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>> chris: did you know, kirk, that season to strock held the single season passing record, until right now, until jerod evans just broke it. go back to 1972, the former dolphin quarterback. >> kirk: i had no idea.

get into the broadcast. phillips is right here. works out and then up. you're going to see both these receivers kind of impact the route. but watch jalen williams jump the out. he thinks he's going towards the sideline. that's where the out and up caught him. pretty good effort there by johnson to come over, but cam phillips with the progressive pylon cam, into the end zone. and now, we see what deshaun watson and the clem sop offense, they got to be thinking, man, these guys won't go away. >> chr: deshaun bow and arrow celebration back at him. watson's turn to answer. and it's a keeper, and a whistle just before the snap. flag down on the near side. >> kirk: movement again. >> chris: they have to get this fixed. >> referee: false start. offense, number 75. five-yard penalty. first down. >> chris: that's hyatt again. i know the hokies are aggressive and they can make you flinch, but a real loss of focus.

the last two series. didn't hurt them on the last drive. got in the end zone eventually. but this sets them back. >> kirk: think about what's at stake in this game for clemson. >> chris: absolutely. game carried all the pressure of the favorite, holding that playoff position coming in here. and now watson on fistrst and 1 gets the penalty yardage back. >> kirk: when you have one team other team is looking up like, oh, my gosh, we're down seven, we're still in this thing, now, it comes down to dabo swinney and you're approach as a head coach. do you play not to lose, do you play to win? you and i both know dabo swinney pretty well. i think with a quarterback like deshaun watson, you think you see him continue to coach, to play to win. >> kir >> chris: well, if there's any

watson. flips it to renfrow. flag comes in. flag was right where the quarterback was hit. kind of in that holding zone. yeah. so, again, a penalty sets clemson back. it is self-destruction here. >> kirk: mitch hyatt, very talented left tackle, we've seen him, some false starts. cannon is opposite of him. the best pass rusher of virginia tech. gifts to the ft i don't know if that was the call on hyatt or if there was somebody on the inside. he just kind of pushed him to the ground. that looked kind of questionable to me. >> chris: cannon said, we're going to throw deshaun watson off his game. they really haven't done that, but they are throwing the offensive line off their game right now. watson again. into heavy traffic. that's a fairly conservative call on second and 20, kirk. >> kirk: it wsure was. now, you're looking at third

game in charlotte. 19-point lead in the fourth quarter, then clemson was just trying to nurse it to the finish line on fumes. has a similar feeling now. >> kirk: i got to think, on third down, you got to find your tight end here. >> chris: watson. steps up. delivers a low throw, underthrew cain. it was pretty well covered. hokies are going to get the football back. 4:11 to play. >> kirk: make him open. i mean, he has the inside, and the ball is thrown short. now, he did have to step up. they rushed just three, dropped eight, but dee yaieon cain got inside. the ball just came up a little bit short. >> chris: teasdall's not had a great night punting the ball. some short kicks. the hokies have not often tried to come after him. see if they do this time. tech -- no.

but not very long. and carroll back pedals and virginia tech, going to shake up the playoff chase, will take over from their 41 down only

[vo] how to go live when something just happened in the game that left you completely flabbergasted. wait. what? did that one player/coach/mascot really just do that? you can't be the only one trying to make sense of this. so grab your phone. open facebook. press this. and go live. it did. then debate how that's even possible. alright, just remember. there's still plenty of game left. >> chris: exciting finish here in orlando. tomorrow, the four-hour selection show. exclusive reveal of those playoff match-ups and all the

in indy. crossing off the badgers. >> kirk: yes. they just lost to -- about to lose to penn state. >> chris: and now the hokies trying to create an opening for the lions or somebody else. down by seven. evans incomplete. trying to get it to c.j. carroll, who was back pedaling. >> kirk: quarterback's feet again. we talked earlier, what's effe see how he short arms the ball? he doesn't take his normal stride he would take? when a quarterback hurries a throw, that's what -- it can happen to his feet and ultimately, again, affect that accuracy. >> chris: ford. wrestled down right at midfield. it will be a yard short of the marker. third down.

clemson needs to tighten up the coverage and make it tougher on evans. evans does -- if you make his receivers have to work to get to their spot, ultimately, we've seen him a lot tonight, put his head down and want to take off. soft cushion makes for an easy throw for evans on the outside there. >> chris: talk about an offense on the hokies that went three and out their first three possessions of this half. >> referee: please reset the game clock to 3:48, 3:48. >> chris: get six seconds back here. third and one. but this offense was reeling, couldn't find any production anywhere. came alive for a second time tonight. evans checks with the sideline for the play call.

