Live blog: Oh, what could've been

6:31 a.m. (Eastern) Tuesday, Jan. 12, from Scottsdale, Arizona:

Oh, what could’ve been.

► An onside kick that some say should’ve drawn a penalty.

► A kick return for a touchdown

► A third-down heave at a pivotal point, and two busted coverages.

And Clemson, which out-gained Alabama 550 yards to 473, missed the opportunity to beat college football’s most storied program for the game’s biggest prize.

The Crimson Tide won 45-40 to claim the College Football Playoff National Championship, their fourth crown in seven years.

If there’s only one reason, perhaps it’s that they didn’t commit a turnover.

Clemson did on an interception of Deshaun Watson, but that barely dulled a dazzling night for the sophomore quarterback and instant Heisman favorite for 2016. Watson set a national championship game record with 478 total yards, 405 yards and four touchdowns passing.

So the Tigers look to the future, and it is bright.

The offense figures to be one of the best in the nation, but again next year, there will be defensive turnover to address.

Shaq Lawson is leaving early for the NFL Draft, and fellow defensive end Kevin Dodd may.

Cornerback Mackensie Alexander and safety Jayron Kearse could, too, but they won’t say – anything, yet. Each offered “no comment” at all Monday night.

Tight end Jordan Leggett says he’s returning.

Regardless, it appears the Tigers have reached the highest echelon to stay a while.

Coach Dabo Swinney and Watson said they’ll load up next year to make a run at Tampa, where the next national championship game will be played.

Really, it’s amazing they didn’t win this one.

But once the hangover fades, Clemson fans will realize they have plenty to cherish and anticipate.

That includes the impression they made, themselves.

The season now past is the program’s second-best, ever.

And Manie says Clemson will be back.

Bart captured the memorable scenes here.

Amanda Coyne offers her winners and losers from Monday night here.

Ron Barnett painted the scene on the Clemson campus here.

Heidi Heilbrunn shows the scenes from the biggest viewing party in Greenville here.

Personally, I’ve immensely enjoyed bringing you my coverage and perspective.

I’ll continue to dispatch these blog reports until our Greenville News crew returns home Wednesday.

5:23 p.m. (Eastern) Monday, Jan. 11, from Glendale, Arizona:

The big news out of the College Football Playoff National Championship in the minutes before kickoff is the health of standout Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander. He noticeably tweaked a leg late in the Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma, and a report surfaced that called his availability into question.

His showdown with Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley has been much anticipated.

At this moment I have nothing independently confirmed to share on his status, but I’ll post what I learn and observe on Twitter at @clemsonmikey as Clemson comes out for pregame warm-ups.

I’d be surprised if he doesn’t play, but the question is if he’s too hobbled to be effective. That’s what I’m wondering about Shaq Lawson, too. Lawson and Alexander are two of the surest-fire NFL talents on Clemson's roster.

But it’s too late to apologize, or something. It’s finally game day. Each team will go with everything it can.

THE title is on the line, and as they say, there’s only one way to be No. 1.

Scott’s game-day setup pushes the hype and chatter to the back seat.

He joined Manie and the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser’s Duane Rankin, a former Greenville News reporter, in making picks. Spoiler: the predictions go 2-1 in favor of Clemson.

I’m off to learn and post all I can.

In case you missed it, by the way, the sights from Clemson’s basketball win over No. 16 Louisville can be found by clicking these blue words.

5:54 p.m. (Eastern) Sunday, Jan. 10 from Scottsdale, Arizona:

As Clemson’s date with Alabama for the College Football Playoff National Championship approaches in about 24 hours, excitement is building. You can sense it among media, and you can sense it on the streets, even among those without Tigers or Tide in the fight.

Clemson orange may be more noticeable than Alabama crimson out and about, but from what I’m seeing and hearing, I anticipate an advantage for Clemson in the stands, for what that’s worth. We’ll see. It’s no small feat to even match Alabama in traveling support.

I’ve met Clemson fans from North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, California, and of course Arizona and South Carolina – and I’ll meet more at the official Clemson welcoming party tonight. The Upstate is very well represented, but there’s a strong contingent here from the Midlands, the Lowcountry, the Pee Dee and the Grand Strand.

Not that this Alabama player would know from where they came:

Charleston pharmacist Chip Mathis wants Clemson to win more than you do. Would you rather win the lottery?

U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew “Diesel” Mayer, a graduate of The Citadel, and Capt. Casey Manning, a 2005 Clemson graduate who hails from Ryan Norton’s other alma mater, too, will give Clemson the lead in the pregame fly-by, a personal favorite big-game tradition.

Assistant principal Samantha Wood of Seaside Elementary School in Murrells Inlet and her husband, Ryan, a police officer, have spotted orange all over Las Vegas.

“Cadence-counts can be heard in hotels, casinos, planes and on the strip,” Samantha said. “Everyone that passes shares a friendly ‘Go Tigers!’ The Tiger fans are high-rolling.”

“The Tigers are all-in,” said Ryan.

