College Football Playoff National Championship Game expert roundtable

The FanSided college football experts briefly got together recently to discuss some key topics heading into the national championship rematch between Clemson and Alabama

With their respective wins on New Year’s Eve, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers gave the college football world something they knew they’ve been wanting since last January. After giving us an epic battle out in Arizona last year for the national championship, Nick Saban’s Tide and Dabo Swinney’s Tigers will duke it out one more time for all the marbles, this time down in Tampa.

This year’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game certainly has more than enough storylines surrounding it, and the college football experts here on FanSided recently got together to discuss some of the big topics as we head into what we all hope will be an epic rematch.

Before we get into the discussion, here’s a brief introduction to the FanSided college football expert team.

• Jack Jorgensen – College Sports Editor, FanSided.com
• Patrick Schmidt – College Football Editor, FanSided.com; Editor, Netflix Life and Amazon Adviser
• Tyler Brooke – Editor, Saturday Blitz; NFL Draft Analyst

Okay, now let’s delve into the upcoming matchup between Alabama and Clemson on Monday night.

Will the drama surrounding the departure of Lane Kiffin have any effect on Alabama in this one? And if so, how much?

Jack Jorgensen: I honestly don’t think it will have any effect on the Tide, and I believe that Saban made the right move in just cutting ties now. They were able to co-exist one last time to get past an upstart Washington program who they knew they could beat, but against a more talented Clemson team who has revenge on their minds after what happened last year, Saban couldn’t risk having that tension on the sideline one last time. Steve Sarkisian has been around the team all year, so he has a good gauge of what Saban is looking for in this one — the offense will be just fine.

Patrick Schmidt: I don’t think it’ll hurt the team. It’ll be interesting to see how Steve Sarkisian handles his new role, but I think he’ll be fine and Alabama will be fine. The offense struggles in the passing game so the biggest challenge is for Jalen Hurts having a new coach in his ear. The true freshman has responded to every challenge in his rookie season and I think he’ll adapt well. Sarkisian has to find ways to push the ball downfield, something they weren’t able to do against Washington. I think we will see a heavy dose of the running game with Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris early to get the team in a rhythm and not put too much pressure on Hurts.

Tyler Brooke: If anything, I think having Sarkisian take over play-calling duties will help Alabama. Kiffin’s gameplan led to just one offensive touchdown against Washington, and that’s just because Bo Scarbrough went Beast Mode. Sarkisian isn’t a scrub when it comes to running an offense. I think that he’ll get the job done.

Sticking with Alabama, what’s the biggest key in this one to help them go back-to-back?

JJ: It may be the simple answer, but given the events of this past season the biggest key here for Alabama will be one more dominating effort from that defensive front seven. The main reason they need to put on the performance of a lifetime is because, as we’ve seen throughout the year, for as amazing as he is, Watson was turnover prone this season. They need to be in his face early and often, forcing him to make a few more of those errors that he made this past season. Forcing Watson off his game is really the key for anyone who takes on Clemson, and if anyone can make his life a living hell, it’s this Crimson Tide front.

PS: The biggest key for Alabama is finding plays in the passing game. It was virtually non-existent against Washington and they have to find a way to get the ball into the hands of Calvin Ridley. He’s an explosive threat on the perimeter and they need to knock the dust off him and let him go to work on Clemson’s secondary. Last year, O.J. Howard came out of nowhere to be the game’s MVP and Ridley could do the same this year with a few big catches with Clemson keying on the Alabama ground game.

TB: Containing Deshaun Watson is going be a big key to this game. He likes to extend plays with his legs, whether that’s on designed runs or in the passing game. Look for Alabama to keep a spy on Watson at almost all times. When the Clemson QB can’t make plays with his legs, he struggles as a pocket passer. We’ve seen what happens when Watson is forced to make throws, just look at the game against Pittsburgh.

Now what’s the key for Clemson making sure they don’t walk off the field disappointed once again?

JJ: I’d have to say here that the biggest key for the Tigers capturing that title that narrowly eluded them last season is a big night from Wayne Gallman. As difficult as the task might be, he and the offensive line need to make sure that he finds a consistent rhythm running the ball. When he’s going, then this Clemson offense –Watson in particular– can just do so much more. For perspective, two close games Clemson had this season were against Louisville and Pittsburgh. In the thrilling Louisville win, Gallman ran for 110 yards on 16 carries. That Pitt upset? He ran for just 36 yards on 18 carries. By any means necessary, the junior running back needs to come up with a big outing here in Tampa, albeit against maybe the best defensive front in the country.

PS: Deshaun Watson can’t turn the ball over. He overcame a pair of interceptions against Ohio State but he’s thrown far too many interceptions this year and that will sink Clemson’s chances against the best defense Nick Saban has had at Alabama. Clemson’s offense can score on Alabama if Watson is connecting with Mike Williams, Hunter Renfrow, C.J. Fuller, Artavis Scott, Deon Cain and tight end Jordan Leggett. They can pass to set up Wayne Gallman and the run game. Alabama makes teams one-dimensional but Clemson has the personnel to maintain a balanced attack, provided they don’t turn the ball over. If they do, Watson can’t be Superman and overcome them against this defense like he was in the regular season.

TB: Clemson can’t afford to have any turnovers in this game. We’ve seen Alabama make big plays on defense all year long, leading to a ton of non-offensive touchdowns. The Crimson Tide love to capitalize on mistakes, and Watson is definitely prone to making at least a few per game. Watson will need to do a better job of reading the defense and all of Clemson’s skill players are going to need to keep the ball high and tight to avoid any fumbles. If they can make it through the game without any giveaways, this game will at least be competitive.

