Posted on 01/09/2017 5:53:04 AM PST by blam
Their first College Football Playoff title game was a thriller, and odds are the rematch will be, too
Tom Fornelli
January 9, 2017
While it certainly isn't a rule, it's generally accepted that the sequel is never quite as good as the original. The logical explanation for this phenomenon is that a movie doesn't get a sequel unless the first installment was popular enough to warrant one, which means that the sequel has lofty expectations to live up to.
As do Alabama and Clemson when they meet Monday night in Tampa for a national championship rematch.
When these two teams met in Glendale, Arizona last year, they gave us all an exciting game. Even if the final minutes of the game didn't provide an incredible amount of drama, Clemson still put on an offensive performance against the Alabama defense that we just aren't used to seeing. Deshaun Watson accounted for 478 yards of offense and four touchdowns, but it just wasn't enough.
And now these two forces meet again.
There's Alabama, a team which seems unstoppable. A team whose rise to yet another national title has seemed pre-destined for just about the entirety of the 2016 season. On the other side is the one team that has truly offered a real threat to Alabama's supremacy in Clemson.
So will this sequel be any good? I don't know, but everybody's already bought their tickets and in their seats with a bucket of popcorn waiting to find out.
Players to watch
Deshaun Watson, Clemson QB: There is no player in this game more important than Deshaun Watson. Simply put, if Clemson wants to win this game, it will need Watson to play spectacularly. If he is just average, or plays subpar...
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...
- Roll Tide -
College Football Playoff: Five keys for Clemson to win the national championship
I’m surprised there wasn’t a thread yesterday about the yacht sailing, drug filled boat ride that the NY Giants WR corps took a week before the playoffs.
Might have accounted for the multitude of drops.
Looked like a real gangster pic and no white guys invited :)
I did see some white women lol.
Can’t see a rookie (Dallas) beating Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers vs. Brady. Wow. that would be great.
All of the games this past weekend sucked.
Meh...Clemson in a runaway (as opposed to a blow-out).
As much as I really like Nick Saban from his time at U-Toledo and MSU, I believe he will not be “out-coached” but, ‘Bama will be “out-talented”.
If I had a dog in this fight I’d be saying Roll Tide myself.
Will Clemson be groping anybody tonight?
And then there was the sick ####ing commercial with a guy staring at another guy’s privates in the stalls. And a guy looking in the mirror with his wife’s bra around him.
They’re done. The playoffs have sucked, the yacht incident won’t help, the LEFT LEFT commercials...they won’t go down overnight.
And they could still right the ship with new leadership.
But that likely wont happen.
Condaleeza Rice could turn it around :)
Nah. Just grabbing a National Championship trophy.
1st Qtr - Clemson 14 Alabama 7
Halftime - Clemson 21 Alabama 17
3rd Qtr - Alabama 31 Clemson 28
Final - Alabama 41 Clemson 31
Clemson O will have advantage early, Bama D will adjust at Halftime, and by 4th Qtr the constant bama pounding will wear out Clemson D.
Much as I hate to say it... Bama D wins...with some help from Offense
Alabama’s freshman quarterback will not score 41 points on Clemson’s defense. Just say’n.
This same “super talented” team lost to Pitt!! and had a few close calls along the way...
Pittsburg scored 42... just sayin.
Well put. I don’t think Bama will let him put up 400 yards again, though. If the DL sticks to their assignments, and keeps him contained in the pocket, he won’t burn them nearly as much.
I predict Watson will throw for 3 touchdowns...and 2 interceptions. Clemson will live and die by his performance - and it will end up 31-24 ‘Bama.
see “Freshman”
It's worked all year...here's hoping.(how many touchdowns does this prediction require the defense to make? ahem.)
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