Tickets are relatively – relatively – inexpensive, but getting here is the trouble for many.

Did I mention I spotted Clay Morrow in Albuquerque, New Mexico?

I should’ve snapped a pic. But he wasn’t wearing orange.

Other prominent national figures are taking sides:

It’s almost time for the biggest game in college football here in the Valley of the Sun.

The landscape is so different out here. This is my first time out west. I’m planning a trip up Camelback Mountain and to In-N-Out Burger before I head back east. I’ll post pics before signing off this live-blog-thing Tuesday night.

For now, there are more important matters at hand.

The arrest of one of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s brothers has drawn national attention, but I detect no real distraction for either team leading into the game, at least ahead of tonight’s parties.

Shaq Lawson is expected to play. His being able to perform near his best for four quarters could be a difference-maker, in my view.

Scott still doesn’t have his luggage, though mine, Manie’s and Bart’s arrived late. He had to buy underwear, shirts, pants, socks and shoes to do his job. But we won’t be distracted, either.

He’s working on tomorrow’s big-game preview.

Manie thinks Alabama quarterback Jake Coker, who had the game of his career in the Cotton Bowl blowout of Michigan State, is a wild card.

Bart caught the sights at practice and at the coaches’ final pregame press conference.

Here’s what Swinney and Alabama’s Nick Saban have to say: click these blue words for video. They agree on NFL Draft reform.

And in case you’re wondering, the future looks bright at Clemson regardless of the outcome of the game. I took a few minutes to get back to my old beat a bit and round-up Clemson’s recruiting as it stands.

Follow me on Twitter @clemsonmikey tonight for post-able pics of parties and authentic Southwest Tex-Mex.

6:11 p.m. (Eastern) Saturday, Jan. 9, from Scottsdale, Arizona:

You knew this could produce gold, a Dabo Swinney National Championship Preview Press Conference.

The only likely thing to top it would be a Dabo Swinney National Championship Celebration Press Conference.

He can be part Jerry Clower and part Andy Griffith and part Hayden Fox all at the same time.

He provides almost more fodder than football fans can be fed.

Swinney defended his treatment of punter Andy Teasdall at the ACC Championship, where Teasdall improvised an ill-conceived fake punt before pulling off a winner in the Orange Bowl.

Of course, there were new, real matters of news to cover today, including Shaq Lawson’s health and Alabama's kryptonite.

Scott may not have his luggage yet, but he found out why T.J. Green packed up and left Alabama - and why no one's asked him about being from there.

Manie dove into Billy Napier's journey from Clemson cast-off to Crimson Tide assistant.

Bart captured the sights and found out the expected lifespan of Jay Guillermo’s beard.

I found a former Alabama baseball player with a very good reason to say “Go Tigers!”.

I’m happy my luggage finally arrived, though I’m still jealous I can’t grow a beard.

And I'm happy I saw this:

If you’re in Phoenix making plans leading up to the game, take notes on what’s coming up (especially the official Clemson Welcome Party Sunday night):

► Arizona Clemson Club’s Weekend Kickoff

A free national championship game celebration for Clemson fans runs until 10 p.m. Saturday at Coach’s Corner Grill, 333 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. The local Clemson club promises Southern-style tailgating.

► Playoff Fan Central

The festival of entertainment and activities at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St., runs until 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, then noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $12, $7 for children, students, senior citizens and military members.

► AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!

The free concert series near the convention center in downtown Phoenix is headlined by Ciara at 7:30 Saturday, and the shows crank back up at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, with John Mellencamp performing at 7:30 p.m. after appearances by American Authors and Moon Taxi.

Ciara will sing the national anthem on Monday night.

► Westgate Weekender Playoff Fan Fest

Performances, activities and special discounts at businesses are part of the festival in the Westgate Entertainment District, 6751 N. Sunset Blvd., Glendale. Parking is free Saturday and Sunday but costs $30 on Monday, when fans without tickets to the game can watch the action on a big screen.

► Extra Yard 5K

The race through downtown Phoenix benefits the Extra Yard for Teachers program and the College Football Playoff Foundation. Entry is $35 on-site, at 201 E. Jefferson St., and the male and female winners get free tickets to Monday’s game.

► Service Event – Help Make a Difference

Fans age 14 and older can join the Arizona Clemson Club and the Clemson Alumni Association in volunteering for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, an organization whose mission is to feed, clothe, house and heal the poor and needy in Arizona. The event will take place 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Henry Unger (Phoenix) Dining Room and the HSC Garden, 1075 W. Jackson St., Phoenix.

► Taste of the Championship

Gourmet food and beverages from around the country will be served up at 5 p.m. Sunday at the convention center. Food Network celebrity chef Beau MacMillan will participate, and Rick Erwins will represent Clemson in a competition. Admission costs $250, and a table of 10 costs $3,000. Buy tickets online.

► Clemson Welcome Party

A free, official get-down with a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres - presented by IPTAY, the Clemson Alumni Association and the Arizona Clemson Club - will be held 6-10 p.m. Sunday at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field and Front Row Sports Grill, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix.

