Clemson, Alabama take opposite paths
As they arrived for the annual media day event ahead of the College Football Playoff ’s national championship game, the Alabama Crimson Tide’s players and coaches entered to the accompaniment of Fanfare for the
Common Man. Go ahead, chew on the subtle layers of meaning, if any. Nick Saban simply seemed bemused by the grandiosity.
“That’s a pretty dramatic opening,” said Saban — and get this, he was grinning. “Kind of enjoyable.”
And then came the inevitable next question: Are you having fun, Coach? Saban launched into an explanation about the challenge of preparation and creating opportunities, and it went on from there.
Essentially, though, his answer was yes. And never mind Saban’s routinely dour demeanor, there’s no reason to doubt him. Here’s why: “When you leave the field knowing that you dominated somebody else,” Alabama defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson said, “you can’t have much more fun than that.”
By that definition — joy and dominance as synonyms — the Crimson Tide aren’t so much on an inexorable march as frolicking merrily to history.
For the second year in a row, Alabama plays Clemson for the College Football Playoff national title, with plenty of subplots.
The Crimson Tide are gunning for their second consecutive title, fifth in eight seasons. They’ve built a suffocating defense for the ages. And yet last week Saban ejected Lane Kiffin and installed Steve Sarkisian as offensive coordinator, a potentially huge disruption in “the Process.”
Clemson has done almost everything since Dabo Swinney arrived except win it all. The Tigers appear to be built to beat the Tide, which provides anticipation that we could be in for something approaching the spectacular, 4540 result from last season.
“These are the two best teams,” Swinney said, “and to be honest with you, I don’t think there’s an-
other team out there that’s capable of beating Alabama. I think we’re probably the only team that has a chance.”
And when these programs meet, there’s inevitably the stark contrast in how they build for success. While Saban emphasizes the journey, Swinney accentuates the joy in the journey.
(Read into this what you will, but Clemson’s media day arrival was accompanied by U2’s Where
the Streets Have No Name. Just an odd choice, really, but Swinney liked it. “It kind of felt like WWE walking in here,” he said, referring to the entrances pro wrestlers make. “It was like Saturday Night Raw.”)
And watch Swinney’s eyes light up while describing the Tigers’ new football facility (Miniature golf! A bowling alley! A movie theater!) when he talks about the slide he’ll use to travel from the second floor to the first.
Clemson football is not quite a quest for fun, but it’s definitely a different approach — which brings us inexorably back to the Saban dynasty. These programs are reflections of their coaches.
“I couldn’t do it Coach Saban’s way,” Swinney said. “I couldn’t be successful. He is who he is, and he has to run his program as he sees it. I am who I am. At the end of the day, you’ve got to be who you are.”
You figure Saban not only wouldn’t use a slide to descend from one floor to the next — though if he did, the photo would instantly go viral — he’d probably have a terse discussion with whoever drew up the plans. Saban is not wired for frivolity. When the coaches posed Sunday for a gripand-grin photograph with the championship trophy, Swinney made sure to take a selfie.
Saban, uh, did not. His obligations fulfilled, he had already turned and headed off stage, moving quickly toward the next item on his agenda. Alabama’s organization — Saban’s word — is an ever-growing model of efficiency with one overarching goal. But to call the Tide’s run joyless misses the point. Saban insists he enjoys the Process. The players say the same, even though it behooves them to say so. But they all recognize one thing: Conquest is fun.
Tomlinson knows. The fifthyear senior was on the roster as a redshirting freshman back in 2012 when Alabama blew out Notre Dame for its third national championship under Saban. These last two seasons, he has been a key on a very deep defensive line that is the strength of the defense — and the program.
“Our fun,” Tomlinson reminded, “is when you go out there and dominate the other person in front of you.”
The Tide’s reign is among the most impressive in college football history. And while it’s the kind of topic Saban hates, another national title might put the Tide atop ’em all. Saban, too, be- cause, including one at LSU, it would be his sixth, tying Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Then there’s the absolute fun — we mean, dominance, over the last two seasons. The Tide’s current winning streak is 26; if Alabama beats Clemson, it’ll be time to start the conversation about chasing the longest all-time streaks. Yeah, it’s a long way to Oklahoma’s 47-game streak. But if the Tide entered the 2017 season at 27, then added 15 more — at this point, would anyone be terribly surprised?
“Sometimes with Alabama, maybe they make it look easy,” Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford said. “Fans sometimes underestimate just how hard winning national championships are.”
Everybody probably underestimates just how fun it is to win them, even at Alabama. Virtually no one will be surprised if Alabama does it again.
This is less certain, but Saban might smile again, or at least wear a wry grin for a moment or two.
Then the Tide will return to Tuscaloosa, move on to the next step in the coach’s vaunted Process and begin building more joy — we mean, dominance.
Same thing.