Personality Tom Luginbill is the National Recruiting Director at ESPN — as well as a college football analyst.

His speciality in high school football recruiting pertains particularly to the Southeast region. As such, he knows the rosters for both Alabama and Clemson exceptionally well — as he’s scouted these players for years.

A guest on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” Luginbill offered up his opinion on next Monday’s game:

Luginbill then went on to reveal a key to the contest:

Essentially, Luginbill believes Clemson QB Deshaun Watson will outplay Alabama signal-caller Jalen Hurts — especially in regards to picking up yardage on the ground.

In the past, Nick Saban-led defenses have struggled when defending mobile quarterbacks. Watson certainly possesses this ability — evidenced by accruing 586 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns this season.

Clemson’s defense is a lot like Washington’s: Big, physical, fast, and athletic. The Alabama offense didn’t exactly look like world-beaters (outside of RB Bo Scarbrough) this past weekend. If Hurts can impact the game with his legs, it should lead to the likes of Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart getting favorable matchups on the perimeter.

This will be especially true if Clemson has to commit more defenders in the box to slow the vaunted rushing attack Alabama possesses.