1. Clemson returns to championship game:

Dominating victory over Ohio State puts Tigers back in final.

In a return trip to the desert, Clemson found redemption through utter domination with a 31-0 shutout of Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

GLENDALE, ARIZ. — In a return trip to the desert, Clemson found redemption through utter domination.

Part I of Dabo and Deshaun’s make-good tour is done. Now comes the hard part: A rematch against Alabama in the College Football Playoff title game.

Deshaun Watson ran for two touchdowns and threw another and No. 3 Clemson crushed No. 2 Ohio State 31-0 Saturday night in the Fiesta Bowl.

Tigers coach Dabo Swinney had sold his players on getting to celebrate at the same site where they lost to Alabama in the national title game last season. This time they got the confetti shower and the trophy at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

With that taken care of, it is on to Tampa, Florida, for the Tigers (13-1), where they will face the top-ranked Crimson Tide on Jan. 9.

“If you’re going to be the best, you’ve got to beat ’em,” Swinney said.

In what figures to be Watson’s final college game, he will try to lead Clemson to its first national title since 1981. The junior and Heisman Trophy runner-up passed for 259 yards and ran for 57 against the Buckeyes (11-2), who could not keep Clemson’s big and quick defensive line out of their backfield.

Redshirt freshman Clelin Ferrell had a sack among his three tackles for loss and Clemson allowed only 215 yards and nine first downs.

“We definitely expected to come out here and dominate because we grinded, but shoot! A shutout?” Ferrell said. “I don’t think anybody expected that.”

The Buckeyes were blanked for the first time since 1993 against Michigan, and an Urban Meyer team was held scoreless for the first time in 194 games as a head coach.

“I’m not used to it. We’re not used it. It’s not going to happen again,” Meyer said.

Watson made it 24-0 with 2:06 left in the third quarter when he faked a pitch, cut through a hole and into the end zone from 7 yards out. The rest was a formality. Much the way Alabama’s defense suffocated Washington in the day’s first semifinal, Clemson gave Ohio State no options. The Buckeyes came in averaging 258 yards rushing per game and finished with 88. J.T. Barrett threw for 127 yards and was intercepted twice.

The Tigers seemed to spend much of the season trying to explain why they were not running roughshod over opponents. Expectations were so high after last season ended with a 45-40 loss in a classic title game against Alabama. But the best Clemson was the Clemson that showed Saturday.

“If we play to the Clemson standard and play at a high level and focused and prepared and having a great mind-set and mentality, we can beat anybody in the country,” linebacker Ben Boulware said.