If you want to win a National Championship, it means you have to beat the best. So far through its magical run to a 14-0 season, the Tigers have done just that. No team has won more games versus 10-win teams than the Tigers. No team has beaten more top 10 teams, either
In their quest to be the best, they have knocked off some of the best in College Football. They beat No. 6 Notre Dame, a team by some that was projected to win it all this year. The Tigers knocked off defending ACC Champion Florida State to claim the top spot in the Atlantic Division. They beat the ACC Coastal Division Champions to bring the ACC Championship back to Clemson, and then they beat Big 12 Champion Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl to advance to next Monday’s National Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz.
But standing in the way of Clemson and its first national championship in 34 years is the biggest and best champion of them all – Alabama. The Crimson Tide has won three national championships under head coach Nick Saban, and the SEC Champions come into the title game fresh off a 38-0 blowout of Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.
“We know that we’ve got an incredible challenge with Alabama,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said on Monday. “We’ve got great respect for the University of Alabama and Coach Saban and their staff and what they represent. They certainly have been the standard in college football for a long, long time, but especially since Coach Saban has been there.”
Alabama (13-1) comes in the national championship game riding an 11-game winning streak since losing to Ole Miss back in Week 3. The Crimson Tide lead the country in scoring defense (13.4), rushing defense (70.8) and are ranked second in total defense (256.8). They also lead the country in sacks with 50.
Heisman Trophy running back Derrick Henry has rushed for 2,061 yards and has 25 touchdowns. He is averaging 147.2 yards per game on the ground and 5.8 yards per carry.
“It’s a great honor to be able to go and compete at the highest level with the team that represents the best,” Swinney said. “We know that we’re going to have to have great preparation here and play very well to have a chance to win the game. But again, I’m just proud of our team and our staff for the type of season that we’ve had.
“We look forward to a great game out in Arizona and traveling out there and competing one last time and hopefully playing our best four quarters.”
And that’s what worries Saban. Clemson did not get to the National Title Game on accident.
Clemson ranks 16th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 38.4 points per game, while it also ranks 16thnationally in scoring defense, allowing 20.0 points per game. Led by quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Tigers rank 11th in total offense at 512.0 yards per game, while the defense ranks sixth nationally at 301.6 yards.
“This is certainly going to be the most challenging game we’ve had to this point,” Saban said. “Clearly Clemson is a team that is good in all facets of the game. They’re a very, very good offensive team, great defensive team, play well on special teams, very well-coached. Dabo has done an outstanding job, and they have a lot of good players that are very well-coached that play very well.”
Individually, Watson has thrown for 3,699 yards and 31 touchdowns, while completing 68.2 percent of his passes. He has also rushed for 1,032 yards and scored 12 more touchdowns. He is just the third player in the history of college football to throw for 3,500 yards and run for 1,000 in the same season.
Against No. 4 Oklahoma in the Capital One Orange Bowl, Watson totaled 332 yards and produced two touchdowns, including 145 yards on the ground.
Running back Wayne Gallman leads the team and ranks second in the ACC with 1,482 yards and 12 touchdowns. Gallman’s rushing numbers are new single-season record for a Clemson running back.
He ran for 150 yards in the Tigers’ 37-17 victory over Oklahoma.
On the defensive side, defensive end Shaq Lawson leads the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss and has 10.5 sacks. Despite injuring his left knee in the Orange Bowl, Swinney said he is optimistic his All-American and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year will play in the National Championship Game.
Clemson as a team has 43 sacks, which ranks fourth nationally and leads the nation with 117 tackles for loss.
The Tigers held the Sooners to 378 total yards in the Orange Bowl, 165 yards below their season-average coming in.
“I think as it should be, this is a game that two great teams are going to have a great opportunity to compete in, and it’s something that we’re certainly looking forward to and pleased that we’ve created the opportunity for ourselves to do that,” Saban said.