Breaking Down National Championship Matchups Position by Position
If the College Football Playoff is all about matchups, then the semifinals turned out to be the worst pairings imaginable. Can the national championship game between the No. 1 Clemson Tigers and No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide on Jan. 11 provide a more even game?
We're going position by position to see which team has the edge on the field. At the end, we'll tally the scores and see which team, on paper, has the better chance of winning. Keep in mind this is not a prediction for the outcome.
Each position group is dissected by its starters, relevant stats, any postseason awards won and, in some cases, how it lines up against its appropriate, opposing position—i.e. cornerback vs. wide receiver.
Quarterback
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Alabama: Jake Coker (senior)
Clemson: Deshaun Watson (sophomore)
The Jake Coker experiment took a while to get rolling. The Florida State Seminoles transfer sat behind Blake Sims in 2014 and wasn't announced as the starter for 2015 until the season began. Even then, it wasn't a smooth ride. Sophomore Cooper Bateman was given the start against Ole Miss, but Coker came in later to lead a comeback that fell just short. Coker has had his good moments and not-so-good moments, but he's progressed through the course of the season.
Deshaun Watson, on the other hand, is playing on another level right now. He didn't have his best game passing against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl (16-of-31, 187 yards), but he remains one of the highest-rated passers in the Football Bowl Subdivision. His 338 yards per game led the ACC. There's a reason this guy was a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Watson's athleticism is evident, but he's grown as a passer as well. He throws some darts and added some touch on intermediate passes. He's quickly turning into a top pocket passer who can also beat defenses with his legs.
This one, frankly, isn't much of a debate.
Advantage: Clemson
Running Back
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Alabama: Derrick Henry (junior), Kenyan Drake (senior)
Clemson: Wayne Gallman (sophomore), Zac Brooks (senior)
One thing to avoid when comparing running backs is equating production to skill. Offensive line play and number of carries can be just as important as the running back himself when it comes to stats. For example, Derrick Henry won this year's Heisman Trophy and rushed for more yards than anyone in the FBS. However, he had more carries than anyone else and, in the opinion of B/R draft guru Matt Miller, isn't the top back available in this year's draft.
Still, Henry is without a doubt the centerpiece of his team's offense. It's no coincidence Alabama was blowing teams out while Henry was getting 100- and 200-yard games regularly. But what actually gives the Tide an edge here is Kenyan Drake. He doesn't have nearly the number of rushing attempts Henry does, but he's more versatile and gives the offense an extra dimension with his speed.
Wayne Gallman is one of the more underrated backs in the country. In fact, if you put Henry and Gallman side by side with no external factors—offensive line, scheme, etc.—the difference isn't all that noticeable. That's not a knock on Henry; that's a compliment to both backs.
Clemson is known as a high-powered offense that spreads defenses out, but Gallman gives this unit a lot of balance with his ability to pick up tough yards between the tackles. The Tigers don't have a traditional two-back system; instead, Watson gets a bulk of the carries with Gallman.
However, Alabama's depth at running back, coupled with the fact that Gallman's running into the teeth of that Tide front seven could be tough sledding, provides the advantage.
Advantage: Alabama
Wide Receiver/Tight End
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Alabama: Calvin Ridley (freshman), ArDarius Stewart (sophomore), O.J. Howard (junior), Richard Mullaney (senior)
Clemson: Artavis Scott (sophomore), Charone Peake (senior), Jordan Leggett (junior), Hunter Renfrow (freshman)
Clemson would have a much clearer advantage if freshman Deon Cain weren't suspended. For that matter, the same would be true if junior Mike Williams hadn't been hurt the whole year. Still, the Tigers' wide receiver group is a solid one. There's not a great deep threat in the starting unit—Charone Peake is the closest thing Clemson has—but there's a lot of speed and potential for yards after the catch. That starts with Artavis Scott and continues with Jordan Leggett, a Mackey Award finalist, as a mismatch at tight end.
