CFP semifinal showdowns kick off
Clemson-Alabama and Oklahoma-Georgia begin battle for national title
The three-peat 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 game.
They’ll be hard-pressed to match the drama and excitement of the last two meetings: Alabama’s 4540 victory that featured 40 points in the final 10 1/2 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 SEC title, losing to Auburn in the regularseason finale after being
No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Alabama
KEY MATCHUP >> Clemson’s dominant defensive line, led by defensive ends Austin Bryant and Clelin Ferrell, against Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts. Clemson racked up 44 sacks this season and ranks third in the nation with 3.38 per game.
But Hurts has exceptional mobility and has been known to scramble for big gains. Clemson’s defensive front will have to be as disciplined as it is aggressive in order to keep from getting gashed by Hurts as it was on Alabama’s last drive of last year’s title game. PLAYERS TO WATCH >> Alabama: DB Minkah Fitzpatrick was named the winner of the Chuck Bednarik Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield drives Oklahoma. Nick Chubb leads a powerful Georgia ground game. high NFL draft picks man both tackles in AllAmerican Orlando Brown and Bobby Evans.
Georgia has run stuffers up front in their 3-4 defense in DE Trenton Thompson and NT John Atkins, but most of the pass rush comes from linebackers Roquan Smith, Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy, who have combined for 13 sacks. It’s not just about sacking Mayfield; it’s about whether the Bulldogs can keep him from making plays down field when he scrambles. PLAYERS TO WATCH >> Georgia: RBs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. The seniors rank second and third in Georgia history in career yards rushing, trailing only the great Herschel Walker. Chubb is the power back at 225 pounds. He ran for 1,175 yards and averaged 6.2 yards per carry this season. Michel averages 7.2 yards per carry, and needs 52 yards rushing to give Georgia two 1,000-yard rushers in a season for the first time.
Oklahoma: LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. The senior was a second-team All-American and the Big 12 co-defensive player of the year. Obo had eight sacks among 17.5 tackles for loss and forced three fumbles. Okoronkwo and fellow LB Caleb Kelly are big playmakers on a Sooners defense that has had its struggles and ranks 70th in the nation in yards per play allowed (5.66).