Clemson vs. Alabama: Storylines to Watch in 2017 CFP National Championship

Alabama will meet Clemson once again for the College Football Playoff National Championship, and the 2017 edition is packed with intriguing storylines that ensure this matchup will be memorable.

Two phenomenal units will collide when the Tigers' explosive offense tries to solve a historically dominant Crimson Tide defense. While there is plenty to watch for on the field, off-field issues will also impact the game.

Let's take a look at the schedule for Monday's showdown, as well as three storylines to monitor leading up to the contest. 

Date	Location	Start Time (ET)	Network
Monday	Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida	8:30 p.m.	ESPN

A Major Change for Alabama's Offense

Just two days after Alabama's Peach Bowl win over Washington, the team made a bombshell announcement that Lane Kiffin will not serve as the offensive coordinator against Clemson, as he left the program on Jan. 2.

Steve Sarkisian, who coached with Kiffin at USC, worked as an offensive consultant following his departure from the Trojans, and he will now call the plays for the Crimson Tide on Monday. This type of move is unusual in the midst of a playoff run, especially at a rigidly structured program like Alabama. How will the offense respond?

Head coach Nick Saban said Wednesday that the transition is going well, per ESPN.com's Alex Scarborough:

"

It's been excellent. Very positive. Very upbeat. Practice has been good. The energy level has been really good. The attitude has been really, really good.

The guy has been with us the whole year, the whole football season. He knows the offense. He knows the players. He's worked on the game plans every week and knows the system inside and out and knows the terminology.

"

The terminology and logistics of the offense should not be huge changes for the offense. Sarkisian is familiar with Kiffin's system from previous experience at USC and since he joined the Alabama staff in September.

However, having a different voice leading offensive meetings and devising game plans is sure to have some effect on the unit. This is not great for Alabama, given how underwhelming it was against Washington, as the Crimson Tide only racked up 326 total yards despite smothering the Huskies defensively.

Expect a bumpy outing from the unit on Monday, but the Alabama defense should still be able to keep the team in the game long enough for the offense to sort out any lingering kinks.

Can Clemson Get Redemption?

The Tigers were excellent in last season's national title game. Deshaun Watson gashed Alabama's vaunted defense for 405 yards and four touchdowns passing and 73 yards rushing. 

But the Crimson Tide made just a few more plays down the stretch to earn the win, particularly with a critical onside kick in the third quarter. Now, Clemson has a shot at revenge on Monday, and the Tigers are plenty focused on ending their season on a better note.

Senior linebacker Ben Boulware, the emotional leader of the Clemson defense, was not shy talking about his motivation for battling the Crimson Tide, per Gene Sapakoff of the Charleston Post and Courier:

Head coach Dabo Swinney was not as enthusiastic, but he expressed content with having another chance to dethrone Alabama, per the Greenville News' Scott Keepfer.

"You'd better watch what you wish for," Swinney said. "This is how we ended last year, and that's how it's going to end this year. I'm just glad we've got a shot. It's going to be a heckuva ballgame down in Tampa. Let's get it on."

Cutting down on turnovers will go a long way toward helping Clemson realize its dream.

Watson threw 17 picks on the year, which is a startling number, given his ability and the dynamic weapons surrounding the junior. He tossed a pair of interceptions in the Fiesta Bowl Saturday against Ohio State but was helped out by Clemson's 31-0 blanking of the Buckeyes.

Alabama is suffocating defensively, and it forced 27 turnovers on the year, which ranks eighth nationally. If Clemson does not improve its ball security on Monday, the Crimson Tide could once again take home a championship at the Tigers' expense.

Jalen Hurts Aims for History

Arguably the biggest surprise this season has been the emergence of Jalen Hurts as the quarterback of the Alabama offense. On Monday, the Texas native could earn another major personal accomplishment. 

Per Rivals.com's Aaron Suttles, Hurts would become the first true freshman quarterback since Jamelle Holieway in 1985 to lead his team to a national title. Hurts would also be the first freshman in the playoff era to win a championship.

But the paths for Holieway and Hurts were much different in their freshman seasons. As Suttles pointed out, Holieway took over midseason after Troy Aikman broke his leg, so Oklahoma did not have much of a choice behind center. Hurts came in and earned the Alabama job from high-profile recruits and ran with it.

Poise has been the biggest asset for Hurts, who went into hostile environments like Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi and Tennessee and came out unscathed. Offensive lineman Cam Robinson acknowledged Hurts' rare freshman leadership in the team's pregame press conference at the Peach Bowl:

Hurts did not play well in the national semifinal, though. He threw for a measly 57 yards while running for 50 yards with zero total touchdowns. Simply put, Hurts played like a freshman.

That will not cut it against a Clemson team that can put up enough points against the Crimson Tide defense to force Alabama to score. Hurts also struggled with turnovers down the stretch in the regular season, throwing a pick in six of his last seven games leading up to the SEC championship, including two games with multiple interceptions.

So while Hurts was great for a freshman and took home SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors, he showed flaws throughout the season. His accolades were partly due to the conference experiencing a down year, and the Clemson game may be the first where Alabama will need Hurts to lead the way.

The turmoil with the offensive staff adds another obstacle for the freshman signal-caller, so Hurts has his work cut out for him. Clemson did hold a great running quarterback in J.T. Barrett to minus-two yards in the Fiesta Bowl, so the Tigers can take away a major strength of Alabama's. 

Expect Hurts to improve on his previous game, as he has seemingly met every challenge presented to him this season. However, the matchup with Clemson and all of the circumstances surrounding it will be the greatest test of Hurts' young career.

Statistics are courtesy of NCAA.com unless otherwise noted.