Who is a surprise player from each team that can end up having a significant impact in this game?

JJ: Alabama; J.K. Scott. Yeah, it’s time to give the punters some love here, because Scott might end up having the biggest impact for Alabama by the time all is said and done. Scott was phenomenal in the win over Washington, putting that Huskies offense in some less-than-favorable situations. Washington isn’t as explosive as Clemson, meaning that Scott will have to try even harder to put the Tigers in some bad areas. Making Clemson, Deshaun Watson and that offense do more work than they’d like to to get to the end zone is a huge key in this one.

Clemson; Hunter Renfrow. Part of the reason that Clemson was oh-so close to downing the Tide last year was because Renfrow absolutely went off out in Arizona. But him coming up big in this one is even more crucial than it was last year simply because Mike Williams will be out there with him this time. People tend to forget that Williams was not present for the matchup last year, so with one of the best in the country out there this year and healthy, Renfrow giving the Alabama defense fits this time around will allow Williams to potentially do some damage.

PS: Alabama; Calvin Ridley. I alluded to this earlier, but last year we saw Alabama breakout former five-star recruit, O.J. Howard, and he was the difference in the game. I have to think Clemson will be ready for Howard this year, but I think Calvin Ridley is due for a big game. He’ll likely be going against Cordrea Tankersley who could be a first round pick in the NFL Draft. If Sarkisian can design a few plays for Ridley down the field, he can use his size and leaping ability to make game-altering plays, just like Howard last year.

Clemson; Hunter Renfrow. I was tempted to take freshman defensive tackle, Dexter Lawrence, because I think he’ll be an important element in trying to slow the Alabama rushing attack. But I’m going to the wide receiver well again and taking Hunter Renfrow. He had his best game of his career in last year’s game when he had seven receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama has had to shuffle bodies around in the secondary and with Marlon Humphrey likely shadowing Mike Williams, I think Renfrow has a chance to be the secret weapon again for Clemson. I think Clemson will have to pass a lot in this game considering Alabama has the best rush defense, by a wide margin, in the country, so look for Renfrow to be in a position to make some big catches, particularly on third down.

TB: Alabama; ArDarius Stewart. The Crimson Tide are going to try and run over Clemson with guys like Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough. However, the Tigers can’t forget about wide receiver ArDarius Stewart in the passing game. When the ball is in this guy’s hands and he has some space, he’s a serious threat to break away. That top-end speed can be hard to defend against. Look for Sarkisian and company to try and get the ball in Stewart’s hands a few times, perhaps even on some trick plays.

Clemson; Clelin Ferrell. If you watched the Fiesta Bowl, you probably heard Clelin Ferrell’s name called a few times. The freshman defensive end was all over the place in the win over Ohio State, making his presence felt early and often. Ferrell has 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks this season, making him a truly disruptive player in the trenches. The entire Clemson defensive line is stacked, but getting some big plays from Ferrell could go a long way in giving Clemson some momentum.

Finally, it’s time to just get down to it. Who is walking away Monday night as the National Champion?

JJ: I want to pick Clemson, I really do, because it would be the perfect story told. The team who came so close to defeating the giant last year returns to make it all right, handing the program their first national title since 1981. It’s a legitimate Hollywood ending.

But, when it comes down to it, I just can’t see it. This Alabama defense has just been so ridiculously good this year for the most part that you have to think they’ll force Watson into some pretty bad situations. I can’t shake the feeling that if Watson was as turnover prone as he was this year, then this ‘Bama defensive unit will feast on that in some form or fashion.

Like it or not, we will be ending Monday night by watching Nick Saban and Alabama celebrating yet another College Football Playoff National Championship win.

Final Score: Alabama 28, Clemson 17

PS: If there was one team this year with the personnel to beat Alabama, it’s Clemson. They have the best quarterback in the country, a strong offensive line, a bevy of receivers, quality run game and a defense led by four guys who will be playing in the NFL for a long time. Plus, Dabo Swinney is one of the best big-game coaches in the country, with five bowl wins over Les Miles, Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer. He knows how close his team got last year and knows what was necessary to narrow that five-point margin of defeat.

Having said all that, Saban is the greatest coach in the game’s history and his defense is arguably the best he’s coached. You can’t run on them, they force turnovers and they turn those turnovers into points with 11 defensive touchdowns and 15 non-offensive scores this year. I’m not worried about the Kiffin-Sarkisian handoff and I think Hurts makes enough plays in the passing game to keep the Clemson defense honest and prevent nine defenders from stacking the line of scrimmage. This is going to be another instant classic and I have Alabama coming out on top.

Final Score: Alabama 27, Clemson 24

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TB: I’ve been saying for a couple of months now that this is probably the best team that Nick Saban has ever had at Alabama. He’s never had a more dynamic quarterback than Jalen Hurts. His defense is far and away the best in college football. Heck, in my latest mock draft, I had SIX Alabama players going in the first round. On top of all of that, Alabama has been holding Bo Scarbrough back to keep him fresh for a national title run.

Clemson is a talented football team, and when they’re playing at their best, they can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone. However, the Tigers have just been too inconsistent this year to think that they have a chance in this one. Watson is prone to mistakes, and Alabama is one of those teams that can make even the most elite offensive unit look like an FCS squad (sorry, Washington).

Fans want this to be a close game, but Saban’s team smells blood in the water.

Final Score: Alabama 31, Clemson 14