What national media are writing about tonight’s national championship game
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The national championship rematch between Alabama and Clemson is just hours away. Because the teams haven’t played in more than a week, plenty has been written and said about the two best teams in college football.
Here is what the national media are writing about tonight’s game between the Crimson Tide and the Tigers.
1. For Nick Saban and Alabama, it all starts with the defense: That’s according to Paul Newberry of the Associated Press, who cites the Crimson Tide’s NOTs (non-offensive touchdowns), which break down to 11 on defense and four on special teams. As fate would have it, Bama rode the momentum of a defensive touchdown to its 24-7 victory over Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinals. We predict that Saban’s squad will score another NOT against Clemson en route to a second straight one-score victory over Deshaun Watson and Co.
2. There are three matchups that could decide the national championship, so says Colin Becht of Sports Illustrated, who cites the showdown between Alabama right tackle Jonah Williams and Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell along with the Tigers’ wide receivers going up against the Crimson Tide’s secondary. He also includes the matchup between Jalen Hurts and the Clemson pass rush, which in our opinion will be the biggest one of the game. If the Tigers keep Hurts from beating them with his feet, they might have the upper hand, especially since his passing still needs work.
3. No other team can beat Alabama, that’s a quote that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney gave to Chris Bahr of foxsports.com. The last team to beat Alabama is Ole Miss, which topped the Tide 43-37 on Sept. 19, 2015. Bama’s closest margin of victory this season has been five points, coincidentally against Ole Miss in a 48-43 win on Sept. 17. During Alabama’s 26 game-winning streak, it beat Clemson by five in last year’s national championship game. Saban thinks Watson is the best player in the country. He had a great game to end a terrific 2015 season. But his offensive numbers will be down this season, which will prevent Clemson from winning its first national title since 1981.
4. Alabama can make history in Tampa, but Clemson has the playbook to stop it, that’s the view of Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports. With all due respect to Dabo Swinney, who has become one of the best coaches in the game, tonight’s game will be more about the players than the playbook. Between Watson, running back Wayne Gallman and wideout Mike Williams, who missed last season’s loss to Alabama due to injury, the Tigers have the personnel to pull off an upset. It’s up to Swinney to put those players in position to finally stem the Tide.
5. Steve Sarkisian can’t wait to make the calls in the title game, so writes Nicole Auerbach of USA Today. If Alabama’s new offensive coordinator can’t wait to make those calls, we can’t wait to see him take over for Lane Kiffin and see how that switch ends up affecting the Crimson Tide. Even though Sarkisian hasn’t called plays since doing that job in USC’s 45-42 win over Nebraska in the 2014 Holiday Bowl, he still has extensive experience as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. That background will definitely come in handy as Bama enters the game with a freshman quarterback in Hurts. For Alabama’s sake, it’s a good thing that Sark has spent several weeks as an offensive assistant for Saban. That preparation might be the difference in tonight’s game.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