>> chris: evans took a peek down field and then toque off. it's going to be real close, at the tigers 49. >> kirk: favorable spot. already going to move the sticks. first down. >> chris: we've seen that before. >> kirk: that's right. you have to like his chances when four lowers his shoulder. he is always falling forward. >> chris: got just enough. now a quick throw, and a completion, down near the 41 one more time. that's your guy, cam phillips. >> kirk: yeah, cam phillips in space, making a tight catch tonight. if you are virginia tech fan, with the way this game has gone, the fact that your team is in this position, says a lot about the future under justin fuente. the heart, the character and the fight of this team has been really impressive. >> chris: no doubt. inside of three minutes.

blocks for the quarterback who looks far side and phillips is wide open. and out inside the 28. >> kirk: chris, i, again, it's tankersley. he had the big cushion on the other side. now, look at this cushion. look at the cushion here. he's sitting back, dropping, and i though you don't want to give up the easy score, but he's making easy throws for evans. >> chris: just trying to get to the finish line. hang on a bobbled snap. funky looking pitch to mcmillian. not much going on that far side. >> kirk: that time, they tightened up their coverage and ben boulware, again matched up there with sam rogers, was able to get there. that's a tough play, with not a lot of room there. back into the boundary. remember, do not forget about evans as a runner down here. >> chris: high ang xiety for coh

approaching two minutes to play. evans takes a peek, but then heads to the main mission, which is to run straight ahead. it will be third down. >> kirk: safety, that time, van smith, the linebacker, kendall joseph. trying to get their shoulders in front of him, because an arm tackle is not going to slow him pick up this first down. if it's a throw, it's probably a quick pass, quick slant. >> chris: instead, evans takes off, will be trapped for a loss. fourth down coming up. ferrell got him. and the tigers defense, which has made so many big stands in the last couple of years on the brink here. a time-out taken, as fuente will

>> kirk: boy, ferrell early in this game was making some plays. comes up at a big time off the edge, right here, working his way to the inside. watch evans. he wants to go down field. almost like he's setting up that quarterback draw. but for reerrell takes it away that outside penetration. comes up at a huge play there on third down. >> chris: swinney's reaction. always talks about the heart and and clemson is a terrific team in close games. i mean, as good as anybody in the country. 16-3 since 2011, games decided by a touchdown or less. they did lose the close one to pittsburgh earlier. so, these fans have been through a lot of anxiety in the last couple of years. >> kirk: you've got cam phillips, number five tonight, who has made a lot of plays. isaiah ford who will be at the

go-to receiver most of the year. and you also have the 6'7" bucky hodges, who will be all the way down at the bottom. who do you go to to win the one-on-one match-up? >> chris: here comes pressure. evans hit. intercepted. and the tigers are going to hang on. tankersley, off the pressure from kendall joseph, and clemson champions, if they can just bleed out the final 1:11. >> kirk: chris, they not only brought joseph, but they brought ben boulware from the outside. tankersley comes up with it. here's joseph, who will get there. they walked boulware out here. he also gets in there. actually, gets into the face of evans, as he's trying to throw off to his right.

he's about to get hit. just throw it and hope. but credit brent venables for the play call there on third down, rolling the dice by saying, hey, we're aggressive by nature. let's bring the linebackers on the blitz. >> chris: fourth down, blitzing both guys. you have to have guts to do that. you don't get home, kirk, you could have a touchdown and a tie game. and now, tech with just two time-outs. really and deshaun watson, very sharp start to this game, will be the un unrivaled player of the game. throwing for 288, rushing for 74. five total touchdowns. just like he had last year in the championship game. so, virginia tech, fighting back

got down in there, close to the red zone before tankersley seals it with a pick. ford wrapup show coming up after the final 1:04. and discussion will begin, is the playoff bracket set? did clemson do enough to jump ohio state, perhaps? or will they go in as the three-seed, which is where they sit right now. gets to wear the home jersey in the semifinal game. >> kirk: after what happened in indianapolis today, how penn state came back, that debate over that four spot -- >> chris: watson seals it with a run that gains a first down, in the final minute. and the hokies, finally, will be broken. >> kirk: how about dabo swinney?

