The stage is set for the college football national
championship as #1 Clemson will take on #2 Alabama for all the marbles out in
Glendale, Ariz. The opening line had Alabama as a touchdown
favorite but if you ask Clemson, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dabo Swinney’s Tigers have played the role of underdog all
season, with the “experts” picking them to lose in nearly every big game this year
from Notre Dame, Florida State and North Carolina to the semifinal game against
Oklahoma where most of the pundits had the Sooners winning big over the Tigers.
Swinney--who joined Bear Bryant as the only two coaches to
defeat the Sooners in a bowl game two times--will look to become the first head
coach to defeat his alma mater in the national championship game Monday night. The scary
part of it all is that the Tigers are the third youngest team in the nation and were expected to be ”one year away” from competing for the tile heading into this
year. Guess the boys in orange didn’t listen to those predictions, either.
With most of the team coming back including a young and talented offensive line, an even more mature and experienced Heisman contender
at quarterback, another top recruiting class with several four and five star
players who can contribute from day one, the Tigers don’t appear to be going
anywhere for the foreseeable future.
A win
Monday night would add Alabama/Nick Saban to his list of recent victories,
which include Oklahoma/Bob Stoops, LSU/Les Miles, Ohio State/Urban Meyer, South
Carolina/Steve Spurrier, Notre Dame/Brian Kelly and UGA/Mark Richt all within
the past four seasons. Could it be that the man we call “Dabo” will return home to
Alabama after Saban steps away from Tuscaloosa? It is possible. While Clemson
has become home for Swinney and his family, I think Alabama is one the “for
sure” job that he would ever leave Tigertown for. If that spot opens in the
next year or two, it’d be hard not to give Dabo a serious look.
As an outsider or just general football fan, you couldn't ask for a better matchup. The Tigers and Tide are the only two teams in the nation with 10
or more wins in each of the last five seasons. The showdown should be a instant
classic and while Alabama has the upper hand in coaching experience, I think Clemson will show up ready to go to work
and is more than prepared and hungry to capture the schools first title in 35
years. Teams of destiny look a lot like Clemson and it would not be
wise to think the Tide are just going to roll past the Tigers on Monday night.
It’s going to be 60 minutes of grown-man football in the school’s first meeting
since 2008—a 34-10 Bama triumph –-in what was “supposed” to be a big year for
Clemson under then-head coach Tommy Bowden.
That season opener in the Georgia dome keyed the resurgence
of Alabama and the Tide have hardly looked back since. It’s also worth noting
that later that season, Tommy Bowden and Clemson parted ways and Swinney was
named interim. For all intents and purposes...he hasn't looked back since, either. It all comes full circle on Monday night. Alabama always has NFL-ready talent at nearly every position
on the defense but if you look at where they’ve struggled this year, it’s been
against mobile quarterbacks. In the shocking loss at home to Ole Miss back in
September it was Chad Kelly who gave the Crimson Tide fits all night long with
his ability to extend plays and beat you with his arm as well as his feet.
Vol fans will remember the tough 19-14 loss this season in
Tuscaloosa, a game in which Tennessee gave the Tide quite the scare before a
late Derrick Henry touchdown erased a 14-13 advantage and gave Nick Saban’s
team the lead with just 2:24 remaining in regulation. And what do the Vols have? A mobile quarterback that can beat you with his arm and feet as well. I don’t think it takes a genius to tell you that Clemson is a more complete team this year than both Ole Miss and Tennessee and
has the athletes and talents to give Alabama plenty to worry about heading into
the showdown Monday night in Arizona.
Make no mistake, the Tigers will have their hands full too
trying to find a way to slow down the Heisman winner Derrick Henry but
Clemson’s defense—while suspect a times this year—as always come up with the
big plays and stops when they needed it most. Jake Coker had a impressive showing against the Spartans in
the Cotton Bowl semifinal game (25-30 for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns) but it’s been Henry that has been the workhorse for the Tide touching the rock over
30 times against LSU (38) and Texas A&M (32) and over 40 against Florida
(44) and Auburn (46).
The Tigers have a pretty reliable guy in the backfield as
well who as rushed for over 1,000 yards and one of those guys who can not only
make you miss in the backfield but gets those hard earned yards after contact.
If you haven’t heard of Wayne Gallman, you will early and often Monday night. Tiger fans refer to him as the "Wayne Tain" and the locomotive is ready to pull out of the station one last time around 8:30pm Monday.
Gallman, like Watson, is only a sophomore and has rushed for
1482 yards on 269 carries for 12 scores compared to Henry’s line of 2061 yards
on 359 carries for 25 touchdowns. Believe it or not, both are averaging
5.92 yards per carry in the second half of games this season. Henry is a junior
and regardless of the game’s outcome is likely NFL bound. If the situation and
location is right, perhaps Saban might be too.
Bottom Line-
Call it disrespect, call it haters, call it whatever you like....Clemson has fed off the negativity all season and week after week have proved they are better than what some are giving them credit for. If you've watched this team all year it just seems like its their time and its destiny. It won't be easy and the Tigers will have to weather the storm as they have all year but in the end, it should be a big party for the folks in orange stretching from Glendale to Death Valley. A tight game heading into the fourth quarter takes a big turn when an Alabama turnover leads to a Watson-Gallman fueled drive for Clemson that wins the game.
The Prediction:
Clemson 31 Alabama 27
(Photo Credits: The State, USA Today, Jacksonville.com)
