Alabama-Clemson: A unique rivalry
Third meeting in row in playoff format
NEW ORLEANS — The threepeat will be complete.
Then again, there might be a few more chapters in college football’s most intriguing new rivalry.
For the third year in a row, Clemson will meet Alabama in the College Football Playoff, only this time it will be in the Sugar Bowl semifinal rather than the national championship.
They will be hard-pressed to match the drama and excitement of the past two meetings: Alabama’s 45-40 victory that featured 40 points in the final 10½ minutes, followed by Clemson’s 35-31 triumph on a touchdown pass with one second remaining.
“We haven’t competed against each other a lot,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Sunday on the eve of the New Year’s night game. “But all of a sudden you’ve got this three-game series that has just happened at the highest level. And this is kind of a rubber match. But, to be honest with you, this is probably not going to be the last one. There will probably be more of these down the road.”
ACC champion Clemson (12-1) is the top seed in the playoff, bouncing back from a shocking 27-24 loss to Syracuse in mid-October. Alabama (11-1) didn’t even get a chance to play for the Southeastern Conference title, losing to Auburn in the regular-season finale after being ranked No. 1 all season by The Associated Press.
Despite the setback, the selection committee went with the Tide as the No. 4 seed over Big Ten Conference champion Ohio State.
That set up Clemson-Alabama, Part III.
“This is kind of like a rivalry now,” Tide linebacker Rashaan Evans said. “This is something I will definitely remember for the rest of my life, just to be able to be a part of this whole big thing. I’ll have faced these guys three times, watched so much film of us winning and losing. Now we have another chance.”
Clemson receiver Hunter Renfrow has been a real thorn in Alabama’s side. The former walk-on caught four touchdown passes in the two previous meetings, including last season’s 2-yard game winner.
The burden of shutting down Renfrow could fall largely on Alabama’s star defensive back, Minkah Fitzpatrick.
“I think that’s going to be the key matchup in the game,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “Obviously, Hunter’s had some really, really good games against these guys, so they’re going to be gunning to make sure they take him away and force other guys to make plays.”
Fitzpatrick is looking forward to the challenge.
“He’s not going to out-physical you or outrun you,” Fitzpatrick said. “He gets the ball out in space, makes people miss, and he’s a real shifty guy, smaller guy, so it’s hard to tackle him in space.”