College Football Playoff: Clemson – Alabama IV as inevitable as Thanos

Alabama and Clemson have already met three times in the National Championship Game and you can fully expect a fourth meeting this January.

Both Alabama and Clemson have the two best coaches, best quarterbacks and best overall teams in college football heading into the season, which could lead into yet another battle between the two historic programs. The two teams have stumbled upon a new rivalry deciding who the game’s top team year after year is.

Clemson currently is 2-1 in championship games against Alabama, and with the two teams expected to have a chance at an undefeated season, fans could see a fourth battle for greatness between two of the game’s best.

Coaching matters

With another amazing high school class ranking No. 1 overall for 2019, Saban has paired several young recruits with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback including offensive tackle Evan Neal, wide receiver John Metchie and guard Darrian Dalcourt. With the blend of veteran and young talent, Saban has set his Crimson Tide roster up for another brilliant run.

Playing in the SEC does serve as a challenge for Alabama who consistently competes with LSU and Georgia for the supreme position. Nick Saban knows how to get the best out of his players, but it makes things much easier when he has the depth that no other team has, except for maybe one team – the Clemson Tigers.

Swinney is a fun personality who absolutely adores the game. As an offensive-minded coach, he has had success molding quarterbacks into future NFL level talent. Deshaun Watson and now Trevor Lawrence were groomed through the head coach. Swinney will showcase his talents in 2019 through the amazing prospect of Lawrence once more, with an amazing shot at a third title.

The ACC is as weak as ever paving a road to the national title game with minimal obstacles. With Syracuse as the only other in-conference opponent within the top-25, Swinney’s schedule plays out perfectly for an undefeated season. A non-conference game against Texas A&M should serve as a tune-up for future SEC contenders as the Tigers are set on taking home the game’s greatest prize.

Both coaches have years of experience and a knack for steering through the schedule and coming out perfect. Alabama and Clemson have both been there before and know how to respond, with the careful guidance from their fearless leaders, a fourth installment could be coming college football fans’ way.

Trevor and Tua are too much

Trevor Lawrence has been called the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck with no signs of letting the hype drag him down. NFL quarterbacks including Luck, Marcus Mariota and Matthew Stafford, who had similar hype to Lawrence, performed just as good, if not better in their sophomore seasons.

The Clemson phenom should easily be able to top his numbers last season as the ACC will not be able to compete with Clemson’s depth and offensive firepower this season. The conference has several teams grinding through a rebuilding process including North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia and Pittsburgh, while Clemson continues to get even stronger as a powerhouse.

Will these teams lay down? Absolutely not, as every week Clemson will be challenged with a team’s best effort because of champion status, but the Tigers have the weapons surrounding Lawrence to put up some major points this season.

Dabo Swinney has built his roster extremely similar to Saban’s, with depth and experience at every position. Lawrence will be joined by star running back Travis Etienne in the backfield and four seniors along a stout offensive line tasked with protecting the young quarterback.

A defense that always swarms the football will also be in store for another fantastic season limiting the offensive attack of the team’s opposition. Redshirt linebacker Isaiah Simmons returns after leading the team in total tackles alongside a veteran defensive backfield with Tanner Muse and AJ Terrell.

Alabama, on the other hand, has arguably the best dual-threat quarterback in the entire sport. During this past season, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa continued his past dominance with 43 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Battling through injury, Tagovailoa had returned to the championship game, but this time was completely outmatched by the Clemson Tigers.

Tagovailoa is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and on top of that pressure he is expected to return to the title game. With an amazing offensive cast, he should have no problem leading them to the final.

Alabama’s roster has depth everywhere with star power at almost every single position behind the team’s future NFL quarterback. Jerry Jeudy is arguably the best wide receiver since Julio Jones at the program, Najee Harris is set to take over as the lead running back and has flashed potential over the last couple years, veteran defensive lineman Anfernee Jennings and Raekwon Davis are ready to wreak havoc once again and many more stars in the making.

Contenders are mere pretenders

Clemson and Alabama will have some stiff competition throughout the season, especially in the playoffs if both teams make it as predicted. Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Michigan are all premier programs looking to dismantle the recent success of the two teams. All these teams have solid quarterbacks and veteran head coaches, but they do not stack up with the two recent dynasties.

Georgia will have another season of Jake Fromm before he enters the draft, but the team has lost a ton of talent through the NFL Draft the last two years and may experience some depth problems if injuries come the team’s way. Fromm does not have nearly as good a supporting cast as the other two quarterbacks and will ultimately come up short for a third straight year.

LSU has never been able to overcome the hurdle of the Crimson Tide. Awful quarterback play has haunted them in the past, but Joe Burrows could provide some stability for the time being. LSU has the talent defensively to keep up with Alabama, but a lack of a true star offensively is no match.

Oklahoma with Jalen Hurts is expected to crawl up to the top, and any quarterback paired with offensive mastermind Lincoln Riley should have a shot. Riley is becoming one of the highest rising coaches in college and poses a legitimate risk for both Clemson and Alabama. Hurts showed he needed a solid supporting cast around him to succeed at Alabama, and in Oklahoma, he doesn’t have one nearly as good as the one Tua walked into.

Finally, the two Big Ten schools in Ohio State and Michigan who will be battling it out to take home the Big Ten Championship. Michigan and Jim Harbaugh have the coach, they have an experienced quarterback, but they have yet to beat Ohio State. Until they dismantle the Buckeyes, they cannot be in the discussion of beating a dynasty.

As for Ohio State, losing urban Meyer hurts a shot at the title tremendously, but with former Georgia quarterback Justin Fields who fits the offense perfectly, the team is to be taken seriously. Ohio State is the clear most challenging team to look out for if you are a fan of Clemson or Alabama. Even with an offense featuring Fields and running back JK Dobbins, the two champion schools should prevail when given the opportunity.

Both these teams are equally matched at all phases of the game entering this season. These two recent dynasties have had some intense battles over the years, but the eventual one in the 2020 title game may be the best of them all.