College Football Playoffs 2017: Championship Game Info for Clemson vs. Alabama

And so we meet again.

The No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 2 Clemson Tigers are back in the College Football Playoff National Championship for the second year in a row. Although the CFP semifinals happened on New Year's Eve, it didn't take long for oddsmakers to make their predictions. 

After defeating the Washington Huskies in the Peach Bowl by a score of 24-7, the Crimson Tide solidified their place as one of the top two teams in the nation with a dominant run game led by Bo Scarbrough, who ran for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and a stout defensive front seven that caused Huskies quarterback Jake Browning headaches all day long.

But even though Alabama is polling as the favorite to win a rematch against the Tigers, Clemson proved to the whole country it is back in the CFP better and more prepared than last year with a dominant win over the Ohio State Buckeyes, 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl.

The shutout was the first of OSU head coach Urban Meyer's career and showed that Clemson can give the Tide a run for their money this time around after losing 45-40 in last year's title game. 

Date	Location	Start Time (ET)	Network	Odds
Monday, Jan. 9	Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)	8 p.m.	ESPN	Alabama (-7)

What to watch for

Clemson begins and ends with its two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and star quarterback, Deshaun Watson.

Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images

While he has shown instances where he might force the ball on occassion into traffic, Watson is still one of the most electrifying players in college football, and according to his head coach, Dabo Swinney, he's the best player in the whole collegiate landscape. 

Here's an excerpt of Swinney talking about his star signal-caller ahead of last month's Heisman campaign in an interview with ESPN's David M. Hale:

"

I don't have a vote, but if I had one, it'd be the easiest vote ever. He represents everything you could possibly want in a Heisman. He's made college football better in his three years. ... Deshaun Watson is the best player. He might not have been the best player in September, but he's been the best player in October and November and December, and the stats will bear that out.

"

It's hard to argue with Swinney when talking about Watson's level of play. While he did throw an interception on his very first pass attempt of the game against the Buckeyes and then threw a second pick not long after, Watson recovered, like all great players do, and led the Tigers to a 31-point win behind 259 passing yards, 57 rushing yards and three total touchdowns (one pass, two rush). 

For Alabama, the run game was the deciding factor on offense against the Huskies. 

Sophomore running back Scarbrough, as mentioned before, had his best game of the season Saturday when he rushed for 180 yards and two scores, including one huge third-down run backed up on his goal line for a first down. 

A large, muscular tailback with a burst of speed that's reminiscent of former Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry, Scarbrough pummeled through the Huskies front seven and secondary on multiple occasions, breaking arm tackles left and right.

Scarbrough, if he can play like he did against Washington, will see a lot of carries against the Tigers on Jan. 9, which is bad news for Clemson.

Prediction

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It's going to be another close game between the two best teams in college football, but it won't be a cricket score like it was last time around. Making predictions a day after both teams just won their respective semifinal games is a bit too early, but the reality is both teams will be back on the field and playing against each other in less than nine days. 

Alabama knows how to beat Clemson; it did last year despite allowing 40 points to the Tigers. Nick Saban is a master at game-planning against explosive offenses, and now that he already has experience against Swinney and Watson's offense, it's hard not to think he'll be able to crack the code and come away with the victory.

While the Tigers clearly has a good shot at exacting revenge and becoming national champions, it's a very steep road ahead of them, and I'm not certain the team's offense, no matter how good it is, can outlast the Crimson Tide's defense.

Prediction: Alabama defeats Clemson 31-20.

All stats and game information are courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise mentioned.