2016 NCG · Clemson 35, Alabama 31

Clemson trailed 31-28 with 2:07 to play and 68 yards to the end zone. Watson took the offense the length of the field, two-yard score to Renfrow with one second on the clock, and a national title that broke a 35-year drought for the program. Alabama was favored by 6.5; Saban was going for back-to-back titles; Swinney's decade-long rebuild of the Clemson program crested in this hour. The two programs would meet in the next year's title game (Alabama won), the year after's semifinal (Alabama won), and the year after's title game (Clemson won 44-16). No two-program-rivalry in the era produced more title-game appearances.