time they started camp until this very moment, in trying to get to an acc championship. >> referee: after the play, unsportsmanlike conduct, number six, defense. 15-yard penalty. that's number six's first unsportsmanlike conduct foul. first down. >> kirk: it's a wait that we saw florida state have to endure a couple of years ago, after winning the title. it's a wait that we saw ohio state endure last year. and clemson, despite losing to alabama, felt that, because of deshaun watson and the high, almost unrealistic expectations for him individually and for this team. and until they finally had to lose a game to pitt, they've become a different team. >> chris: no doubt watson admits he was pressing early. but deshaun, who will graduate in three years, a week from thursday, the first in his family to graduate from college,

and the tigers will head back for that chance to compete for a championship. off to the playoff again. and deshaun, we'll see him along the awards trail, perhaps in new york again as a heisman finalist. much respect shown there. and much disseserved by the hok tonight. >> kirk: tonight will end up being about clemson, but jerod evans, a junior who is back nooek year, justin fuente, first year taking over for frank beamer, the legendary frank beer and play the way they did tonight, got to be really excited about the future in blacksburg. >> chris: fireworks in orlando. let's go to sam. >> samantha: well, coach, they just wouldn't go away. you pull out the big victory, if you can hear me over the fireworks. what made the difference down the stretch? >> well, and as you said, halts off to them. you're right, they wouldn't go away.

there were two champions on the field tonight. and we wanted to be the one to hold the trophy up. i'm just so proud of our guys. we certainly made some mistakes and things like that. he had some huge drives. unbelievable drive that last touchdown, renfrow, deon, some great running by -- i told him he had to have 100 tonight. i don't know what he had, but may have been close, but just the heart and the guts and the will to go win. so -- 28 years since we've been back-to-back champions, and we wanted to cha but i just -- i can't say enough about virginia tech. and the job that they've done over there, you know, justin and his staff, those guys, they did an unbelievable job. we're fortunate to win the game. we're thankful, we're proud that we're 12-1, and, you know, we've earned an opportunity to go play in the playoff. i think we got a heck of a football game. going to be a tough out for somebody. re listen, i'm thank. for the good lord, because this

just -- i give him all the glory for it. >> samantha: i'm glad you mentioned the playoff, because now you are done with this part of the season, we can talk about it. where do you think you fit? you've been following this thing. >> we fit somewhere. you know, i think we're a great football team. we've been a great football team. back-to-back, you know, whatever, 13-0 last year at this time, 12-1, you know, 25-1 or whatever, the last two seasons. i definitely think we're one of the best te go compete and have an opportunity to see if we can, you know, get it done this year. you got to win your conference first, and i can't, you know, this is back-to-back years, and it's hard to do that. that's why i spent 28 years since it's happened here. >> coach, let me team to your quarterback now, who had 85 yards on the ground. not quite 100, but it works. deshaun, what made the difference for you tonight, especially when there was some late adversity? >> just attitude. the will, just having that

encouraging them, encouraging my teammates and my defense and just saying that we're going to believe. just believe and we're going to win the game and everyone just did. crunch time came, we capitalized and we put up the w. >> samantha: a couple of your receivers tonight, between renfrow and then the big catch from cain, why do you have so much faith in these guys in those big plays the way do? >> just the trust and the work we put in. and, we do it every day in practice. just tell those guys, man, y'all are playmakers, you i'm going to give y'all a shot and you're going to make the play. i'm blessed to have those guys on my team, and my offense to be able to throw to those guys, so, you know, just -- i don't know, they're just special. >> samantha: coach talked about the expectation that there has been all season. the criticism. you only lost one game, by one point, there was so much expectation, spe cifically for you. how would you describe what it took to get back in this

>> just trusting who i was, trusting my work. i can't listen to outside people in the media, you know, they assume, think they know everything, but they really don't. only thing they know is what they see, and we know who we are and we know what type of work we put in. we continue to do the work, and grind, and, you know, i guess there's a reason when you're great and special, everyone has their eyes on you, so, they always try to find something negative doing. >> samantha: i'm going to send it back up to chris now. i need a yes or no answer from special. you think you deserve to be in new york next week? >> oh, yeah, i think so. i would love to go back to new york and be around those guys. we'll find out monday night. >> samantha: see, chris, that's why i like deshaun watson. an honest man down here. thank you. >> chris: he finished third a year ago. based on this closing argument tonight, will be one of the contenders, though he was second-team all-acc, behind lamar jackson. so, the business is done.

