This year it worked out just as we all hoped as the undefeated No. 1 Clemson Tigers battle the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide to decide the CFP champion.
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There’s another storyline to the title game.
Miller is definitely in the minority among Tide fans in rooting for Clemson to beat coach Nick Saban’s team, but he’s hardly alone around here in being a big fan of Swinney, who attended high school in Birmingham’s southern suburbs before going on to play at Alabama and then coach. The Crimson Tide have won 3 national titles under Saban (2009, 2011, 2012).
That was also a pivotal year for the Tigers.
Still, Kathleen calls Monday’s championship game against Alabama “surreal”. Serving at first on an interim basis, he got the job permanently after leading Clemson to bowl eligibility.
The Tigers had a little bit tougher an opponent in their semifinal game in the Orange Bowl. “I know we’re going to win”. “It was just a matter of when”.
Rely on the Heisman: After carrying Alabama in back-to-back games, RB Derrick Henry got a rest against Michigan State.
“Whatever has been accomplished in the past certainly doesn’t have anything to do with what the future holds”, Saban said. Due to the lull in games (nine days), many of us, including us here at Fantasy CPR, have moved on to the National Basketball Association. I mean you can’t explain it. But you have to be there.
Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley vs. Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander This is going to be a fun one. The Clemson offense is averaging 38.5 points per game with 288.5 passing yards per game and 222.2 rushing yards per game.
So who would win if the 1981 Clemson team faced the 2015 Tigers?
Watson turned in another stellar all-around performance, beating Oklahoma with his arm and his legs.
Smart has orchestrated a number of historically great Alabama defensive units – the Tide has ranked no lower than seventh in defensive efficiency each season since 2008, the year Smart was promoted to defensive coordinator – but as for this year’s squad, he acknowledged the level of competition they’ve faced could put them at the top of his personal leaderboard: “This team has faced probably better offenses and more talented offenses (than defenses of year’s past)”. While he may need to run a fair amount to keep the defense honest and to set up the pass, he won’t be able to win the game on the ground alone. An intercepted Blake Sims pass and one breakaway Ohio State run turned the tables, but odds aren’t in favor of that repeating. Wayne Gallman rushed for 150 yards and a pair of TDs. “They don’t want to admit it, but there’s a bunch of them”, he said. “Most people didn’t expect that type of outcome”.
A junior who already has said he will enter this spring’s NFL Draft, Lawson has 23.5 tackles for loss this season, including 10.5 sacks.
Alabama looked like a team with no weaknesses against Michigan State. “If you’ve gotta throw it for 400 yards, we’ll throw it for 400 yards, or if we’ve got to rush it for 400 yards, we’ll rush it for 400 yards”.
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The two have produced what is arguably the greatest Alabama defense since the 1992 Crimson Tide team that featured names like Curry and Copeland on the defensive line. He finished with 75 yards but did score two touchdowns. “You know, to have the opportunity to be in my first national championship game as a coach, and it comes against Alabama, I just have to smile at God on that one”. Area Facebook feeds, coffee shops and store aisles are full of ‘Bama fans who say they’d be rooting for Clemson if only Swinney’s team wasn’t playing the Tide.
