Can Clemson overcome Alabama's savage DL?
PHOENIX — The night of Nov. 7, 2015, Lane Kiffin came bounding out of Bryant-Denny Stadium high off a win over LSU.
“I’ve talked to some scouts,” Kiffin told a couple of reporters. “Our defense could be in the middle of the pack of the NFL.”
Alabama’s unit had just finished limiting Leonard Fournette to 31 yards and LSU to less than 200 yards overall. Even with that performance in his pocket and a reputation for inflating the truth a time or two, did Alabama’s offensive coordinator really say the Tide’s defensive unit could play in the NFL? Now?
“It looks like an NFL defense,” Kiffin said repeated Saturday when given the chance to explain himself at media day ahead of the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. “Not just by scheme because we’re NFL-oriented with Coach [Nick] Saban but by the personnel. I think our backup defense would be somewhere in the middle of the SEC.”
Who needs trash talk prior to Monday’s game when you’ve got outrageous? It goes with the territory as we boil Clemson-Alabama down to its central element.
The Tide’s defense — particularly its front seven — may be the best Saban has assembled. That’s like saying there’s a better Cadillac or a shinier diamond. If nothing else, Saban has built this current dynasty with an old saw: Defense wins championships.
Clemson has a puncher’s chance, an underdog mentality and perhaps the best quarterback in the country (Deshaun Watson), but this game starts with the Tigers being able to do something offensively between the tackles.
Michigan State couldn’t, obviously, in the Cotton Bowl semifinal, running for 29 yards in a 38-0 skunking.
At one point, Spartans quarterback Connor Cook was caught on TV mouthing, “They’re f—— everywhere.”
“How many teams have a front 14?” asked Alabama color analyst Phil Savage rhetorically. He was referring to that front-seven two deep.
“Every one of those kids — some are first rounders, some are college free agents — every one of them will put on an NFL helmet at least for a moment in time.”
Alabama’s front seven alone has four prospects in the top 30, according to some projections. The Tide lead the country in sacks (51). Of their top five defenders in that category, three have never started a game. That includes junior Jonathan Allen, who leads the Tide with 12 sacks. That includes outside linebacker Tim Williams (10.5 sacks), who as of early November had played only 100 snaps (85 passing plays). The edge-rushing 230-pounder is actually listed as third-string at Jack linebacker going into the Clemson game.
“Production-wise, he’s No. 1 in the country by a long shot,” said Savage, also an expert pro talent evaluator as executive director of the Senior Bowl.
What hope does Clemson have, then? For the seventh time in defensive coordinator Kirby Smart’s eight seasons in T-town, Bama has a top five unit. This one has given up 49 rushing yards in the last 10 quarters against Auburn, Florida and Michigan State.
“That’s what they remind me of — last year’s [Clemson] defense up front,” Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said.
That unit, which sent six players to the NFL, may not even compare. Clemson has a talented, but young, freshman at left tackle in Mitch Hyatt. Alabama defensive linemen Jarran Reed and A’Shawn Robinson weigh a combined 625 pounds.
Four of Alabama’s 11 defensive starters were named All-SEC performers. The unit is No. 1 nationally in scoring and rushing defense, No. 2 in total defense. Texas A&M was the last team to score more than 16 points against the Tide. That was almost three months ago.
“They’ve got 10 defensive linemen that could start at most colleges,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott told reporters. “The depth is what’s amazing. Because of our tempo, we’ve been able to wear down defensive fronts, but that will not be the case because of their great depth.”
Alabama’s monstrous defensive line may be the difference Monday. (USATSI)
To get to this point, a few years ago Nick Saban did the unthinkable. He shrank Alabama.
Specifically, he shrank that defensive line. So much so that the red elephants you remember roaming the earth from the past — we’re talking to you 365-pound Terrence Cody — may have a hard time breaking into today’s lineup.
Saban made the decision to get a bit smaller and faster to combat spread offenses. The defensive line goes 11 deep, which may some sort of Ripley’s Believe or Not record. Those 11 players average a lithe 313 pounds.
“You can’t run at them with their front seven,” said Pete Cordelli, a former Notre Dame assistant. “They do a great job with their down linemen when they get a double team by turning themselves sideways and making themselves skinnier.
“They’ll take their outside shoulder and turn it. When you turn and drop the left shoulder and raise the right shoulder and get underneath, that’s how they get so much penetration.”
Look at any map showing from where the best defensive linemen originate. A blood clot of push pins seems to form in the Southeast. Yes, football is important in the region, but the Southeast produces beefy linemen like Brazil breeds strikers.
So much history will flow outward from this game. You may have heard Saban is going for a fifth national championship. Clemson is trying to legitimize itself as a lasting national power.
Watch closely. In a way, Swinney could be auditioning for the Alabama job. The Tide’s former walk-on receiver who played on the 1992 national champs has to be the favorite to replace Saban when that day should come.
Of course, there is no rush. Swinney, 46, has 18 years on Saban, 64.
“This is the first one I’ve sniffed as a coach,” Swinney said of the championship at stake, “and [Saban] is going for his fifth. It’s incredible.”
But if Saban hangs ‘em up after this game — not likely — the first call would have to go to Swinney. He has built Clemson in the image of Alabama — consistency, strength in both lines, NFL prospects all over the place.
“Nobody knows what the future holds,” Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said, “but we love Dabo.”
Not sounding like a guy who is going anywhere, Swinney said, “You come to Clemson and you can do anything.”
Not as long Saban has cornered the market on talent, scheme and work ethic. And that’s just on defense.
It starts Monday, then, with a simple question: Why is it so hard for everyone else to recruit defensive linemen?
“Because,” Savage said, “Alabama has them all.”
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