alabama, washington last night and now clemson, all win their conference championships. penn state beats wisconsin in indy, though. and creates an interesting conversation, because washington, i think, felt pretty secure, 31-point victory over an eighth-ranked colorado team. but now penn state, a two-loss big ten champion, which has been so impressive down the stretch, does have a head to head win over ohio state. lions fans will be howling that they belong in that bracket. >> kirk: the thing to remember looked great last night against colorado, the committee's going to continue to go back to their nonconference scheduling. they're 127th in the country with their nonconference schedule. that stands out to the committee, because if you put in a team like that, i think that sends a wrong message, even though they're conference champions. penn state is a wild card. i sat here thinking michigan could be that fourth team, but after being down 28-7 against

fighting back and finding a way to win, i have no problem, personally, saying that penn state now moves to that four spot. you look at their nonconference schedule -- >> chris: they played michigan. got routed by the wolverines. i'm playing devil's advocate, because this is the conversation that goes on in the room. >> kirk: i was the guy saying that very thing. but i think you have to look and really respect what penn state has done. and they kind of put an exclamation point to that with their perfo down. so, you could make a case for washington. you could make a case for michigan. you could make a case for penn state. that's what's going to make it really tough on the committee. one thing we know. ohio state and clemson and alabama, all three are in. >> chris: when they talked about, should we put out rankings week by week, i was wondering if that's only for publicity, for our network. because if you put out the rankings and you put washington at four and put penn state at

over a team the committee thought was eighth. they have the same nonconference schedule. the schedule didn't change this week. it is what it is. >> kirk: the one thing that i -- at least i feel like i've learned in the first two years of watching is, the first release and the second release and the third release, it just seems like the final release of the rankings, things can get a little bit volatile. things can move a little bit, depending on what happens o >> chris: but they don't mean anything, the first rankings then. this would be a dramatic shift if the huskies are dropped down. >> kirk: no, listen, if washington gets in, i think they're very deserving. i just think that the nonconference schedule through the eyes of the committee will be weighed on. i'm not suggesting that they should be moved out of there. that could be something they look at. >> chris: whatever happens, penn state, a tremendous close to the season. the consolation prize would be the rose bowl, which isn't bad.

title in a row. and figures to head back to that final four bracket. the trophy presentation will be over on espn3. 42-35, a hard-fought game tonight here in orlando. this championship game was produced by bill bannell, directed by derek mobley. for our entire crew on abc all season long, we thank them, we thank you for watching. we'll see you in t with cassidy hubbarth. >> thanks, chris. welcome to the ford wrapup show. i'm cassidy hubbarth. so, championship weekend, over and done with. but the question about how much conference titles actually matter in terms of the college football playoff remains. no more glaring than in the big ten, where wisconsin and penn state trailed two conference members in the current college football playoff ranks, but had the title game to try to sway the committee that they deserved to be in. let's give you the eye test.

trailed by 21, but mounted a comeback in the second half. trace mcsorley to blacknall. penn state down seven. now, same score. penn state on the 1. saquon barkley. ties the game up at 28. heading to the fourth quarter. penn state down three now. mcsorley, what a game he had. this time, he finds barkley through the air. mcsorley, four tds, 384 yards passing. now, 105 left in the game. wisconsin going for it, on fourth and one. corey clement up the middle. he's stopped. penn states win it. 38-31 for their first outright big ten title since 1994, and a curveball for the committee. to the s.e.c. championship game. number one alabama versus number 15 florida. gators up earlrlrlrl but theint fitzpatrick. and returned 44 yards to give bama the lead. and they did not look back.

and it's blocked by derek gore. joshua jacobs returns it, bringing their total to 14 nonoffensive touchdowns this season, tied for the most in the fbs for the past 20 seasons. bama wins its seventh s.e.c. championship game. to bedlam. oklahoma state and oklahoma. this was one of the best highlights from the day. baker mayfield finds westbrook who puts the -- and then takes off. westbrook, though, would leave later in the g the sooners. in the fourth quarter, mayfield. handles it off to joe mixon. mixon finds a seam. bye-bye. oklahoma wins 38-20. it's their tenth big 12 title. that's more than the total amount of home losses thin the b stoops era. west virginia and baylor. west virginia wins, 24-21.