SEC's College Football Playoff National Championship picks – ESPN (blog)
Alabama looks to cap an excellent bowl season for the SEC with its fourth national title in seven years. Can Nick Saban and Co. win another one? Or will the league go — gasp! — three years without claiming college football’s top prize. Our SEC reporters weigh in with their predictions.
College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T
No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 2 Alabama
Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Aschoff: It seems like starting 2016 by picking against Alabama is unwise. While I think the Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson has the ability to make plays on this Alabama defense, I don’t think he’ll make many. Alabama’s front seven will gobble up the Tigers up front, but I do see Alabama’s offense struggling some to start against Clemson’s own athletic front. Derrick Henry will cap the game with more than 150 yards rushing and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in Alabama’s 27-13 win.
Ching: The deciding factor will be Alabama’s ability to defend Deshaun Watson and Clemson’s passing game. This is the biggest test the Crimson Tide’s secondary will have faced all season, but this goes both ways. Alabama’s defense is also arguably the best that Watson will have gone against (with apologies to Boston College). Watson turned it over at least once in nearly every game against a top defense, and I expect Alabama to force just enough mistakes to notch the victory.
Khan Jr.: In recent years, Alabama losses usually involve an opposing quarterback that’s mobile and an offense that can speed up the tempo. Deshaun Watson and Clemson can do both. I get the sense they’ll hit the gas pedal in an effort to wear down Alabama’s vaunted defensive line. The Crimson Tide have improved defensively vs. those types of teams, so it’s not like it will be easy. I think Clemson’s defensive line and secondary will limit the big plays in Alabama’s passing game. I believe the Tigers will use their underdog status to their advantage. They seem like a relaxed bunch that will play fearlessly and that’s dangerous when the team is as good as the Tigers.
Ostendorf: I actually like the matchup for Clemson. Deshaun Watson is the type of quarterback that has given Alabama fits in the past, and I think the secondary — Mackensie Alexander, in particular — will make life difficult for Jake Coker. But the Tide are simply too strong up front, on both sides of the ball. Look for Derrick Henry to bounce back and play like the Heisman Trophy winner he is. And don’t be surprised if fellow running back Kenyan Drake breaks one, giving his team a jolt at some point in the game. Alabama wins, 27-17, and the SEC reclaims the national championship.
Scarborough: Mack Brown was right when he said Clemson would need a Vince Young-type performance from Deshaun Watson to beat Alabama. And while I believe Watson is talented enough to pull it off, I don’t see it happening. Alabama’s front seven is just too physically imposing. That and I see Derrick Henry having a big day, not only scoring a few TDs but controlling the time of possession.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
