College football · NFLTuesday, October 13, 2026
The Upset Report
2016 · Bowl season · Monday, January 9, 2017 · Neutral site

No. 3 Clemson upsets No. 1 Alabama, 35–31

Clemson closed as a 6-point underdog and won outright. No. 3 beat No. 1 in the AP poll.

Final35–31
Upset size7
Rank in 2016117th of 198
6-point underdogNo. 3 beat No. 1

It was the 5th-biggest of 15 upsets in 2016 Bowl season, and the 117th-biggest of the 2016 season. Clemson pulled off 2 other upsets in 2016.

Other upsets in 2016 Bowl season

  1. 12.5-point underdogUnranked beat No. 23Recap
    Upset size14
  2. 61, 50
    13-point underdogRecap
    Upset size13
  3. 10-point underdogRecap
    Upset size10
  4. 6.5-point underdogNo. 10 beat No. 6Recap
    Upset size8.5
  5. Unranked beat No. 14Recap
    Upset size6

Clemson’s other 2016 upsets

  1. Week 5No. 5 beat No. 3Recap
    Upset size1
  2. Bowl3-point underdogNo. 3 beat No. 2Recap
    Upset size3.5

More: Clemson upsets · Alabama upsets · all Bowl season upsets · the 2016 season · how upset size works