CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Welp, when Nick Saban finally retires, the last 4 years will look really nice on Dabo's resume when Mama calls.

Monday January 7 Levi's Stadium Santa Clara California
7 p.m. Central Standard Time
Crimson Tide opens as a 6 point favourite.


Bama 42 - Clemson 22

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Go Clemson, I guess.

I won't be watching.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Can't blame you there. I know Clemson got a nice little team this year but that doesnt mean this game will compelling for anyone but Tide fans. Of course, nobody probably wanted to watch Goliath kill David either :lol:

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

It's not even that. Clemson could absolutely win. They're just as good as Bama.

I just have no interest whatsoever in seeing this matchup again.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I don’t see how take any team other than Bama.

You have to have a dynamic QB and a great defense.

The kid at Clemson is really good but he is still a freshman.

Saban is the GOAT. Give me Bama 31-20.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Because he's a freshman that takes away from his shine from this season? Lol

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Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Roll Tide

||||

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Where did I say anything remotely close to that?

I said he is good but I’m not backing a Freshman QB against Saban and Bama.

Are you taking Clemson then?

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

A worse Clemson team (imo) beat a 14-0 Bama team for the title 2 years ago.

This game is actually close to an objective toss-up. Clemson was awesome this year.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Dabo has said this is his best Clemson team and I believe him...and surprisingly enough, I don't think this is close to Saban's best Alabama team. Sure, the offense is the best it's ever been, but the defense isn't as good as his best defenses have been and the special teams/discipline (penalties/mistakes) are some of the worst he's had.

I'm picking Clemson...they are the more complete team, IMO.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

This is gonna be a fun one. I think the teams are about as evenly matched as ever. Tua is gonna have his hands full with Clemson's defense, and this will be the best defense Trevor Lawrence has seen by far.

Tua is gonna have to get the ball out and avoid taking hits so he can stay in the game. I don't think this is a game Jalen can win if he has to play.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I hate both teams but i'm impressed by Trevor Lawrence. The kid has an NFL ready arm and if he can keep improving between the ears he could be a real great QB at the next level in a few years.

Anywho, i'm tired of Bama and Saban so uh, Go Clemson.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I picked Clemson and would be more confident if Dexter Lawrence were playing. We'll see, I guess. Should be a good game.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

That Clemson team had DeShaun Watson....

This Bama team is also 14-0 except their offense is much, much better.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Their defense is also much worse than 2016 Alabama's imo: 11.4 PPG allowed for '16 Bama versus 16.2 PPG allowed for '18 Alabama. And per Sagarin, the 2016 team played a tougher schedule (#1 in the country that year, in fact, versus #23 for 2018).

That Bama team had 8 players drafted in the 1st round in the 2017 and 2018 drafts, 6 from the defense. Like the 2018 team, they had one win under single digits entering the championship game. They were *dominant*. I won't stake a claim on who's the better team, but if 2016 was worse, they're not worse by much.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Exactly this.

Both teams are better/worse in various areas, but this is the key one. Watson was a junior and a beast. He also was going up against an Alabama team that really didn't have a great QB under center. The teams are much closer in talent than they were 3 and 2 years ago, but this time around the clear advantage at the most important position is in favor of Alabama.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I think it’s funny that Bama has set the standard so high, that now people are talking like their defense isn’t as good.....

They’re giving up 16 points a game! Their defense is still very much elite.

Lol

Bama played in a much tougher conference and dominated.

Clemson was very fortunate to get by Syracuse and Texas A&M and then they let South Carolina drop 35.

Bama has been challenged 1 time all season.

I’m not taking anything away from Clemson. They’re really good I just think Bama has too much.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I mean, just a quick statistical profile:

2016 Clemson through 14 games: 13-1; +22.4 PPG scoring margin
2018 Clemson through 14 games: 14-0; +30.6 PPG scoring margin

2016 Clemson played a somewhat tougher schedule, but they had a pretty rickety bridge to the playoffs with 6 wins by single digits (including an OT win at home against 7-6 NC State) while 2018 Clemson played two close games all season and ran up the score on everyone else.

You take Watson over Lawrence, obviously, but this year's Clemson team was better all-around imo. They had one of the best defenses in recent college football history this year: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...tre-dame-fits/

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

1. I'm not making the point you think I'm making. Alabama's defense is impressive; it's just substantially worse than what they put out there in 2016, when a worse Clemson team beat them.

2. Tua is better than Hurts and Watson is better than Lawrence, but football isn't a quarterback skills contest.

3. Anything can happen in one game. Clemson can turn the ball over 5 times and lose a 49-10 laugher. I'm expecting a tight, close game though because both teams are excellent and pretty evenly matched.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I think the loss of Dexter Lawrence will be more of a factor against Bama.

I'm expecting a good game too. I think it will be a little lower scoring than most people think and I think Bama probably gets a late score to put it out of reach.

With that said, I'll be rooting for Clemson. I would rather be wrong and have a good game in which the underdog wins.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

You named what's needed to beat Bama. Clemson has all of that. Then you said because the QB is a freshman, you're taking Bama.

I'm not taking anyone because I can see either team winning. I'm just saying I'm not discounting a guy that's been balling all season because of what year he is.

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Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

He is a good QB but he hasn’t faced a defense like Alabama’s.

He was never under any pressure to make plays against Notre Dame.

I hope Clemson wins but my head says Bama.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

In last year's semi, Bama controlled that game and won easily. I think this year's Clemson team is more dominant than last year's, but the wild card is "Lawrence." Both the DT that is suspended and the QB that is new. This game will be the ultimate referendum on whether it was the right move to bench Kelly Bryant for Trevor Lawrence. The argument being if Clemson doesn't win, they probably got about as far as they would've anyway but burned a year of eligibility for Trevor Lawrence (and lost Bryant). If Clemson does win, then all that hand-wringing at midseason--well Dabo can have a big 'eff you' smile on his face.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

An appearance in the National Championship game hasn't already validated that decision?

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Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Yeah, I’m not sure Clemson goes undefeated and makes it this far with Bryant, TBH. Also, I don’t think losing a year of eligibility is important with regards to Lawrence as I think it’s likely that he declares for the NFL Draft after his junior year, anyways.

Clemson’s offense this year vs. last year (or even vs. earlier this season with Bryant as the starter) is night and day, and the Clemson offense was absolutely smothered last year against Alabama. They shut down the running game and Bryant can’t make you pay for it through the air.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I guess it does if you don't think they would've got there with Kelly Bryant. Personally, I think they would've made it with Lawrence or Bryant at QB. I can't really see a game they would've lost and I don't think ND seriously challenges them in either case.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Hey, its a year past time to update that sig lol

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Bama, 48-35.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I wish I was that confident. Tua has struggled (relative to his usual brilliance) with defenses that can put pressure on him, and Clemson is one of the best in the country at that.

I think it comes down to the last possession.

Bama 28, Clemson 27

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Clemson 31 Bama 24
Going to be a good one, I just think Clemson comes out on top this time.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Bama definitely the favorite, but I also think it will be a good one. Clemson has definitely closed the gap that existed earlier in the season.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Game day = prediction time

Bama 45-24

Let's go!

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I don't understand why you wouldn't want to watch a game between the two best teams? Do their uniforms get on your nerves? What exactly tires you out about it? This is college football, outside of parts of the staffs and the uniforms these teams are different each time they meet up.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Because **** Alabama.

It's simple enough.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Preach.

Isn't this why we watch/follow sports? We want to see the two best teams playing each other, legacies, dynasties, Hall of Famers, etc.

Times where there's five or six straight years of no dominant team gets on my nerves... we never look back and say, 'oh man remember when a different team won like six years in a row!? THAT WAS CRAZY! Nope, we say, 'remember how crazy dominant Saban and the Tide were? How dominant USC was with Pete? Miami in the late 90's early 2000's?

Ten, fifteen years from now, people will recall the Alabama vs. Clemson era as one of the greatest times of college football, ever.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

I’ve been an advocate of an 8 team playoff. Why? Because I want the two best teams to play in the title game.

Tonight we get that. I don’t understand why anyone would hate seeing the two best teams.

I realize Bama and Clemson are clearly the two best teams but it’s not always that clear cut. That’s why I want 8 teams. Let it play out on the field.

The playoff did what it was designed to do this year. Isn’t this what we wanted when we were complaining about the BCS?

Bama is on a historic run. Appreciate the greatness.

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Tua has to get the ball out quick. Take the check downs. I'm expecting Clemson to hit him low when they get the chance to aggravate his knees/ankles.

I don't know what to expect from Bama's defense against Lawrence. I haven't really watched him play much. Hopefully they can get some early pressure on him and rattle him, but from what I've heard/read, the kid has as much composure as anyone.

This is gonna be so awesome


EDIT: Looks like quite a few empty seats at the stadium

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Anyway to watch this game with a VR broadcast similar to some NBA games?

Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Link?

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Re: CFP National Championship Bama-Clemson Act III
 

Pick 6 to start! Wow.. fooled

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