In a game where two teams are as familiar with each other as two teams from two different conferences can be, the one who wins the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day between top-ranked Clemson and No. 4 Alabama will be the team who won the one-on-one matchups.

There will be several one-on-one matchups in this College Football Playoff Semifinal to watch for. Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant vs. Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, Clemson corner Ryan Carter vs. Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley and Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts vs. Clemson linebacker Dorian O’Daniel.

But perhaps the biggest matchups will come on the line of scrimmage, especially when Alabama has the ball. How will sophomore tackles Jonah Williams (6-5, 301) and Matt Womack (6-7, 324) do against Clemson’s elite edge rushers Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant?

“In a game like this, it just comes down to players making plays and winning your one-on-one matchups,” Ferrell said.

That’s Ferrell remembers so fondly about last year’s matchup with the Crimson Tide in the national championship game. It was just about whose players made the most plays.

“It’s right up there,” Clemson’s Associated Press All-America said. “It does not get much better than that. Obviously they beat is the year before and that was the rematch. There were a lot of super stars on that field, a lot of future NFL players in Tampa that night.

“That is right up there as one of the best national championship games in the history of college football.”

Clemson (12-1) of course won that game as wide receiver Hunter Renfrow caught a last-second touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson, to bring a national championship back to Clemson for the first time in 35 years.

Now, Clemson vs. Alabama: The Trilogy is said to be as good at the first two, which is why it comes down to winning those one-on-one matchups, especially those two matchups that involve Ferrell and Bryant.

Ferrell is tied for second in the ACC in sacks with 8.5 and tackles for loss with 17, while Bryant is tied for fourth in sacks with 7.5 and fifth in tackles for loss with 14.5.

Bryant and Ferrell have a combined 16 sacks and 31.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Alabama as a team has allowed just 22 sacks and just 44 tackles for loss all year.

In other words, it’s going to be strength vs. strength.

“Scheme does not win games like this,” Ferrell said. “You never see in games like this a lot of people saying, ‘That was a great play call.’

“In games like this, you always say, ‘Look at that play he made’ or ‘Look how good that guy is playing.’ It is good to have an understanding what a team is going to do, but players have to go out there and make plays.”