Alabama vs. Clemson: Latest Comments Ahead of CFP National Championship 2019

Alabama and Clemson have been rivals in the college football spotlight for four years, but the mutual respect between the powerhouse programs runs deep.

In the buildup to Monday's CFP National Championship, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said he's not surprised to see Alabama in the title clash again, as the team's official Twitter account pointed out:

Swinney and Alabama head coach Nick Saban aren't just familiar with each other from their time together on the field, though; they converse about a myriad of topics during the offseason.

Saban went into a bit of detail about the connection he shares with Swinney away from the gridiron, per Jon Johnson of the Dothan Eagle:

"You know, we spend time sometimes in the offseason—we have homes in the same place in Florida. We don’t usually talk about our game.

"Sometimes we talk about things that are significant in our profession, whether it's the game itself, rules, early signing dates, just a myriad of things."

The head coaches aren't the only familiar faces squaring off Monday night at Levi's Stadium, as Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was high school teammates with Alabama tight end Miller Forristall in Cartersville, Georgia. 

Back when Lawrence was a prized recruit, Forristal knew how much potential the Clemson signal-caller had, per Grace Raynor of the Post and Courier.

"You could tell he was going to be a star," he said. "Even when he stepped out as a freshman, people were like, 'That kid's going to be good.' And I'm like, 'No. That kid is going to be like—real good. It was cool to kind of be there and watch him develop and grow up."

Swinney heaped similar praise on his starting quarterback Sunday, as he called the freshman's throws beautiful, per The Journal's Alex Maminakis:

Although Lawrence is expected to give the Tigers a great shot of capturing the title, they will need to put in a solid defensive performance to secure the victory. 

Clemson will have to thrive on defense without defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who is suspended for the second straight game. 

Even with a potential first-round pick out of the National Championship, Swinney said backup defensive tackle Albert Huggins is prepared to play at the best of his ability, per TigerNet.com:

Alabama is expected to attack the Clemson defense through sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is one of many young signal-callers thriving in the college game. 

Saban attributed the readiness of younger players as one of the main reasons why quarterbacks such as Tagovailoa and Lawrence are instant contributors, per Alex Byington of the Montgomery Advertiser:

Tagovailoa, who already won a title with Alabama, understands what a victory over Clemson would mean to his legacy, per SEC Network:

"No one's going to remember us if we lose this game. Everyone is going to remember us if you do win this game.

"I think leaving a legacy at the University of Alabama, and college football as well, is going to be something for not only me, not only our offensive guys, but for the entire time, so that'd be something very special." 

Defensively, the Crimson Tide are concerned about the health of linebacker Christian Miller, who is rated doubtful with a hamstring injury, per Terrin Waack of the Tuscaloosa News.

"Christian Miller is questionable for the game," Saban said. "He hasn't been able to do a lot in practice. We'll sort of see what he can do (Saturday) and sort of further evaluate his circumstance and see if he can be effective enough to contribute in a game."

While the majority of the focus entering Monday's game is on the matchup itself, there have been questions about the playoff format, but Saban wasn't too concerned with the performance of other programs, per Stadium's Brett McMurphy:

Swinney's answer on the topic mentioned every game of the season being a playoff game, per ESPN's Heather Dinich:

Regardless of the future of the playoff format, Monday night's clash will bring together what many see as clearly the two best teams in college football in 2018.