Almost a year has past since Clemson suffered a heartbreaking loss to Alabama in the College Football National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona. Having the title within arms reach, the Tigers let the game slip away from them, which resulted in a 45-40 loss to the Crimson Tide.

As that game begins to become a blurry image of the past, Clemson wide receiver Artavis Scott still sees and experiences it as clearly as he did the day he walked off the field that night in Arizona.

“I’m not over it. I’m not over it now,” said Scott, who will be playing near his hometown of Clearwater, Florida. “It’s still tough for me knowing we had them and then come up with a loss. I’m still not over it.”

Entering Monday’s rematch against Alabama, Scott is ready to take full advantage of this opportunity and pick up where the Tigers left off last January, when they racked up 540 yards of total offense against the Crimson Tide.

“It is definitely exciting. We get to have another shot at beating them and doing what we didn’t do last year,” he said.

Scott is not the only Clemson player who still holds a grudge with last year’s loss to Alabama in the National Championship game. Linebacker Ben Boulware and defensive lineman Christian Wilkins both have spoken of the nightmares from that game that continues to haunt them.

However, these Clemson players have not let the images in the rear view mirror distract them from looking through the windshield in front of them.

Knowing that Alabama wont exactly be a walk in the park Monday night at Raymond James Stadium, the wide receiver along with the rest of his teammates believe this Clemson team is prepared and built to win and won’t let an Alabama team intimidate them.

“It’s a great opportunity to for our team,” Scott said. “We know what we have to do. We don’t gave to do anything spectacular, but we do know we have to show up to beat them.”

—Photo Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports