PARDISE VALLEY, Ariz. — ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy says for Clemson to beat Alabama on Monday night at the Spaceship in the Arizona desert, Deshaun Watson will have to call out his inner Vince Young.

McElroy, who works mostly on ESPN’s SEC Network, says Watson is capable of having a performance like Young had in the 2006 Rose Bowl. Young completed 30 of 40 passes for 267 yards, while running for 200 more and scoring three touchdowns on 19 carries.

Young averaged 10.5 yards per carry.

“The thing is, he is capable of that,” McElroy said of Watson. “Passing it, running it and being creative enough behind the line of scrimmage and throwing the ball vertically down the field.”

But McElroy threw a but in there, too.

“Alabama’s defense is as good as I have ever seen at this level,” he said. “They are absolutely incredible.”

The Crimson Tide rank second in the country in total yards allowed (256.8), but lead the nation in points allowed per game (13.4) and rushing defense (70.8).

Watson on the other hand has accounted for 43 touchdowns, while completing close to 70 percent of his passes. He has thrown 31 touchdown passes and run for 12 more. He also is just the third player in the history of College Football to throw for 3,500 yards and run for a 1,000 more in the same season.

Watson has rushed for at least 100 yards in five of the last six games.

“Deshaun Watson, I think, with a performance he is capable of, if he plays his best game, you can make an argument he is the best player in college football,” McElroy said. “It is really a good-on-good matchup. It is exactly what you want in a National Championship Game.”

McElroy says if the Tigers get off to a good start, Watson plays well and they take care of the football then Clemson has a great chance to win the game.

The Tigers are 42-4 when they win the turnover margin under Dabo Swinney, but they are 6-0 this year when they lose the turnover edge. In games against Notre Dame, NC State, Florida State, North Carolina and Oklahoma, the Tigers have an 11-4 advantage in turnover margin.

“That’s going to be important for them,” McElroy said. “Those three factors are always huge, but if Alabama lets Deshaun Watson become the player he is capable of becoming, then it could be a tough thing.”