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Posted on 01/06/2019 10:34:08 AM PST by blam
Clemson's Christian Wilkins will end his fourth and final season with the Tigers the same way he has ended each of the prior three: with a showdown against Alabama, and for the third time it comes in the College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App).
"I guess the only comparison is the Rocky movies," he said. "I know after three it's a trilogy. But what's four?"
It's a good question, though it's doubtful Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney have spent much time researching it. The on-field questions, however, deserve plenty of attention.
Sure, this is a matchup between two teams that know each other pretty well by now. Alabama came back to beat Clemson for a national championship to cap the 2015 season. Clemson returned the favor in 2016. Last season, the Tide topped the Tigers in the Allstate Sugar Bowl before upending Georgia for another title. And there are plenty of holdovers from those three, from Wilkins to the coaches to the undeniable heavyweight fight comparisons. But a lot has changed, too, and so we're digging into the details -- and hopefully avoiding too many Rocky allusions -- to find out who has the advantage in Part IV of college football's biggest rivalry.
Alabama X factor: Safety Deionte Thompson will have his hands full with all of Clemson's receivers, but Hunter Renfrow is another animal. Thompson can ask his predecessor, Minkah Fitzpatrick, about that. Fitzpatrick, a first-round pick and perhaps the best defensive back ever to come through Tuscaloosa, was torched by Renfrow in the team's three previous playoff matchups, where he caught a combined 22 passes for 211 yards and four touchdowns, including the winner in 2016.
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(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
It means Roll Tide in Hawaiian.
Alabama Has A Secret Weapon For The National Championship Game
Tua Tagovailoa Not Wearing Protective Boot During Media Day(Says foot doesn't hurt now)
Alabama should win it. Although I expect a good game.
Looking forward to this one.
‘Bama is just too loaded. The Tigers may make it close but in the end it will be The Crimson Tide. Again.
Toss up....
From a Tennessee Vol alum, Bear Bryant fan, Nick Saban hater...
Enjoy this one, the NCAA has just killed CFB by allowing Justin Fields to transfer to OSU without having to sit out a year. In effect free agency has been injected into the sport.
How dare the players have the same rights as the coaches and most everyone else in the country.
Hey, I hope the Fields case becomes entrenched and collapses college football. Honest to god that works for me.
It’s all going to come down to weaknesses vs. strengths. If Clemson spotted some weakness(s) that might be exploited it may not be even close.
How Alabama was kept under 50 against OU’s crap defense is the puzzle to solve. OU plays high school defense and Alabama looked pretty average in the 2-4th quarters.
How did OU’s one dimensional offense score 34 is the second part. Alabama’s defense was totally focused on Murray and they still got 34.
If Alabama doesn’t get out front early it’s going to be tough.
Go Tigers!
Ticket prices are collapsing. You can get upper deck for $130. It’s too far for fans to travel and our NorCal weather is cold and wet.
SAn Fran could care less about CFB, they are more into soccer and whale watching.
Yup. The Pac12 can't fill a stadium out there.
And, there's zero interest in two teams from the South.
I used to drive by this stadium spot daily on my way to my chip-making job at National Semiconductor in 1967.(Dan Pattorini came out of Santa Clara U, nearby.)
What’s the spread?
You must have watched a different game. Bama took a knee after having first and goal on the Oklahoma 6 yard line with almost a minute and a half left in the game. They could have easily scored if they wanted to get to 52 points.
Although its politics may not be a whole lot different, Santa Clara isn't Frisco.
I keep hearing about how they are the most passionate fans in the sport, and that they care more than anyone else about their teams. Can’t they get on an airplane?
Go Tigers. Alabama is really good. They are going to come after Trevor Lawrence the freshman QB big time I think. He is a work in progress so it will be interesting. Clemson secondary looked shaky at times this year and Tua is flat out great at making plays. It should be fun.
I’d rather go back to status quo ante, with no playoffs, no matter the number of teams. It cheapens the New Year’s bowl games and has set up dominance by the SEC and ACC, specifically Alabama and Clemson. Would prefer to go back to the polls and have water cooler debates.
South Carolina Ping
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