Jan 6, 20192 min read

CFB: National Championship Preview

No. 1 Alabama (14-0, 8-0) vs. No. 2 Clemson (14-0, 8-0): These two will have met in each of the last four College Football Playoffs, as the Crimson Tide have won two out of three thus far. However, neither starting quarterback has participated in this matchup. QB Tua Tagovailoa (3,671 yards, 41 touchdowns), who finished second in the Heisman Trophy race, has been inarguably one of the best players in Alabama history in just one year, and he proved that against 4th ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, going for 318 yards on 88.9 percent passing. QB Trevor Lawrence (2,933 yards, 27 touchdowns) wasn't as impressive in his freshman season for the Tigers, but since taking over the starting job, he's transformed this offense completely. He threw for 327 yards and three scores in the Cotton Bowl.

With that said, this game might come down to the defenses. Both Alabama and Clemson have two of the top defenses in the country, allowing a combined 28.5 points per game. Neither team allows 300+ yards per game, and the Tigers give up only 92.9 rushing yards. Clemson has the superior run defense, with studs like DE Clelin Ferrell and DT Christian Wilkins, who are both projected first round NFL Draft picks. The Crimson Tide, on the other hand, have a better defense on the back end. They allow only 178.4 passing yards per outing, and have shut down quarterbacks like Drew Lock, Joe Burrow, Nick Fitzgerald, Jarrett Stidham, and Jake Fromm, who combined to go 45-16 against everyone else and were 0-5 versus Alabama. In their most recent game, the Tide even frustrated Heisman winner Kyler Murray.

Once Alabama went up 28-0, the game was all but over, and if something similar happens in the national championship , we're not sure if Lawrence can bring his team back from such a big deficit. That's why it's so important for Clemson to get off to a good start (or at least not let Alabama get up by two scores early). According to the ESPN FPI, Alabama has a 51.4 percent chance to win this game, which is by far their lowest percentage all year. In order for an upset to happen, RB Travis Etienne (1,572 yards, 22 touchdowns) is going to have to play well. He's ran for nearly double the amount that RB Damien Harris (819 yards, nine touchdowns) has for Alabama. Although we expect it to be another classic game, give us the defending national champions Crimson Tide when it's all said and done.

Staff Picks:

Blake Stoll: Clemson (34-24)

Caleb Henderson: Alabama (38-33)

Chinedum Wejinya: Alabama (35-31)

Charles Post: Clemson (30-28)

Greg Schwochow: Alabama (37-35)

Raven Martin: Clemson (31-28)

Tyler Taylor: Alabama (35-24)

Potential MVPs:

1. Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama QB)

2. Trevor Lawrence (Clemson QB)

3. Travis Etienne (Clemson RB)