Perennial powers have become best new rivalry

The threepeat NEW will be complete.

Then again, there might be more chapters in college football’s 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 in the national championship game.

They will be hard-pressed to match the drama and excitement of the teams’ last 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. 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.”

Atlantic Coast Conference 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 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 that setback, the selection committee went with the Tide as the No. 4 seed over Big Ten champion Ohio State.

That set up Clemson vs. Alabama, Part III.

“This is kind of like a rivalry now,” said Tide linebacker Rashaan Evans. “This is something I will definitely remember for the rest of my life, just 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 wide receiver Hunter Renfrow has been a thorn in Alabama’s side. The former walk-on caught four touchdown passes in the two previous meetings, including last season’s 2-yard winner.

The burden of trying to shut down Renfrow could fall largely on Alabama’s star defensive back, Minkah Fitzpatrick.

“That’s going to be the key matchup in the game,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “Obviously, Hunter’s had some 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.”

Alabama has endured a rash of injuries at the linebacker position, which really seemed to affect the Tide’s stellar defense late in the season.

With more than a month off since Alabama’s loss to Auburn, the situation looks better but remains a point of concern for coach Nick Saban.