Football fans received a lot of exciting college football matchups on Saturday. It’s that time of year when everyone’s talking about the College Football Playoff and the Heisman Trophy. In other words, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
Saturday featured two matchups that were high on everyone’s must-watch list. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Clemson Tigers battled it out in Bank of America Stadium, though it wasn’t much of a battle. The Clemson Tigers finished Notre Dame 34-10 to win the ACC championship.
Meanwhile, the Alabama Crimson Tide kept their perfect season alive with a much more exciting 52-46 finish against the Florida Gators. It was a game that Florida kept battling its way back in, but it just never was enough to get the job done.
Notre Dame No Match for Clemson
The second-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish entered Saturday with a perfect 10-0 record. The third-ranked Clemson Tigers entered with a 9-1 record and were actively seeking revenge against the one team they’ve lost to this season — Notre Dame — with the ACC Championship on the line.
This game was nothing like their back-and-forth 47-40 matchup earlier in the year, though, a game Notre Dame won. Instead, the Irish looked flat and struggled to generate any points. Chris Tyree scored their only touchdown of the day on his only carry of the day.
Trevor Lawrence played well for Clemson. He finished with 322 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, adding 90 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Travis Etienne added 124 rushing yards and one touchdown. Malcolm Greene led the team in sacks with 1.5.
Alabama, Florida Give Us Exciting Football
If you were watching the Alabama Crimson Tide battle it out against the Florida Gators, you got to see quite the exciting matchup. It was as back-and-forth as it gets and featured a ton of offense. The score ended 52-46 as both quarterbacks put on a display.
Mac Jones finished with 418 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. He received a lot of help from Najee Harris, who ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns and added five receptions for 67 yards and three touchdowns through the air. DeVonta Smith ended with 184 yards and two touchdowns.
Florida’s Kyle Trask had a nice day of his own. He had 408 yards and three touchdowns through the air and one touchdown on the ground. He didn’t get much help on the ground, though, as Florida finished with 54 total rushing yards for the game.
What Else Happened This Weekend?
With Alabama likely keeping that No. 1 spot secured after their win over Florida, Notre Dame and Clemson are likely to swap places as Nos. 3 and 2, respectively. The real question is who that fourth team is.
Ohio State entered the weekend ranked No. 4 and walked away with a victory on Saturday in the Big Ten Championship Game. Texas A&M was ranked No. 5, and it won on Saturday as well. Many are calling for Texas A&M, but Ohio State seems to be the favorite.
Only time will tell as we inch closer to the selection committee. There’s a chance Ohio State moves up to No. 3 and knocks Notre Dame down to No. 4. Let the speculation begin!
Check back to our picks page for more picks as bowl season arrives.