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Clemson is good enough to beat Alabama on Monday night.
But being capable and doing it are two different things, and it will take a brave man or woman to predict a Tigers win in the media.
We have a heap of ACC connections within our full-time staff as well as a load of respect for this year’s Clemson Tigers team. Still, our predictions were a clean sweep for Alabama.
This will be a more difficult matchup than the one Bama inherited against Michigan State. What is your prediction for what will happen?
Tom Brew (@tombrewsports): Alabama 31, Clemson 20
It’s been a dream season for Clemson, one they thought might be possible the day Deshaun Watson committed to the Tigers. They finally got over the hump and beat Florida State and they made it all the way through the season without stubbing their toe and taking a bad loss, which is commonly referred to as “Clemsoning,” though that’s really a misnomer lately.
That said, this Alabama team is just too strong. I see the Tide being able to pound on that Clemson defense with the running game. I know Clemson kept Oklahoma’s vaunted running game in check, but Alabama is different. That offensive line is loaded with studs and Derrick Henry is ready for another big night. I see him running for 150 yards or more and I see Jake Coker continuing to play well.
John Brasier (@john_brasierSDS): Alabama 31, Clemson 17
Clemson’s athleticism may surprise some SEC fans, but not Nick Saban or Alabama players. Still, it will take the Crimson Tide some time to adjust to Deshaun Watson’s variety of skills and the Tigers game plan. Expect Clemson to give the Tide all it can handle early. In the second half, Alabama’s power game with Derrick Henry will wear down the Tigers, who will make mistakes on offense when trying to come from behind. Alabama wins by two touchdowns.
Chris Wright (@filmroomeditor): Alabama 28, Clemson 24
I was an ACC editor when Deshaun arrived. I’ve seen what he can do. He’s better than Jameis. He’s better than any ACC QB I can remember since Charlie Ward. He’s better than any SEC QB this year. He does things you cant prevent.
Question is: Are his teammates good enough? No. There’s only one Alabama. It will take Jordan in paw claws to keep Derrick Henry from a national title.
Christopher Smith (@csmithSDS): Alabama 27, Clemson 24
The feeling from Glendale, Ariz., is that this is the most focused Alabama favorite since at least 2012, if not ever. Well, the Tide better be. Deshaun Watson and the Clemson pass offense is as well equipped to challenge the Tide defense as any unit all season.
On defense, the Tigers usually play a lot of press man coverage. It will be intriguing to see how much zone defense that unit plays tomorrow night. This is a healthier and stronger secondary than the one Michigan State fielded, but Jake Coker is really comfortable throwing downfield to Calvin Ridley and even ArDarius Stewart when those receivers get 1-on-1 coverage. Make him read the field and he’s not as effective.
Clemson’s front seven is good, but 1) top pass rusher Shaq Lawson won’t be 100 percent with a sprained knee and 2) this group isn’t as deep or disciplined as Michigan State, and Derrick Henry should be able to get his yards, at least by the fourth quarter.
The key to this whole game is how the Tide defense defends Watson. Alabama hopes that a smaller, faster, more coverage-oriented secondary can hold its own against a top-flight group of pass-catchers. Can Bama prevent big plays? And can the nation’s most productive pass rush keep Watson contained in the pocket?
Alabama’s biggest advantage may be on special teams, and that’s where I believe coach Nick Saban will win his fifth national title.
Talal Elmasry (@TalalElmasrySDS): Alabama 31, Clemson 14
I think this will be a blowout much like the last three national championship games that Alabama played in. While Clemson is motivated to do something it’s never done, Alabama is motivated by what it didn’t do last season. Nick Saban won’t allow his team to come out flat in a big game like this for the second season in a row. I simply can’t bet against a Tide team that I know will be prepared.
Alabama is just the better team top to bottom, and it’s proven that each individual unit is good enough to dominate an entire game for certain stretches. Can we also say that about the quarterback position? While I think Alabama took advantage of a Michigan State weakness in the semifinal, I think the Tide can do the same if cornerback Mackensie Alexander misses the game with a hamstring injury.
I love to dive into Xs and Os more than most people, but things are pretty simple with Alabama sometimes. Teams get discouraged over time against its defense, and they get equally discouraged from tackling Derrick Henry as the game goes on. Every Alabama touchdown seems like two because of how elite the defense routinely plays, and Michigan State seemed to react that way with each TD the Tide scored in the semifinal. I expect to see some Tigers heads hanging the same way tonight.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
