Clemson vs. Alabama: TV Info, Picks for College Football Championship 2017
After another season of college football we are right back to where we were a year ago: The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers squaring off for a national championship.
It pretty much looked like Alabama was destined to be back in this spot all season. The team marched through the season undefeated with its 10-0 win against LSU representing the closest game. It's been trademark Alabama domination and it'll be looking to go post-to-post as the top team in the country.
The Tigers haven't always looked the part this season, but they certainly look like it now. Clemson has struggled with consistency this year. In addition to dropping a game to Pittsburgh in ACC play, Deshaun Watson and Co. have had six wins by seven points or less throughout the season.
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But this game isn't about the regular season. It's about four quarters of head-to-head football and the Tigers have shown they are a truly elite team when they are playing their best football. Here's a look at how to catch the game on TV as well as why each team could hold the trophy up at the end.
| Channel | Broadcast |
| ESPN | Traditional |
| ESPN2 | Homers Telecast |
| ESPNU | ESPN Voices |
| ESPNEWS | Coaches Filmroom |
| SEC Network | Finebaum's Filmroom |
Why Clemson Could Win
Alabama is the favorite to win this game. The latest odds from OddsShark.com has the Tide as a 6.5-point favorite to raise another national championship banner. But counting out the Tigers because of the perception that Alabama is unbeatable would be a mistake.
There's plenty of reasons to believe Clemson can pull off the upset.
First, there's experience. Although the Tigers have lost some players from last year's team, they still have plenty from the cast that took Alabama to the wire last season. Most importantly, Deshaun Watson is still there. But players like Wayne Gallman, Hunter Renfrow and Ben Boulware also come into the game with invaluable experience on this stage.
That experience is most noticeable in the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in college football and has already been on this stage. The difference in the way he is playing right now in contrast to the way that Jalen Hurts of Alabama is playing right now is why Jon Solomon of CBS Sports is ultimately siding with the Tigers:
"Watson and Clemson are highly motivated to redeem themselves after last year. The Tigers are the rare team with the players and style to seriously challenge Alabama's incredible defense for 60 minutes. If anyone can pull off changing offensive coordinators one week before the national championship, it's Saban. I actually like Alabama's chances better without Kiffin. That tells you what a mess it became with Kiffin. Look at the confidence right now in Watson and Hurts. That's the difference as Clemson wins its second national title.
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That prediction comes after a game in which Hurts was just 7-of-14 through the air with 59 yards and added 50 yards on the ground. Obviously, it didn't hurt the Tide too much as they rolled the Washington Huskies 24-7, but it does raise the question as to how he'll perform against a Clemson defense that is coming off of holding J.T. Barrett to 19-of-33 passing for 127 yards and two interceptions.
With an offense that won't be intimidated by an Alabama defense they had success against last season and an Alabama team that features a freshman quarterback, the Tigers are live dogs.
Why Alabama Could Win
Alabama could win simply because of its reputation. This is what it has done all season.
The polls love the Tide—they finished the season No. 1. The records love the Tide—they are the only team that still remains undefeated with the last game of the season left.
The advanced metrics love the Tide. They're the top team, according to Football Outsiders' F/+ rankings and the separation between them and No. 2 is the same as the separation between No. 2 Clemson and No. 6 Florida State.
In short, there are good football teams this year and then there's Alabama.
There's a chance that the hyped matchup between these two schools is nothing more than another Alabama drubbing this season. Mission No. 1 for the Clemson Tigers will need to be stopping Bo Scarbrough and Co. on the ground.
The bruising running back is coming off a 180-yard performance against Washington that left Hurts' struggles a moot point. Then there's a defense that has surrendered just 3.86 yards per play this season and destroys everything in its sight.
Not only does the Alabama defense specialize in shutting down opponents, but also scoring on defense as well. Nine Alabama defenders have scored touchdowns this season demoralizing opponents throughout the year.
The stingy defense—and the fact that Watson has thrown 17 interceptions this season—is a reason that Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated is rolling with the Tide:
"Clemson is going to challenge the Alabama defense, but Alabama’s defense may remain an important part of the Crimson Tide’s scoring apparatus. Deshaun Watson will be the best quarterback Alabama has seen all season, and Mike Williams probably will be the best receiver, but the fact remains that Watson has thrown 17 interceptions and the Tide punish quarterbacks who throw interceptions. Alabama will need to rediscover its short- and intermediate-range passing game under new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. If it can, it can move the ball on Clemson. If the Tide try to drop back and throw deep as often as they did against Washington, Jalen Hurts might get buried.
The score: Alabama 31, Clemson 28
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In a game of this magnitude a defensive or special teams touchdown can be the dagger that seals the game for the other team. It would certainly appear that Alabama is the team most likely to do that.
Prediction
A big key to this game is actually going to be if Clemson can get anything going on the ground. Finding sustained success in the run game is a tall order against Alabama's defense that allows just two yards per carry, but breaking off a big run or two to open things up would be huge for Clemson.
If anyone has shown they can have some success against 'Bama's dominant front, it's Clemson running back Wayne Gallman. The redshirt junior back only managed 45 yards on 14 carries against them last season, but he appears to be peaking at the right time, per CFB Film Room:
Having a running back that can makes something out of nothing will be pivotal for Clemson as it will take some of the pressure off Watson.
What the matchup really comes down to is which Clemson shows up. Dabo Swinney's team is one that has been marked by inconsistency all year, but their best performances are among the best in college football.
If the same unfocused Clemson team that played against Pitt, North Carolina State or even Troy show up in this game, Alabama will end it by halftime. However, it would appear that Watson and his teammates have a little more perspective coming into this one.
“We are more focused on the task at hand this year,” Watson said, per Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Last year was an eye-opener. We had never been there before, and it was new to all of us.”
This time—with the confidence and the experience to play with Alabama from the start—Watson might be fortunate enough to lead his team to victory.
This one should come down to the wire and Watson is a quarterback to believe in with the game on the line. Expect him to make some key plays to deliver Clemson the national championship.
Prediction: Clemson 24, Alabama 20
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