Alabama – Clemson IV: A very quick National Championship Game preview

This Monday is the College Football finale between two teams that EVERYBODY thought would get there: Alabama and Clemson.

It’s no secret that both teams are amazing. Both teams are stacked with first round draft picks. Both teams have five-star quarterbacks who been revelations. Both teams have insanely good wide receivers and running backs. And their defenses? Whoa.

The only bad thing about the National Championship is that it’s going to be played in Santa Clara, California. My brother – who lives there – said to me: “Why in the hell are they having a massive college football game during rush-hour on a weekday? The place is hard to get to and isn’t a great stadium experience? The 49ers can’t even fill the place.”

But onto the game itself….Even if it’s played in front of a few thousand people. 

Thinking about the game in the shower today, all I could think about it the reasons why both teams will win. Alabama will win if their offensive line can stop Christian Wilkins and his gang from getting to Tua – something they weren’t amazing at against Georgia and only a little better for three quarters against Oklahoma (although they smashed it in the first quarter!). Give Tua the time, and Tua will rip apart a Clemson secondary that gave up 510 yards (FIVE HUNDRED AND TEN) passing to South Carolina, who then was shut out by mighty Virginia. True, they were excellent against Notre Dame….but Notre Dame’s passing offense was 37th during the season. Ian Book was a manageable QB, but he’s no Tua – and the weapons he has with Isaiah Buggs III and the freakshow known as Jerry Jeudy.

On the other side, Alabama’s passing defense has just given up  300 yards to Georgia, and 308 to Kyler Murray and the Oklahoma Sooners. If Trevor Lawrence – who’s a great quarterback in himself despite looking like a giraffe throwing a javelin – can get the ball out quickly and to his wide receivers Tee Higgins and Hunter Renfrow without getting murdered by Quinnen Williams, Alabama might have problems. We don’t think Travis Etienne’s going to have a big game on the ground because running through that Alabama defensive corps will be murder for him.

But let’s be honest. Both sides are incredibly equal to each other. Both sides give up around 530 yards a game. Both sides have scored around 45 points per game – helped by the amount of crappy teams on their schedule and their up-tempo offenses. Clemson is better against the rush (predictably), helped by the sort of wall that Donald Trump’s pleading to be put up against Mexico. And coaching-wise, both Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney are doing incredible jobs.

This is going to the wire.

PREDICTION: Alabama 30, Clemson 27.