The College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T between Alabama and Clemson has plenty of matchups to watch, as both teams are loaded with talent, and on paper, it's very difficult to find any weakness in Alabama's game. While the Crimson Tide are certainly the favorites, Clemson appears to at least have some answers that could challenge Alabama in various parts of the game. The Tigers certainly will believe they can hang with the Crimson Tide after losing 45-40 in last year's title game, but the makeup of both teams has altered slightly, and there are new storylines to watch on both sides of the ball.
Here are some keys to the game that are worth watching:
Clemson run defense vs. Alabama run game
This might be where the game is won and lost. From a game-flow perspective, there's a good chance this looks like the LSU and Washington games for Alabama: The passing game might not be a huge factor, due to a good Clemson secondary. Throw in true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts and his inconsistency as a passer, and Alabama will once again have to turn to its running attack to move the ball.
That hasn't been a bad thing, as the run game has carried the Crimson Tide's offense all season, and their top four ball carriers -- Hurts, and running backs Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough and Joshua Jacobs -- have combined to force 134 missed tackles between them. While Hurts might have some weaknesses in the passing game, his ability to carry the ball as part of the designed run game has transformed the offense this season. Even when Alabama hasn't had success moving the ball through the air, he still has made a major impact. The run threat Hurts presents helps to offset the defensive numbers advantage in the box, and it provides more opportunities for the talented running backs to get into space.
On the other side, Clemson might be most equipped to slow down the Alabama rushing attack, as the Tigers had some success earlier in the season against Louisville's Lamar Jackson and in the semifinal against Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett. With true freshman defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (85.9 run defense grade) and edge defender Christian Wilkins (85.2 run defense grade) up front, the Tigers have the big bodies to clog the middle and set the edge in the run game.
Given the versatility and talent on Alabama's side, the Tide should still get their yards. But if Clemson can at least contain the rushing attack for portions of the game, it will give the Tigers a chance to keep the game close and pull off the upset.
Can Clemson slow Alabama's pass rush?
No team is truly equipped to slow down Alabama's pass rush. The Tide have elite players coming from all angles, from Pro Football Focus' player of the year Jonathan Allen rushing up the middle to Tim Williams rushing off the edge, where Williams has pressured opposing quarterbacks 27 percent of the time in his career (NCAA average is 10 percent). They're not alone, as edge defender Ryan Anderson has 10 sacks, 16 hits and 28 hurries on his 306 rushes, while interior defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson has 39 pressures of his own this season. As a team, Alabama gets to the quarterback about 50 percent of the time, creating disruption up front that few teams can compete with.
Clemson's offensive line has protected nearly identical to last season, as their 86.7 pass-blocking efficiency is right in line with last season's 86.8 mark. This season, they ranked 26th in the country, which isn't bad, but it still gives Alabama the clear advantage in this matchup. Clemson does do a good job of protecting the line with a lot of play-action and misdirection in the backfield, so the Tigers might be able to slow the rush for a while; but in must-pass situations, it's nearly impossible to contain the many talented rushers that Alabama will throw their way.
The good news for Clemson is that quarterback Deshaun Watson has improved under pressure this season, raising his adjusted completion percentage to 62.5 percent, good for 22nd in the nation, after it was only 47.6 percent and 113th a season ago.
Deshaun Watson playing at Heisman level
Watson certainly provided a top-notch performance in last year's title game, and the Tigers will need another one this time around in order to hang with the best defense in the land. Watson came into the season with exceedingly high expectations, and while his season was great by many standards, his accuracy and decision-making were underwhelming for much of the season. His 17 interceptions are no accident, as he has had a number of inaccurate passes into coverage and made just plain bad decisions, but the best part of Watson's game is his ability to bounce back from adversity to still make big plays when it counts.
The other piece to Watson's game that will be important is his work in the designed run game, something Clemson cut back on for most of the season but that they have brought back in big games down the stretch. He rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns on 17 designed runs against Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship, before rushing for 71 yards and two scores on 10 carries against Ohio State. Watson can win with both his arm and his legs, and it all adds up to the No. 3 quarterback in PFF grades at 90.6 and a player capable of carrying Clemson, even against a great Alabama defense.
Can Alabama get the ball to O.J. Howard?
After Howard went off for 208 yards and two touchdowns on five catches in last year's national title matchup, it's fair to say Clemson will keep a closer eye on him this year. As impressive as it was for Howard, his big plays were more a function of coverage busts from Clemson than his having a dominant effort. That's not to take anything away from Howard, who finished the season as the No. 5 tight end in PFF grades at 82.5, but if Clemson can play more disciplined football, it should avoid the same headache this year.
Still, look for Howard to be a big part of the Alabama game plan, as the athletic tight end can stretch the seam in Bama's play-action game, and he graded as the best run-blocking tight end in the nation this season at 82.2. It might be difficult for Alabama to move the ball through the air, as the Clemson secondary matches up favorably with Alabama's receivers; but if the Tide can isolate Howard on the Clemson linebackers, namely Kendall Joseph (73.5 coverage grade) and Dorian O'Daniel (76.9 coverage grade), it may be another big game out of the potential first-round draft pick at tight end.
Clemson must pressure Jalen Hurts
Nearly every quarterback experiences a drop-off in play when pressured, though some do a better job of mitigating the damage than others. Hurts has suffered a major dip statistically when under heat, and Clemson's ability to get to him could completely shut down the Alabama passing attack. Hurts has a passer rating of 113.8 in a clean pocket, good for 12th in the nation, but that number drops to 38.2 when pressured, ranking 79th out of 84 qualifiers.
It's truly a different game when Hurts gets pressured, though he only has been under heat on 28.9 percent of his snaps, which is below the NCAA average. Clemson will rely on Lawrence and Wilkins to push the pocket. But keep an eye on defensive end Clelin Ferrell coming off the edge, as he had a sack and two hurries against Ohio State in the semifinal. Ferrell has emerged as one of Clemson's best defensive linemen down the stretch.