What Alabama has that Clemson doesn't—right now, at least—is that do-it-all guy in Calvin Ridley. The freshman leads the team with 83 receptions, 1,031 yards and seven touchdowns. ArDarius Stewart is a reliable target, and O.J. Howard is the mismatch of all mismatches at tight end. However, Howard doesn't have a receiving touchdown on the season, and his career has been somewhat underwhelming given his size (6'6", 242 lbs) and speed.
From No. 1 through No. 4, Alabama's and Clemson's receiving targets are actually fairly even. The Tigers have been explosive through the air, but they weren't able to push the ball deep often against Oklahoma. Whether that changes against the Tide remains to be seen—Alabama was one of the worst defenses in the SEC in allowing completions of 20 yards or more—but the production of choices No. 3 and No. 4 is what gives Clemson the edge.
Advantage: Clemson
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Offensive Line
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Alabama: Cam Robinson (sophomore), Ross Pierschbacher (freshman), Ryan Kelly (senior), Alphonse Taylor (junior), Dominick Jackson (senior)
Clemson: Mitch Hyatt (freshman), Eric Mac Lain (senior), Jay Guillermo (junior), Maverick Morris (sophomore), Joe Gore (senior)
The national championship will be a game won in the trenches. Whichever team does a better job up front has the inside track to winning.
Alabama's offensive line is younger, relatively speaking, on the left side with Cam Robinson and Ross Pierschbacher. However, Robinson has been a stud since his freshman season and certainly doesn't lack experience. Overall, though, this is a veteran group crushing it in run blocking with decent pass protection to boot.
"Oklahoma had freshmen tackles. We knew going into the game we had an advantage. You can't say that here," Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables told David Hale of ESPN.com.
Clemson's offensive line has excellent components as well. Mitch Hyatt, like Robinson, is a rare breed, since he's a freshman starting at left tackle. “It’s near impossible to do what Mitch has done. It’s a rare thing,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said, via Matt Connolly of the State. “It’s the first time since the ‘40s that we’ve had a guy start here at left tackle [as a freshman], that’s just hard. I’ve never been around it. Ever.”
Hyatt will be challenged by Alabama's ridiculous defensive line. The Tide led the FBS in sacks in the regular season, but Clemson was one of the best teams in the country in pass protection.
This is a close comparison, but in the end, Alabama's punishing rushing attack starts with great blocking. The Tide win this one.
Advantage: Alabama
Defensive Line
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Alabama: A'Shawn Robinson (junior), Darren Lake (senior), Jarran Reed (senior)
Clemson: Shaq Lawson (junior), D.J. Reader (senior), Carlos Watkins (junior), Kevin Dodd (junior)
You're simply not going to find a better defensive front in college football than Alabama's. This argument could be drawn out more, but that would be useless. The Tide are stout against the run (2.30 yards per carry, six touchdowns) and led the country in sacks during the regular season. Everything they do begins with controlling the line of scrimmage up front.
Jonathan Allen, who's not even listed as a starter at defensive end, leads the team in sacks, while A'Shawn Robinson is tied for the team lead with 10 quarterback hurries. This is an absurdly good group.
That's a shame for Clemson, which has an excellent D-line of its own. What's even more impressive is that it's completely new from last year. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables did a spectacular job reloading on that side of the ball.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Shaq Lawson is still dealing with a knee injury that knocked him out of the Orange Bowl. Lawson has been practicing and will try to give it a go, but it's no guarantee he'll play, let alone be effective.
Advantage: Alabama
Linebacker
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Alabama: Dillon Lee (senior), Reggie Ragland (senior), Reuben Foster (junior), Denzel Devall (senior)
Clemson: B.J. Goodson (senior), Ben Boulware (junior), Travis Blanks (junior, hybrid)
We've already talked about Alabama's defensive line, but what makes the entire Tide front seven formidable is the linebacker unit. Whether it's stopping the run or getting into the backfield, everyone gets involved—the defensive line, linebackers, starters and backups.
