When Alabama has the ball
Clemson will look to take Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry away by stacking the box, just as Michigan State did in the Cotton Bowl. Unlike the Spartans, however, the Tigers have cornerbacks in Mackensie Alexander and Jayron Kearse who won’t let receivers Calvin Ridley, Richard Mullaney and ArDarius Stewart run free, as was the case in the Cotton Bowl. Crimson Tide senior quarterback Jake Coker threw for a career-high 286 yards while completing 25-of-30 passes in the rout of Michigan State, the kind of performance, if replicated, that likely would lead to another celebration in Tuscaloosa. But he hasn’t seen a defense quite like Clemson’s, and that display of accuracy was atypical of his regular season.
Edge: Alabama
When Clemson has the ball
Deshaun Watson, college football’s premier dual-threat quarterback, against the Alabama front seven, the best pass rush in the sport, has all the makings of an epic matchup. It’s so intriguing, maybe they should push it back to New Year’s Eve. The Crimson Tide didn’t allow a quarterback to run for more than 29 yards this season in a particular game, but they didn’t face anyone with the skill set or explosion of Watson, who ran for 1,032 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing for 31 scores and completing 68.2 percent of his passes. Clemson will push the pace, hoping to limit the substitutions the ridiculously deep Alabama defense likes to make to stay fresh, and hope to be productive enough on the ground — the Tigers have averaged 229 rushing yards per game this year — to keep the Crimson Tide defensive front honest.
Edge: Even
Special teams
Clemson place-kicker Greg Huegel is more accurate (86 percent) than his counterpart, Alabama’s Adam Griffith (73 percent), but the Crimson Tide kicker has the bigger leg, having made two kicks of 50 yards or longer. Cyrus Jones gives Alabama the biggest weapon by far in the return game, having returned four punts for touchdowns, an Alabama record.
Edge: Alabama
Coaching
Dabo Swinney is deserving of Coach of the Year honors, keeping undefeated Clemson loose where previous teams got tight. Nick Saban, meanwhile, might be the best college football coach of all time. He’s at least in the conversation. Experience matters, and Saban has repeatedly been to this stage, having won four national championships already. He had Alabama as prepared as possible, a Saban staple, for the Cotton Bowl.
Edge: Alabama
Three players who could decide the game
Wayne Gallman, Clemson running back
Has a 1,400-yard rusher even been under the radar like this? The speedy yet powerful sophomore has gone unnoticed, despite running for 1,482 yards, 12 touchdowns and reaching 100 yards in nine of 14 games. If he can be productive against Alabama — no easy feat — it will open up so many options for Watson. Gallman has thrived against top rushing defenses this year, notching big performances against Florida State and Louisville
Calvin Ridley, Alabama wide receiver
He broke Amari Cooper’s school record for most receiving yards as a freshman (1,031 yards and counting) and has gotten better each week. But now comes the true freshman speedster’s greatest test: Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander, one of the top cover corners in college football.
Cyrus Jones, Alabama cornerback/punt returner
Just ask Michigan State about the 5-foot-10 playmaker. His interception late in the first half snuffed out a potential Spartans’ touchdown and his 57-yard punt return for a touchdown turned the Cotton Bowl into a rout.
Braziller’s pick
Alabama 31, Clemson 17
Defense wins championships, and the Crimson Tide’s unit will make a case as one of the best ever with another brilliant performance. Watson will have his moments, but the Tigers won’t be able to run much, making them one-dimensional, hazardous to any quarterback’s health against this front seven. Henry proves he is deserving of the Heisman with his fifth 200-yard performance of the year, wearing down Clemson in the fourth quarter.