Every yard was a struggle.
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Clemson plays Alabama at 8:45 p.m. ET on Monday in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Superdome, the victor advancing to the CFP championship game against the victor of the Rose Bowl semifinal between Oklahoma and Georgia. The Crimson Tide is just 22 of 66 on third downs (33 percent) compared to converting about 48 percent at home. “They were warriors out there on the field”.
The two teams enter this game in different circumstances.
There would be no drama in the nightcap.
LSU and Alabama met in the BCS Championship Game after the 2011 season. In my opinion, I think Clemson football has the advantage. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts found Ridley in the end zone with a 12-yard pass.
The Tigers’ offense found their groove in the second quarter. His 21-yard return and a penalty on the Tigers for a horse-collar tackle put the Tide at the Clemson 27.
Alabama, which has played a lot of the season without all of its troops, showed up to the semifinals fairly healthy and looked like a team worthy of the College Football Playoff (sorry, Ohio State). That’s certainly what Clemson was thinking, totally biting when Hurts faked the handoff. Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne has been calling for his shot near the goal line all season. Joey Williams who boarded Amtrak says this is the best trip ever getting to support the Crimson Tide and spending time with his family on the train. By that point, Clemson had run 29 offensive plays.
And when Clemson got the ball back, things really unraveled as Bryant threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by linebacker Mack Wilson. As a result, coach Dabo Swinney’s team stands just two victories away from back-to-back championships. “But congratulations to Alabama. No doubt about it”. This time, Clemson would get its revenge, and Clemson would dethrone Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.
Alabama ranks No. 2 in SB Nation’s S&P+ rankings, while Clemson ranks No. 7. For the third straight year, Clemson faced Alabama in the post-season.
And it’s also another season in which the SEC is going to claim a national title. This defensive performance was almost as impressive.
On the other side, Alabama hasn’t generated much pass rush, but has been tough against the run. His play helped produce two instant classics, but the rubber match was far less exciting because the Tigers could not sustain drives against the Tide.
If we’ve learned anything from Alabama’s win over Clemson, it’s that no one can keep Saban and the Crimson Tide down. Work out those averages, and it’s 11.5 points allowed per game allowed by Alabama, 12.8 points allowed per game by Clemson. Sorry, the Tide remains on top.
See how it happened in our running log below.
Harris, who had just six total carries in his last game against Auburn, managed 18 carries for 75 yards on Monday night, including eight in the first quarter for 35 rushing yards. But the Tigers lost a net five yards on the possession and kicked a field goal before they could lose any more.
Right now, however, Pruitt’s focus is on helping to lead Alabama to another title – and derailing Swinney’s bid to repeat along the way.
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HALFTIME: Bama holds a slim 10-3 lead after a missed field goal. He gets the job (done) whenever he plays us. The lead widens to 24-6.