► Legends of Clemson Party

Appearances by many noted Clemson sports alums are planned at this party, running from about 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday at 7277 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale. Among those expected: Brian Dawkins, Stephone Anthony, Kris Benson, Tajh Boyd, Dale Davis, C.J. Spiller and Charlie Whitehurst. Tickets bought before the even cost $50 and can purchased online. Proceeds benefit ONE Clemson, which raises funds to support campus initiatives within both athletics and academics.

► Championship Tailgate

Games, activities, concessions and ESPN broadcasts are part of the festivities that crank up at 11 a.m. Monday at the stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, Arizona. Country star Eric Church will headline performances after an appearance by Moon Taxi. Admission is free for those with a ticket to the game.

8:52 p.m. (Eastern) Friday, Jan. 8, from Scottsdale, Arizona:

Touchdown in the Valley of the Sun – the Eagle, the Tigers, the Crimson Tide and The Greenville News have landed.

After a stirring send-off from campus that included an overpass serenade en route to the airport, Clemson players and coaches were still smiling after the hours-long flight to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.

Of course, it would be much more surprising to see Nick Saban smile.

Media day comes tomorrow. If it doesn’t keep me away from following fans too much, I’ll take it in alongside Manie, Scott and Bart. Maybe Saban will go all Marshawn Lynch, or maybe someone will ask Eric Mac Lain for a lock of his beard.

I do have to save some energy for Brian Dawkins, Big Boi and three fan parties Sunday night.

Maybe our luggage will arrive by then. [frustratedface.emoji]

Be sure to catch up on what Danny Ford thinks about Monday’s title matchup here, and to learn about how winning is good for local business, click here.

The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser offers other angles here.

For now I’m off to find a burrito or something.

1:59 p.m. (Eastern) Friday, Jan. 8, from Albuquerque, New Mexico:

Reports of dramatic increases in orange flowing through airports in Wilmington, North Carolina, Orlando, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia, circulated Friday morning as our 6 a.m. flight out of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport boarded.

I caught up with former Clemson associate athletic director Bill D’Andrea on the ride. Now athletic director at Anderson University after a brief retirement, he was accompanied by his wife, wore an orange sweater and was recognized by several on the plane – which was overbooked, apparently completely by Clemson fans, save our Greenville News crew.

D’Andrea said he visited Clemson’s practice on Monday and has no doubt the Tigers can win, offering two keys: Deshaun Watson’s ability to find space against Alabama’s stout defense and the Clemson defense’s ability to interrupt the ball-control plans of Alabama.

To be exact, he said “we” can win – he still and likely always will say “we” when referring to Clemson. He spent more than 25 years at the school, starting out as a graduate assistant coach under Danny Ford in 1983 and 1984 before later serving as a fulltime assistant, then the first director of the Vickery Hall student-athlete enrichment facility and finally as senior associate athletic director.

D’Andrea said he’s enjoying his role at Anderson, joking that coming out of retirement was an effort to save his marriage, but he said he didn’t sign up to have to make decisions such as cutting the wrestling program, which he announced yesterday.

Fog diverted our planned layover in Houston and sent us to Dallas, where fans dealt with a United Airlines associate who was helpful but impatient.

We’ve landed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I’m dreadfully fearful of missing a turn, but we hope to arrive in Phoenix before the Clemson and Alabama teams this afternoon.

5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, from Greenville, South Carolina:

I think we’re living in the good ol’ days, so cheer, Clemson fans, and be glad. To be back again or not, this year’s team has amazed, and it could be the best any program has ever had.

It was 1969, as part of the album “Pride In What I Am,” when Merle Haggard released the song that inspired those lines. He probably wasn’t referring to Clemson football then or when he released another song as part of “Big City” in 1982 as the Tigers celebrated their only national championship: “Are The Good Times Really Over For Good?”

Clemson hadn't played for college football's grandest prize in the 34 years since, until this year.

Now the crown is in reach.

The Tigers face certified blue-blood Alabama for the College Football Playoff title Monday night, and whether or not you can make the trip, The Greenville News will bring you every angle we can find, from the locker room and the end zone to the fan experience.

We’re making the 1,981-mile trip from Death Valley, South Carolina, to Glendale, Arizona, to cover the team that's graced four Sports Illustrated covers on the 34th anniversary of the greatest magazine cover in Clemson history.

If the Tigers win again, they’ll be the first in major college history to go 15-0, or at least the first since the Penn Quakers in 1897.

I’ll cover the fan angle while Scott Keepfer and Mandrallius Robinson cover the nuts and bolts colored with Bart Boatwright’s photographs and video.

Follow online and with late-edition print as Clemson fans enjoy the ride and eat Rainbow Stew left over from 1981. Regardless of the next game's outcome, the best of the free life is still yet to come, at least that’s what Dabo Swinney says.

- Follow Michael Burns on Twitter @clemsonmikey