The College Football Playoff
What has been a great season of college football has come to an end. The two teams that remained - Clemson and Alabama – provided a great matchup that we delved into in this article. The two teams were polar opposites in style of play, and since these teams were so different, we were in for excitement to see who the best team was in college football. Here is a preview written before the game on what each team had to focus on.
Alabama: Key Players and How They Got There
Alabama was the steady pick to win the CFB Playoff after beating Florida in the SEC Championship game and Michigan State in the semifinal. The Crimson Tide came in with a record of 13-1 with their lone loss against Ole Miss, one that many found disconcerting for various reasons. Some could say it was a fluke, as the Rebels made some amazing plays throughout the game to down the Tide. Alabama was led by Derrick Henry, their Heisman winning running back, the definition of a workhorse who fights for every yard, which enabled him to win the coveted trophy. Florida State transfer, quarterback, Jake Coker, had a great game dismantling Michigan State in the semifinal, and needed another one to beat Clemson. The scariest part of Alabama’s team was neither Henry nor Coker, but the Crimson Tide’s offensive and defensive lines. With up to six or seven first round draft picks possible on just the lines (offensive and defensive line) alone, they would be be hard to stop from getting penetration at will (whenever they wanted to) against the Spartans. Beating Michigan State 38-0, the game was never close and featured the Crimson Tide’s domination in every facet of the game. The breakout performer from the semifinal was true freshman, wide receiver, Calvin Ridley. He carved up the Spartan secondary and burst onto the scene.
Clemson’s style of play is the Alabama’s kryptonite, showcasing an excellent read option quarterback (option for QB to run or hand off to running back) in Deshaun Watson. This style of plays – uptempo and very unpredictable – is the basis of how Ole Miss was able to defeat Alabama. Alabama will be bigger and stronger everywhere, but the Tigers are quicker at most positions.
Clemson: Key Players and How They Got There
Clemson came in as the only undefeated team in college football, but have had a few close calls. They haven't had the same difficult schedule that Alabama had, but they came in with no blemishes and were rightfully the number one team going into the game. Beating North Carolina in the ACC Championship game that included a controversial call on an onside kick, they went on to beat number four Oklahoma, 37-17. This semifinal game had the Sooners of Oklahoma up 17-16 at half, but an exciting comeback led to 21 straight points and a twenty point win for the Tigers.
The Clemson Tigers were led by quarterback, Deshaun Watson, who placed third in the Heisman voting a month ago. He is one of the more elusive players in college football, but also can sling it. Two factors that would have played into a Tigers win were if wide receiver Deon Cain – who was suspended as well as two others for failed drug tests – would have been able to play in the game. As it stood, they were still suspended, but the Tigers needed one of their best receivers to beat the Tide.
The breakout performer for the Tigers was bulldozing running back Wayne Gallman, who trucked defenders left and right in the semifinal, and made major headlines as the under the radar player who gashed the Oklahoma defense. Clemson has not seen the physical power of the Alabama defense (or offense), so no one knew what to expect.
This was exciting with contrasting styles of play and should keep the fans on the edge of their seat. But overall, Alabama was the favorite here simply because they just have more manpower, but don't discount the Tigers out yet.
Postgame
The Crimson Tide were torched by Watson and his dual threat ability, but Clemson, surprisingly, couldn't keep up with Alabama’s offense. O.J. Howard, the Alabama tight end, had a coming out party with 200 yards receiving, and stole the spotlight. Derrick Henry proved his Heisman prowess and had over 150 rushing, while Jake Coker had a solid performance. It was one of the best National Championship games in a long time and would venture to call it a classic. These two teams will be in the top tier next year as both teams return many players on both sides of the ball.
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