Hale finished the game 0-3 from the field with two points, but Johnson limited the minutes he was able to play as he works his way back into the starting lineup. If his Crimson Tide defeat Clemson in the national championship game with the same kind of overbearing defensive performance, Saban will have claimed his fifth national championship as a head coach (one at LSU, and four with Alabama).
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A team once known for such inexplicable stumbles that a derisive term was coined for it – Clemsoning – blew out the No. 4 Sooners over the final two quarters after trailing 17-16 at halftime. Norfolk State was more competitive for the remainder of the game, especially in the second half when the Spartans grabbed eight offensive rebounds compared to Alabama’s three.
It didn’t take long for Saban to get asked about Clemson.
Early in the game, Alabama dominated the boards outrebounding the Spartans 12-5.
There certainly will be more questions about the line and the top-ranked Tigers (14-0) leading up to their matchup on January 11 in Arizona with the powerful Crimson Tide (13-1), which completely shut down Big Ten champion Michigan State 38-0 in the Cotton Bowl last Thursday night. This year’s defense, studded with potential draft picks, may wind up being the best Saban has ever produced. It’s time for the Clemson football program to take the next step.
The Cotton Bowl marked the 10th time in 14 games Alabama has held an opponent to fewer than 300 yards.
The group, which also includes guards Eric Mac Lain and Tyrone Crowder and right tackle Joe Gore, gradually gelled and became the engine that drives Clemson’s relentless offense.
Yet the illogic did add up to logic, for here comes a final with two of the season’s most towering elements, banging against one another.
OK, we know a good many of you will be among the ranks of the ABC – Anybody But Clemson – and we know there is no way in this millennium or any other you’d be caught wearing anything orange or with anything even remotely resembling a tiger paw, and nobody says you absolutely have to do that.
The Crimson Tide actually started quicker in last season’s semifinal against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, grabbing a 21-6 advantage. He has gained 100-plus rushing yards in four of the last five games, with 145 against Oklahoma.
Only one wall remains, and whether it tumbles or not, one thing is certain – Swinney will be smiling all the while, and that puts him into some rarefied air, too.
In the same time period, Alabama has won 85 games and lost a total of 10.
“We really had a mentality here of wanting to prove people wrong”, Guillermo said. Michigan State managed only 29 rushing yards on 26 carries.
Alabama’s Allen said the Crimson Tide concentrates on taking away the run so they can get after the quarterback. “It’s like a reward, because if you stop the run, you get to pass rush”. “That’s just our mentality”. The Tigers, however, believe they can slow down the Crimson Tide so Watson and Gallman can make the plays they’ve made all season.
“I knew that we would be here”, Swinney said.
“We’ve got to value the ball more”, Johnson said. “That’s what we want to do”.
It looks like you can’t do that anymore.
Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.
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