Reggie Ragland was a unanimous first-team All-American according to his school bio and led the team with 97 tackles—33 more than the next-leading tackler (Foster).
Clemson's linebacker unit isn't quite as heralded, but it has been productive. Goodson has 98 tackles and stepped up big time in the Orange Bowl with seven tackles. Unlike Alabama, which runs a 3-4, Clemson doesn't get as much pressure on the quarterback from its linebacker unit. That's not bad, but it's simply the difference in the base defense.
The Tide once again have the advantage here because of the sheer depth at the position. Guys technically second or third on the depth chart have been getting involved all year. When a unit can control the line of scrimmage like Alabama's D-line can, it opens up a ton of possibilities to bring pressure from other places, and the Tide use that to their advantage.
Advantage: Alabama
Secondary
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Alabama: Cyrus Jones (senior), Marlon Humphrey (freshman), Geno Matias-Smith (senior), Eddie Jackson (junior)
Clemson: Mackensie Alexander (sophomore), Cordrea Tankersley (junior), T.J. Green (junior), Jayron Kearse (junior)
For as good as Alabama's defense is, its weakness lies in getting beaten deep. That might not be an issue against Clemson, but rest assured the Tigers are going to at least take some shots to test this out. If nothing else, Clemson has to show it's willing to stretch the field, since it's probably not going to win moving its offense solely through a phone booth.
The Clemson secondary is filled with some top-flight athletes. Mackensie Alexander might actually be the best corner in the country, regardless of All-American and/or all-conference accolades. B/R draft guru Matt Miller noted on Twitter that Alexander has allowed just two touchdowns in college and zero in the last 23 games.
Don't ignore Cordrea Tankersley, though. He's not "just the other corner," as he leads the team with nine passes broken up and five interceptions. T.J. Green and Jayron Kearse are tackling machines at the safety spot. Pound for pound, this is as talented a secondary as you'll find in college football. It has taken on some talented receivers—Notre Dame's Will Fuller, for example—and shut them down.
Advantage: Clemson
Special Teams
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Alabama: P JK Scott (sophomore), PK Adam Griffith (junior), PR Cyrus Jones (senior)
Clemson: P Andy Teasdall (junior), PK Greg Huegel (freshman), PR/KR Artavis Scott (sophomore)
You could give Alabama the nod here based on Cyrus Jones alone. The senior defensive back leads college football with 41 returns, four of which have gone back for touchdowns. That's twice as many as the 11 other players tied for second.
Greg Huegel has a better field-goal percentage than Griffith (86.2 to 73.3), which is significant because both kickers have attempted basically the same number of kicks. If the game comes down to it, Huegel would have the advantage.
Still, Alabama's return game could be a difference-maker, especially if the score is close. Also, no punter from Alabama has gone rogue and faked a punt when he shouldn't have.
Advantage: Alabama
Results
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Now that Alabama and Clemson have been compared side by side, it's time to look at the overall results. Some of the matchups were close—nearly a coin flip, in a couple of instances—but the Tide have the 5-3 advantage:
Alabama: running back, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, special teams.
Clemson: quarterback, wide receiver/tight end, secondary.
Both teams are excellent. This shouldn't be a surprise. It's no coincidence Clemson is the lone undefeated team in college football, while Alabama has arguably one of the best front sevens of all time.
Ultimately, this is going to come down to whichever team wins up front. The Alabama defense is so stingy, which means Clemson will have to find ways to effectively run the ball while creating more explosive plays than normal in the passing game. Meanwhile, the Tigers are better than advertised in the trenches, so a less touted group is going to have to come up big against a group of household names.
Either way, it should be a lot of fun. Despite the contrast in styles, these are two complete football teams.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com. Depth chart information courtesy of ourlads.com.
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