by John Walters

Starting Five

1. Lane Won

Alabama beat Clemson in a delightful game that saw the Tide outscore the Tigers 24-16 in the fourth quarter alone. Yes, it’s Nick Saban’s fourth NC in the past seven years in Tuscaloosa.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about how this was Lane Kiffin’s redemption song. I’ve never been a fan, but it was Kiffin who dialed up—or texted—the formations that so confused the Tiger DBs, which allowed O.J. Howard to catch two uncontested TD passes. And it was Kiffin who, afterward, had the quote of the night, saying that when he heard Saban call for the insides kick, “I had to look away because I was afraid I was going to make a face.”

Nice comeback from the LAX tarmac, Lane.

2. Howard’s Endzone

Alabama tight end O.J. Howard was your MVP. Five catches for 208 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Of course, you or I could have caught the his TD passes of 53 and 51 yards and galloped in untouched, as he did, but we would not have looked as good doing it.

As one Twitter wiseacre noted, “I’m glad O.J. Howard had a game like this and finally overcame the ignominy of people associating him with O.J. McDuffie.”

3. “Love The Drake! How Can You Not Love The Drake?”

The Tigers had just kicked a field goal to close to within 31-27 midway through the fourth quarter when they booted it off to Alabama’s Kenyon Drake. He sprinted up the right hash, avoided one tackler, then beelined to the left sideline. It did not look as if he had the angle, but Drake turned on the jets, got to the sideline, and headed upfield. 95-yard TD. 38-27. It was then that it felt that…the Tide had turned.

Yes, I know about the onside kick a few minutes earlier. Also a huge play. But this one put Clemson down double digits.

What is it that Alabama alum Rece Davis always says? “You must be sound in the kicking game.”

4. Oh, Henry

Confession: I was on a subway during Derrick Henry‘s 50-yard gallop. Missed it. But it sure felt as if he had the quietest 158-yard, 3 TD night in memory. I’ll welcome your contrary take.

Still, it felt as if DeShaun Watson (and maybe even Wayne Gallman) were more—here comes that word—elite players last night, and it definitely confirmed to me that Christian McCaffrey was the right choice for the Grange Award.

Our Never Too Early-Way Too Early Grange Top 5 for 2016: McCaffrey, Watson, Royce Freeman, Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette (we love Nick Chubb, but we’ll wait and see).

5. Jerry Meandering

FOX potentate Rupert Murdoch is 84.

Mick Jagger-ex Jerry Hall is….insane?

Anyway, those crazy kids just got engaged. Hall, 59, lived with Jagger for years but the couple were never married.

Music 101

Golden Years

When disco arrived, David Bowie was ready for it. This 1976 tune is a little bit disco, a little bit rap, and a little bit glam. The kind of song Mick and Keith would have happily put on Some Girls. And it just occurred to me, if there is one artist from that era who may remind you a little of Bowie, it’s another David B.: David Byrne of Talking Heads.