Clemson vs. Alabama: Overlooked Factors in College Football Championship 2016

The national championship game is only days away, and we'll finally put the debate to rest.

Which unit is better: Clemson's high-powered offense led by Deshaun Watson, or Alabama's always talented defense?

Earlier this week, we talked about some matchups that will determine who wins the national championship. It's going to come down to how well Watson plays and which defense can make the most plays toward the end.

But there are some things we need to look at a little more closely. They're the key factors that could swing the game in a huge way. Those two factors, more than anything, are going to be the running backs from both sides who don't get much attention or credit.

Let's take a look at some overlooked factors heading into Monday's title game.

Wayne Gallman vs. Alabama Defense

For all the time spent talking about Watson and how important he's been to Clemson (and he's been very important), there hasn't been much talk about leading rusher Wayne Gallman.

Clemson's sophomore running back has tallied 1,469 yards and 12 touchdowns, tying him with Watson's 12 scores. He's also averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He's going to be the X-Factor for a Clemson offense that needs to attack an Alabama defense that has been good against the run all year long.

The Crimson Tide have only given up 100 rushing yards or more twice, with the last time coming Oct. 24 against Tennessee. The Volunteers ran the ball 39 times in that game, but Alabama survived a major scare at home.

Gallman has been Clemson's silent assassin this year, carving up defenses with the spotlight on Watson. ESPN's David Hale gave us an idea of the kind of player Gallman is:

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There was a point midway through the second quarter of the Capital One Orange Bowl when Wayne Gallman stared across the line of scrimmage and smiled. He saw Oklahoma’s defense, hands on hips, hunched over and gasping for air. For Gallman, this is when the fun begins.

In truth, the first half was relatively slow going for Clemson’s record-breaking tailback. He had mustered a mere 39 yards on the ground by the time the teams hit the locker room at halftime, but he was simply biding his time.

In the Tigers’ past two games, Gallman has been Clemson’s version of Mariano Rivera. He’s the closer, and when his number is called in the second half—19 times in the ACC championship game versus North Carolina, 19 more against the Sooners—he has delivered the knockout blow.

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It's going to be a much more difficult challenge for Gallman to make an impact against Alabama's defense, but if Watson is struggling, it'll have to be up to him. Especially when it comes down to the second half, like it has for Clemson's last two games, Gallman will need to be the workhorse again.

Kenyan Drake In Relief of Derrick Henry

When Alabama runs the ball, most credit goes to Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry.

Senior tailback Kenyan Drake has not carried the ball much this year. He's only tallied at least 10 carries three times, but all have come in games in which Drake has played in relief of Henry.

Or he could have a big game in limited carries, like he did in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State. With Henry struggling to break four yards per carry, Drake carried the ball four times for 60 yards against the Spartans.

Clemson is going to try to take Henry out of the game and force Jake Coker to win. But it's important for the Tigers to not forget about Drake, who has played in many of these big-game situations throughout his career. He had back-to-back 100-yard games in 2013 at Kentucky and then against Arkansas.

Drake is still capable of pulling off big games when the touches are there, so Clemson needs to play a complete game.