Clem/Ala: 2015-16 Nat. title thread

LSU's QB was garbage, but that 2011 team sent something like 20 players — including every single starter on defense — to the NFL. Maybe Clemson will top that, but it won't be easy.

And the "spread QB gives Alabama problems" narrative is less true this year. Alabama dominated Mississippi State's Dak Prescott (9 sacks) and LSU's Brandon Harris (6 of 19 for 40 yards passing) and held Tennessee's Joshua Dobbs to 19 yards rushing.

(Maybe you'd put Ole Miss' Chad Kelly in that category, but against Alabama, he just stood back there and chunked it deep like the future NFL QB he is).

Watson's probably better than all of those guys. However, it's not his style that will give Alabama problems, but his talent.

 

I'm nervous, far more so than for the Michigan State game. But the thing I keep coming back to is that Clemson's one real weakness - offensive line - is the worst one to have against Bama's DL, which is ridiculously overloaded with NFL-ready talent. This has been the best Saban defense at turning QB pressures into sacks and batted passes, and other than giving up its customary two WTF completions a game, the secondary is miles ahead of where it has been in recent years.

 

38-31 Clemson.

 

There is almost no talk about this game in my neck of the woods. I don't know if it's the teams, the boring, blowout semis, the 11-day stretch between or what.

If this is college football's Super Bowl, the amount of pregame publicity is about 1/millionth of what the actual Super Bowl gets.

I bet even that annoying Dr Pepper guy in the ads is sitting this out.

 

Once the NFL playoffs start, I've always thought, college football is a total afterthought. (Much like baseball becomes an afterthought once the NFL regular season begins.)

 

I wonder if the lack of viewers on NYE contributes to this. Also, I hate that this game is on a Monday night. I get why, but I still hate it.

 

Oklahoma has as much talent as Alabama does, and Clemson eventually wore down their skill players. I think Clemson could keep it close, but Leonard Fournette can tell you how relentless the Bama D-line is. Neutralizing it (dominating it ain't gonna happen) is the key to Clemson having a decent chance.

 

I'm gonna guess this game lands in the middle, with the books cashing on Clemson covering the 7, but Alabama winning to spoil all this bettors trying o get 2-1 on the money line.

 

I'm rooting for Clemson, because if Bama wins, their fans are going to be even more insufferable than normal, but I don't see it happening. Tide's got too much on defense for Clemson to handle.

 

On offense? Maybe. Defense? Not even close.

 

No, they don't. Alabama will have five or six players selected in the first round.

Does Oklahoma even have one?

 

On offense, they definitely do. Ridley is not yet the caliber of Sterling Shephard, and OU is deeper at running back.