All the talk is pointless. What matters is what happens on the field of play when the time comes. There are so many intangibles here. Never have I seen so many except for maybe when Nick Saban stepped off the plane in Alabama. It doesn't matter. There are what, 11 or 12 games to play before we even get to the playoff. I can assure you none of these men, Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, or Kirby Smart are making any assumptions about anything. They know better. So should we. That's the beauty and the uncertainty of the NCAA College Football season. A team is only as good as its last game until of course the next one and the media and public opinion are fickle and tiresome.

OK Greg, you know how to tell if Clemson's "starting 22" can match up against Alabama's "starting 22"? Who wins the frigging game. Now perhaps "the intangibles". Who has the better head coach and assistant coaches and prepares his players better than anyone? Who had the tougher schedule? What team fought through injuries to their starting QB to win the SEC Championship? Who is "their offensive spark" and had he played 4 qtrs in each game, would have the Heisman Trophy? Who has a proven leader, Jalen Hurts, to play QB in the event Clemson is behind in the 3rd quarter and takes out Tua? This could be either Tua's or Jalen's Magnum Opus. Dabo has managed to take out an impact player of Alabama's in the 3rd quarter of the last 2 games, Bo Scarborough in 2016 and Anfernee Jennings in 2017. Clemson had no answer for either. Who has the more seasoned QB and team? If Tua goes down in the game because Dabo has to incapacitate him to have a chance to win, it will happen. Jalen will play and Alabama will win regardless. Dabo Swinney can't beat Nick Saban regardless of what he does. He had a generational QB in 2016 and won by 1 second by taking out Bo Scarborough and Alabama's running attack and scoring 2 TD's on 2 controversial "pick plays". Trevor Lawrence has not played anyone like Alabama. His ACC Championship opponent? The Pittsburgh Panthers with 7 wins and 5 loses. His next opponent in the CFP, Notre Dame, who was obviously over-rated and over-matched and embarrassed. No. Dabo nor Trevor nor Clemson has been tested this year by a team of Alabama's caliber. Need I say more. As always and by whatever means necessary, Roll Tide.

The teams Clemson played in 2018, including their so called ACC Championship opponent, University of Pittsburgh, at 7-5, had 89 wins-58 losses for the year. Do the math. Clemson is over-rated. My opinion also, I think Dabo Swinney encourages his players in the high stake elimination games to win regardless of how they do it including illegal pick plays or seriously injuring the opposing team's players. Bo Scarborough's leg was broken in the 2016 CFC game because Clemson couldn't stop him. Anfernee Jennings was a beast in the 2018 CFP game. His leg, not only broken by a Clemson player's leg-whip, the vascular injury found shortly thereafter had interrupted blood flow to the leg and could have potentially ended his football career. Both players were taken down in the 3rd qtr. They probably would've earned the MVP of the game. You watch. Clemson plays Alabama, it will happen again. Clemson will take Tua out in the 3rd qtr and it will be dismissed as unfortunate or ignored because of the injuries he's had. It's the only way Dabo Swinney can beat Nick Saban and he knows it. It's happened to a game changing player for Alabama in 2 different CFP games. Coincidence or not, you be the judge. Don't mean to offend but mark my words, Clemson plays Alabama, it will happen.

My comments are being evaluated. OK. What I have observed is how teams choose to play Alabama when they know they've lost and rather badly. If I can't beat you, I'll break something. Does anyone recall the Clemson player in the game last year leg whipping Anfernee Jennings? Anfernee almost lost that leg because the injury caused the lower leg to lose blood flow. Anyone care to comment on that? I'm not trying start anything but what I just said is true. No disputing facts.