The 2019 College Football National Championship game will go down in Clemson history forever. It was the fourth time that Coach Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide met Coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers in the College Football Playoff.

The Clemson Tigers had only three losses in the past four years, with two of them at the hands of Alabama. Both teams entered the final game of the season 14-0. Most predictors had Clemson winning with a tight score.

Many Clemson fans were sure that the Tigers would come out of the rivalry game as the champions. Sophomore Sarah Squillace, a Clemson fan, trusted that Swinney could lead the team to winning the championship.

Sophomore Johnathon Pucylowski has been a Clemson fan ever since he was a kid, attending his first game at four years old.

“I didn’t expect it to be a blow out as it was, but I thought we could come out on top. I thought Trevor Lawrence could really play well,” Pucylowski said.

Turns out, the predictions were right. Clemson beat Alabama with a final score of 44-16. After keeping a close score in the first quarter, Alabama fell in the second and third quarter when Clemson scored 27 more points than them.

Junior Zack Hupp, an Alabama fan, was expecting Alabama to stomp Clemson. He was sure to wear his lucky outfit while watching the game.

With a freshman, Trevor Lawrence, as the Clemson quarterback, the Tigers beat out Alabama with 65 more passing yards. Lawrence was the first true freshman to start and win a championship in the four-team playoff format. The year prior, Tagovailoa carried the Crimson Tide to victory as a freshman in the championship game last season after relieving a struggling Jalen Hurts at half.

Lawrence finished the game with 3 TDs, 0 interceptions, and a 184.5 passing rating. Sophomore Benjamin Bedsole, an Alabama fan, agreed with Squillace that Lawrence was the MVP of the game.

“[The MVP was] Trevor Lawrence of course. He really led this team, as a true freshman, to win the biggest game of his college career,” Bedsole said.

The success of the first 15-0 team in the modern college football era is in major part of the work of Coach Dabo Swinney. He called all the plays and led the Tigers to their second national championship in three seasons.

“His heart and desire are unbelievable, and he is one of the best coaches in college football. He really led that team to victory,” Pucylowski said.

Even many Alabama fans agree that Swinney was a major part in the Tigers win.

“I think Nick Saban was just outcoached, and we lost to the better team,” Bedsole said.

The senior class for the Tigers finished their college career 55-4 with two national championships. Clemson looks to continue to grow their program as they rival the dynasty of Saban’s Crimson Tide, but for now the Tigers are at the top of the mountain and the Clemson program and fans alike are enjoying the view.