Alabama vs. Clemson: Key Storylines for College Football Championship 2016
The College Football Championship matchup between No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Alabama features two of the three Heisman Trophy finalists, numerous future NFL-caliber players and plenty of resultant intrigue.
But while it's obvious to focus on Alabama running back, Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, and Clemson star quarterback Deshaun Watson, there are other key storylines and developments to take into account.
Ahead of Monday's grand College Football Playoff finale, there are certain points of focus worth honing in on to better determine who may emerge as the new national champion. Check out some of the notable storylines to watch for:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Alabama vs. Clemson Key Storylines
Shaq Lawson's Health
Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson has racked up a whopping 23.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this season, but unfortunately he suffered a sprained MCL in the 37-17 Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma.
"How I feel when it comes to game time? Hopefully, I'll be feeling right,” said Lawson on Tuesday, per FoxSports.com's Michael Wayne Bratton. "I'll say if we played tomorrow, I couldn't be able to play. That's how I feel right now."
And what a loss it would be if Lawson couldn't go. Although he's been spotted on the practice field with a brace on his knee, per Orange and White's Dan Hope, the All-American junior figures to be hobbled at best and probably not as disruptive as he usually is.
Kevin Dodd plays well in his own right as the edge-rusher opposite Lawson, but the two complement each other so well. CFB Film Room highlighted how well Dodd did to fill in for Lawson when he went down early in the Orange Bowl:
Making that much of an impact against the Sooners is one thing. A similar performance against the beefy, extremely physical Alabama offensive line is quite a tall order for Dodd to fulfill.
Both B.J. Goodson and Ben Boulware are exemplary players in the Tigers' linebacker corps. They fly to the football and have helped Clemson rank 18th in the country in rush defense. Those two will need to step up and commit to denying Henry for Lawson's injury to not be a devastating blow.
Can Jake Coker Keep It Up?
And that last section leads well into this one regarding the Crimson Tide signal-caller.
Coker had what may be the game of his life to date in Alabama's 38-0 romp over Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl. He was 25-of-30 passing for 286 yards and two touchdowns, relying heavily on freshman phenom wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who hauled in both TD passes.
If Lawson, Dodd and Co. can't get in Coker's face and hit him early and often, there's reason to believe his form from the Cotton Bowl will carry over. Michigan State was supposed to be a formidable defense—and it limited Henry to less than four yards per tote. No easy task.
One player who could make life easier to apply pressure on Coker is stud Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander.
Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller believes Alexander may be the best at his position in all the land:
Capable of taking away half the field with his airtight man-to-man coverage, Alexander will be tasked with shutting down Ridley. That should serve as one of the better and pivotal one-on-one matchups that most determines the national championship's outcome.
Clemson may have a good enough individual player to take Ridley almost completely away.
That would be bad news for Coker, whose next-best receiver in ArDarius Stewart hasn't had a 100-yard performance all season. Stewart isn't as explosive as Ridley or as much of a big-play threat as Coker's favorite target.
The Alexander-Ridley duel looms large when finding the answer to this subsection's initial question.
A Master Class of Clashing Leadership Styles
Speaking of head-to-head battles, another important one won't take place on the field—but rather on the sidelines.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban is aiming for his fourth national title amid an already brilliant tenure. He tends to criticize and be meticulous when his team has a game well in hand; encouraging and not at all flustered in the rare instances when the Tide are trailing.
Dabo Swinney, an Alabama alum and former receiver for the football team, seldom is bereft of maximum energy, wears his emotions on his sleeve and always appears to have an optimistic outlook as Clemson's coach.
When it comes to knocking off perceived superior counterparts, Swinney has quite a fine record in recent years, per Clemson Football:
The pragmatic, "Process"-oriented Saban has taken the Tide to epic heights. The Tigers are on the precipice of a true landmark triumph with a most unconventional leader who is quite the opposite of "old school" and seems to enjoy every moment.
None of this has to do with football per se. Both men are excellent when it comes to the X's and O's. They wouldn't have made it to this point without the schematic savvy, but the way they lead is so strikingly different that it can't be ignored.
On the biggest stage and under the biggest national microscope, both men will have to deal with the game's circumstances in the moment, in their own way.
Swinney has never been here before, but he and Clemson just may have enough naivete to knock off the mighty Crimson Tide. Then again, the steady, more stable Saban could once again be the one raising the most prestigious piece of hardware in all of college football.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
