Why is Deshaun Watson so good? He never stops working. While students at Clemson have gone on with their everyday living since Clemson’s loss to Alabama in the National Championship Game, Watson has gone back to the film room.

The Tigers’ quarterback, who set an ACC record for total yards in a season with 5,209, admitted earlier this week he has watched the Alabama game four times since being back in Clemson.

“I watched it twice just to watch it and see everything,” Watson said. “Then I evaluated myself on what I did well, what I did bad and what I can correct. I wanted to see the miss throws I had, and the reasons for those missed throws and the reason for the interception.”

Watson threw a second-quarter interception that safety Eddie Jackson snagged on a pass to Ray Ray McCloud. The interception set up Bama’s second touchdown of the game, a Derrick Henry one-yard run with 9:35 left in the opening half.

“It was kind of a forced ball. I did not see the safety until the last second,” Watson said. “I’m just trying to improve my game in some way and somehow so I can correct those mistakes I made in that game. No one is perfect. It is hard to have a perfect game.”

Watson nearly did. He threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns against Alabama, while also rushing for 73 yards. His 478 total yards set a National Championship Game record, surpassing Vince Young’s performance in the 2006 Championship Game.

Though the Tigers lost the game, Watson’s performance catapulted him to the top of the Heisman Trophy list for next season. He finished third in this year’s Heisman Trophy race behind Henry and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey.

“It is something of course I want to achieve, but at the end of the day I want to win the national championship. I was so close from getting that – that big dream and that big reward,” Watson said. “I wanted it for me and my team, and just really for this whole university.

“The Heisman is a privilege and an honor to receive that award, but at the end of the day I want to be the best I can be at my position and for my team. All of that stuff is going to take care of itself like it did this year. Derrick Henry earned it. He got the votes. At the end of the day I can only control what I can control and that is the way I prepare and play this game. I respect the game and everything that comes with it. If it happens, it happens. It is not going to define me or the person that I am on and off the field.”

To get back to the National Championship Game, Watson is already in the film room breaking down everything he did this past season.

“I evaluate myself and the team, and try to learn from it and get better. We want to be in that championship game again next year,” he said. “Playing at the highest level in college football and learning from that game is going to take us a long way. It will help us throughout the off-season and make us better. We have to learn from the game.”