TAMPA, Fla. - As the confetti falls for Clemson, Alabama will wake up Tuesday morning with a hard pill to swallow. The game ran down to the very final second.
One Clemson fan said she's been looking forward to this win for years.
"I didn't get to go to the first one in 1981. But I swore, if they ever went again, I was going!," said Mary Ann Kirby.
Before the celebrations, members of the media waited impatiently as one second was left on the countdown clock.
The Clemson Tigers and their fans were ready to experience what they feel came one year too late.
"It's our turn. We deserve to have it," said Kirby.
For Alabama fans, it's not the outcome they were expecting, but they're not discounting their impressive season. One Tide fan even said they expect to be in Atlanta next year for the National Championship.
Even those rooting for the tigers, can agree on one thing: both teams were more than deserving to be part of the match up.
The Alabama Crimson Tide will travel back to Birmingham early Tuesday morning to make their final destination to Tuscaloosa. That's where fans will be gathered to cheer them on for their incredible season.