It’s the most wonderful time of the year for college football fans, as the College Football Playoff National Championship is upon us. In just a few short days, we’ll all be privy to watching some of the best college football players in the country duke it out for a chance to win a National Championship.
The dust has finally settled after a dramatic Championship Saturday. Monday, Jan. 7th will be quite the show as we will get to witness Alabama and Clemson face off. Let’s recap what led up to the College Football Championship of 2019.
This year’s Orange Bowl of Alabama vs. Oklahoma was a blowout to start as ‘Bama went up 21-0 at the end of the 1st Quarter. The Tide were able to shut down the Sooners for most of the 1st Half, but this year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Kyler Murry, was able to showcase his talent by finishing the game with over 400+ total yards and 3 total touchdowns. For ‘Bama, their star Quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, also made it clear he wasn’t afraid of the big stage as he was 24/27 with 318 yards and 4 passing touchdowns. Ultimately, although the two Quarterbacks lit up the stat sheet, the better team won, and Alabama is headed for the National Championship.
The Cotton Bowl between Notre Dame and Clemson unfortunately did not live up to the hype. The Fighting Irish put up 3 points in the first quarter and that was it. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence had quite the night with 327 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Clemson also dominated the ground game as Travis Etienne ran for 109 yards. Overall, the Tigers and Crimson Tide will meet in the title game for the third straight year! Let’s take a look at some of the top stories heading into the final:
Top Headlines
Here’s what we’re watching as the clock ticks closer to the CFP National Championship:
- Tua’s health: Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa seemed healthy enough with his incredible performance vs. Oklahoma so we don’t think there is any doubt that he will be ready for Clemson on Monday night. With that said, if he takes an odd hit, his absence could crush Alabama’s hopes of winning.
- Undefeated Survivor: Monday Night we will see Clemson and Alabama battle it out as undefeated squads. Each have high profile quarterbacks and overall offenses, but will it come down to defense? If so, Clemson has the second-best defense in the country in terms of yards per game. So, the question is, will Clemson be able to stop the likes of Tua and the running back combo of Joshua Jacobs and Damien Harris?
Our Picks
College football picks are never easy to make, but when you’ve been able to watch certain teams all season long, you start to get an idea about which teams are the real deal and which teams are not. Here’s our NCAAF picks for the College Football National Championship game:
- We’ll probably be in the minority with this pick, but we believe Clemson should win for three main reasons:
- Clemson’s freshman quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, continues to show that he has ice in his veins and has been playing beyond his years. We predict another 300+ passing game for him vs. ‘Bama.
- Clemson has both a top three offense and defense in the FBS. Alabama allows 30+ more yards per game compared to Clemson, while their offensive outputs are almost identical in terms of yards per game.
- Lastly, Alabama has shown their weaknesses and their inability to hold down top-tier offenses as Georgia was able to put up 28 points in the SEC Championship Game and Oklahoma finished with 34.
The College Football Championship will no doubt be a shoot-out, however, we think Clemson has the upper hand in this year’s matchup. Dabo Swinney will have his Tigers ready to fill the stats sheets and ultimately take down Alabama with some timely defensive plays.
Image Source: College Football News