GLENDALE, Arizona -- In the locker room late Monday night, Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott solemnly slapped quarterback Deshaun Watson on the shoulders.
“You’re the first player with 4,000 passing (yards) and 1,000 rushing,” Scott told Watson. “Be proud of that. Great year.”
Watson didn’t smile. He wasn’t displaying frustration at losing to Alabama. He wasn’t showing joy after having concluded one of the finest individual championship game performances you’ll ever see, even forcing Alabama coach Nick Saban to call a bold onside kick in order to rest his defense against Watson.
No, Watson was simply carrying himself as a star. Because that’s what he is, so much so that he said this in his post-game news conference: “I love my teammates, love my brothers, and you’ll see us in Tampa next year, so …”
The “so” tantalizingly lingers for Watson and Clemson on what’s next. Tampa is the site of the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship next season, and with Watson back for at least one more year, the Tigers will be a favorite to return to the title game.
Somewhat lost in the aftermath of Alabama’s fourth national championship in seven years is what Watson did to the Crimson Tide’s defense. He nearly single-handedly ruined the final time Saban and Kirby Smart, the coach's longtime defensive coordinator, coached together.
Watson wasn’t quite Vince Young vs. USC in 2006, though Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said Watson gave him flashbacks to Young. Still, Watson produced that type of special performance while rising to the occasion in a pressure moment. He accounted for 478 of Clemson’s 550 yards (405 passing and 73 rushing), often making Alabama defenders gasp for air to keep up with his brilliant efficiency.
“We thought, to be honest with you, that we could do a better job against their quarterback than what we did,” Saban said. “He did a fantastic job in the game. We didn’t cover as well as we’re capable of, and we weren’t able to handle him up front with our rushers.”
Before Saban’s eyes, Watson was turning into Johnny Manziel all over again. After one escape-artist play by Watson, Saban slammed his headset to the ground in frustration.
“I don’t want to minimize anything that was accomplished by this team,” Saban said. “But just to put this in perspective … if this was the first game of the season instead of last, what would we be talking about now? You guys would be asking me about how did you give up 40 points and how did you get 400 yards passing and all that kind of stuff? I mean, I kind of get it.”
Translation: Championships matter the most. Saban gets it. So does Watson, who said he will immediately start preparing for the 2016 season by watching film and trying to add more weight.
“I talked to Derrick Henry after the game, and we’re going to try to link up after the off-season and learn from him and just really build that relationship,” Watson said. “He’s the Heisman winner, national champion, so I’m trying to do the same thing and just learn from guys that have been there and done it.”
It took 34 years for Clemson to have the chance to play for a national championship again.
“It won’t be 34 years before we’re going to be back, I promise you that,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Our team is built to sustain success. We've got the right ingredients from a toughness standpoint, talent standpoint, and then just, again, the will to win and the culture that we have in our program.”
Next year will be different for the Tigers. It always is for a program after it breaks through. They won’t get to embrace Swinney’s underdog role anymore.
The chase to the top is the fun. Sustainability at the top or getting over the hump becomes the grind.
College football is littered with talented and motivated teams that didn’t get over the hump the next year. Oklahoma lost to LSU and USC in consecutive BCS championship games. Ohio State fell to Florida and LSU in back-to-back title games. In the BCS/CFP eras, only Florida State has lost a championship game (1998) and won the title the next year (1999).
None of those teams, though, had a quarterback quite like Watson.
“You’ll see us in Tampa next year, so …”
The “so” is why Clemson will be so interesting in 2016.
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