CFP National Championship 2017: Preview and Prediction for Alabama vs. Clemson

It's time for Round 2 between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers.

A year after the Tide trumped the Tigers in a College Football Playoff National Championship showdown, Clemson has its eyes on revenge as the two sides get ready to clash at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

On the flip side, the Crimson Tide will be looking to secure their fifth national championship 2009.

With kickoff quickly approaching, there's plenty to break down on both sides of the ball as the two prestigious programs seek to make history in their own unique ways.

Preview and Prediction

We'll start with the Crimson Tide offense, because there figures to be intense focus on the performance of a unit that will be commandeered by Steve Sarkisian, who took over when offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin and Alabama parted ways following the team's semifinal win over the Washington Huskies.

That means shining the spotlight on quarterback Jalen Hurts, who mustered 57 yards on 7-of-14 passing against the Huskies' tenacious secondary.

"He didn't want to make any mistakes, and that's the way it should be, but it was tough for our offense, especially passing the ball," tight end O.J. Howard said, according to the Tribune News Service's David Paschall (via the Albany Herald). "At least we got the running game going eventually."

While Clemson's secondary isn't nearly as imposing as Washington's, it has done a good job of clamping down on opponents to the tune of a 20th-ranked 193.8 passing yards allowed per contest. Over the last three games, Tigers defenders have been even more disciplined with an average of 172.7 passing yards allowed.

That's scary news for the true freshman gunslinger with a new offensive coordinator, but the Tigers weren't infallible against the pass this season—as their meltdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Nov. 12 demonstrated.

With the Tigers presumably set to hone in on the Tide running attack in an attempt to force Hurts to air it out, the pressure will be on the 18-year-old to step up and connect on a few deep shots.

The Tigers will counter with an offense led by Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson, who will have to carry the load a year after compiling 478 total yards and four touchdowns in Clemson's 45-40 loss to the Tide.

"He may be arguably the best player in college football," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said, per the Montgomery Advertiser's Tony Tsoukalas. "The guy is very athletic. He's got a great understanding of their offense. He does a really good job of executing for his team. He can extend plays. He can run. He can run quarterback runs. And he's a terrific passer."

Not only will the onus fall on Watson because he's one of the sport's most dynamic players, but the Tigers also figure to have a hard time establishing their running game against an Alabama front that has surrendered an FBS-best 61.8 rushing yards per game, including only 36.7 yards per game over its last three outings.

With that said, fans shouldn't count out Clemson's offense.

"Disrupting Clemson's momentum on offense will not be easy, even for a talented and stacked defense like Alabama's, because Clemson does like to move the ball quickly," College Football Talk's Kevin McGuire wrote. "It's not just the no-huddle style either. It is also how quickly Clemson releases the ball and gets it in movement."

In what figures to be a game that comes down to the final few minutes, don't be surprised if Watson has the final say with a clutch game-winning drive.

Prediction: Clemson 26, Alabama 24