Another View: "Professor" Tom Luicci's Live Title Game Observations

Tom Luicci's Live Musings As Alabama And Clemson Battle For College Football Supremacy

I'll be doing my best imitation of Yahoo's esteemed college expert Pat Forde during the Alabama-Clemson national championship game with a steady stream of knee-jerk hot takes that won't age well.

Signing off for the night -- which is three quarters later than Alabama did.

Almost any other school in the country and you'd be embarrassed for them after this performance. But it's Alabama, so not an ounce of sympathy.

Looks like Alabama will have to build another $200 million practice facility to stay competitive in the future.

A big thanks to Nick Saban for making this an easy night to be snarky.

Let me be among the first to ask: Where does this Clemson team rank among the all-time greats after manhandling Notre Dame and Alabama?

It's 44-16 with 12 minutes to go so I am just going to pull an Alabama and quit for the night.

Undisciplined, mistake-prone, out-coached. Alabama's night in a nutshell.

Notre Dame fans now suggesting that Alabama didn't belong in the playoffs.

Clemson's defense has been championship caliber in the red zone all game.

Greatest Alabama offense of all time. That's all we heard all season. So where is it tonight?

From TV, it sure sounds like the NFL should hold this year's Draft on the field immediately after the game.

Stunning. Alabama in California playing like a Pac-12 team.

Nick Saban loves taking the ball out of the hands of his best player at key junctures.

Was there a person in the stadium who was fooled by that fake? Imagine Dragons even saw it coming -- and they're an hour away from the game site.

This game reeks of desperation by Saban.

Whether you liked Alabama or not in this game you surely expected Saban's team to play with more focus and crispness than what we have seen so far.

Not sure Alabama got a good spot on that third and one that came up inches short.

Sorry, but any Imagine Dragons set without "Demons" sucks.

Serious question (and I know Tua's two INTs were costly): Was Nick Saban out-prepared or out-coached over the first 30 minutes?

Halftime could not come soon enough for Alabama. Clemson (getting 5 1/2) leads 31-16 at the break.

SEC apologists: Conference championship game took too much out of Alabama and Georgia.

Bama better figure out a way to get pressure on Lawrence or this game is over.

Imagine Dragons and Jalen Hurts now have something in common: Both are warming up.

Blau already taking bows for giving Lawrence the QB edge over Tua in his pre-game preview.

When do the excuses start for Tua with his ankle? One pick six and a second horrible pass intercepted that leads to a Clemson TD drive.

Saban better start going for it on every fourth down after Clemson goes up 28-16.

It feels like Alabama is straying into the type of game it is not entirely comfortable playing.

Now you know why Kyler Murray won the Heisman. Another horrible throw by Tua.

No targeting there? Wow.

You can make the case that Alabama has essentially given Clemson 12 points already. The pick six (seven), the missed PAT and the false start at the 1 yard line that ended in a FG instead of a TD (four more). And the Tide still has a 16-14 lead.

Fourth down wildcat works for Tide but I hate the idea of taking your best player off the field needing one yard.

Okay, I am going to say it already: Alabama's offense looks to be unstoppable.

Amusing to see so many people who ridicule Big 12 football tweeting how entertained they are by this first quarter.

Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma.

National Championship game? This looks like a Big 12 game.

Who had Tua throwing a pick six and a TD pass before Trevor Lawrence's first completion?

Great response by Alabama and Tua. Okay, take a seat Jalen.

Bring in Jalen Hurts (Forde-type hot take).

For a guy who is incredibly accurate that was a dreadful pass by Tua.

A first thought: It really was very considerate of the CFP committee to finally bring big-time college football back to California.