, always think 1994 and keep your troops on deck.

AND THE DANE COOK "I DID MY BEST" AWARD GOES TO...DESHAUN WATSON.  Look at that face...that's the face of somebody who did everything that he could do to help his team to win, but it still wasn't enough.  Once Alabama drew first blood, Watson and the Tigers answered on the very next drive with a 31-yard TD pass to Hunter Renfrow and then went to the Renfrow well again for an 11-yard score on their next possession after Alabama's Adam Griffith missed a 44-yard field goal to take a 14-7 lead.  However, after he tried to go for the home run shot and Eddie Jackson made him pay to help the Crimson Tide even the score, Watson was on the sideline in early Cam Newton form: punching himself in the chest, towel over his head, distraught over his mistake, resistant to consoling from his teammates.  Nevertheless, every time Alabama thought that they could pull away with big plays from Derrick Henry, O.J. Howard and Kenyan Drake, he tapped into his inner Pimp C and said "Hold up."  Whether it was TD strikes to Artavis Scott and Jordan Leggett or being instrumental in a TD drive capped off by Wayne Gallman as well as two other FG drives, there was no quit in this kid.  Now I have no idea how his game will translate to the next level, but his willingness to attempt to overcome that one mistake made this game worth watching and could serve his future employer well.

BONUS UNCOVERAGE?!?!  Now this had absolutely nothing to do with football, but  I have to address the nonsense regarding Ciara's dress while singing the National Anthem.  So a tweet from Campus Insiders host Bonnie Bernstein that received over 500 likes and hundreds of responses said, "Dear Ciara. You're stunning. But this is a National Championship game. Kids are watching. Cover up."  Of course, her beau Russell Wilson didn't waste much time taking to her defense: "I see you baby!! Sounded amazing and looked flawless in every way!"  Now while I admit that the center of her dress might be a bit risqué and you can see a lil' sumthin' sumthin' from the silhouette underneath if you stare hard enough--and trust me, I played quality control--she has the rest of her body well covered.  Considering the ensembles that I have seen these halftime performers wear at games that kids are also either attending or watching, this is quite mild in comparison.  Could she have chosen a different dress for this occasion?  Perhaps, but let me tell it, this is just another episode of "Let's Beat Up on Ciara".  The bigger question is who did she beat out to sing the National Anthem?  Love the girl and all, but nobody has ever accused her of singing anyone under the table.  Forget that doggone dress...I need answers about that.