2016-17 bowl results
New Mexico 23-20 over Texas-San Antonio (-9.5, under 54.5)
San Diego State 34-10 over Houston (+5, under 51)
Appalachian State 31-28 over Toledo (-1, under 60.5)
Arkansas State 31-13 over Central Florida (+3.5, under 51)
Southern Mississippi 28-21 over UL-Lafayette (-6, under 56.5)
Tulsa 55-10 over Central Michigan (-12.5, under 66)
Western Kentucky 51-31 over Memphis (-6.5, over 79.5)
BYU 24-21 over Wyoming (-9.5, under 56)
Idaho 61-50 over Colorado State (+16, over 64.5)
Old Dominion 24-20 over Eastern Michigan (-5.5, under 63.5)
Troy 28-23 over Ohio U (-6, over 49)
Louisiana Tech 48-45 over Navy (-6.5, over 68)
Hawai’i 52-35 over Middle Tennessee (+7.5, over 70)
Mississippi State 17-16 over Miami OH (-14.5, under 58)
NC State 41-17 over Vanderbilt (-6, over 46)
Boston College 36-30 over Maryland (+1, over 44)
Army 38-31 OT over North Texas (-10.5, over 48)
Wake Forest 34-26 over Temple (+10.5, over 41.5)
Minnesota 17-12 over Washington State (+9, under 61)
Baylor 31-12 over Boise State (+7.5, under 71)
Northwestern 31-24 over Pittsburgh (+4, under 65)
Utah 26-24 over Indiana (-4, under 54.5)
Miami 31-14 over West Virginia (-3, under 58)
Kansas State 33-28 over Texas A&M (+4, over 56.5)
South Florida 46-39 OT over South Carolina (-10.5, over 58.5)
Virginia Tech 35-24 over Arkansas (-7.5, under 61.5)
Oklahoma State 38-8 over Colorado (+3, under 65)
Georgia 31-23 over TCU (+3, over 49)
Stanford 25-23 over North Carolina (-2.5, under 55)
Tennessee 38-24 over Nebraska (-9.5, over 59.5)
Air Force 45-21 over South Alabama (-15, over 54)
Florida State 33-32 over Michigan (+7, over 49.5)
LSU 29-9 over Louisville (-3, under 59.5)
Georgia Tech 33-18 over Kentucky (-3, under 62.5)
Alabama 24-7 over Washington (-13.5, under 52)
Clemson 31-0 over Ohio State (+3, under 56.5)
Florida 30-3 over Iowa (-1.5, under 40.5)
Wisconsin 24-16 over Western Michigan (-8, under 54)
USC 52-49 over Penn State (-7, over 60)
Oklahoma 35-19 over Auburn (-2.5, under 66.5)
Favorites: 15-24-1
Over: 16-24
AAC: 2-4SU, 1-4F, 0-1U, 1-5 vs spread
ACC: 8-3SU, 4-1F, 5-1U, 9-2 vs spread
Big 14: 3-7SU, 0-3-1F, 4-2U, 4-5-1 vs spread
Big X: 4-2SU, 1-1F, 3-1U, 4-2 vs spread
C-USA: 4-2SU, 2-3F, 1-0U, 3-3 vs spread
MAC: 0-6SU, 3-2-1U, 3-2-1 vs spread
MW: 4-3SU, 1-3F, 3-0U, 4-3 vs spread
Pac-12: 3-3SU, 0-5F, 0-1U, 0-6 vs spread
SEC: 6-6SU, 4-2F, 2-4U, 6-6 vs spread
Sun Belt: 3-4SU, 1-1F, 3-2U, 4-3 vs spread
New Mexico 23-20 over Texas-San Antonio (-9.5, under 54.5)
San Diego State 34-10 over Houston (+5, under 51)
Appalachian State 31-28 over Toledo (-1, under 60.5)
Arkansas State 31-13 over Central Florida (+3.5, under 51)
Southern Mississippi 28-21 over UL-Lafayette (-6, under 56.5)
Tulsa 55-10 over Central Michigan (-12.5, under 66)
Western Kentucky 51-31 over Memphis (-6.5, over 79.5)
BYU 24-21 over Wyoming (-9.5, under 56)
Idaho 61-50 over Colorado State (+16, over 64.5)
Old Dominion 24-20 over Eastern Michigan (-5.5, under 63.5)
Troy 28-23 over Ohio U (-6, over 49)
Louisiana Tech 48-45 over Navy (-6.5, over 68)
Hawai’i 52-35 over Middle Tennessee (+7.5, over 70)
Mississippi State 17-16 over Miami OH (-14.5, under 58)
NC State 41-17 over Vanderbilt (-6, over 46)
Boston College 36-30 over Maryland (+1, over 44)
Army 38-31 OT over North Texas (-10.5, over 48)
Wake Forest 34-26 over Temple (+10.5, over 41.5)
Minnesota 17-12 over Washington State (+9, under 61)
Baylor 31-12 over Boise State (+7.5, under 71)
Northwestern 31-24 over Pittsburgh (+4, under 65)
Utah 26-24 over Indiana (-4, under 54.5)
Miami 31-14 over West Virginia (-3, under 58)
Kansas State 33-28 over Texas A&M (+4, over 56.5)
South Florida 46-39 OT over South Carolina (-10.5, over 58.5)
Virginia Tech 35-24 over Arkansas (-7.5, under 61.5)
Oklahoma State 38-8 over Colorado (+3, under 65)
Georgia 31-23 over TCU (+3, over 49)
Stanford 25-23 over North Carolina (-2.5, under 55)
Tennessee 38-24 over Nebraska (-9.5, over 59.5)
Air Force 45-21 over South Alabama (-15, over 54)
Florida State 33-32 over Michigan (+7, over 49.5)
LSU 29-9 over Louisville (-3, under 59.5)
Georgia Tech 33-18 over Kentucky (-3, under 62.5)
Alabama 24-7 over Washington (-13.5, under 52)
Clemson 31-0 over Ohio State (+3, under 56.5)
Florida 30-3 over Iowa (-1.5, under 40.5)
Wisconsin 24-16 over Western Michigan (-8, under 54)
USC 52-49 over Penn State (-7, over 60)
Oklahoma 35-19 over Auburn (-2.5, under 66.5)
Favorites: 15-24-1
Over: 16-24
AAC: 2-4SU, 1-4F, 0-1U, 1-5 vs spread
ACC: 8-3SU, 4-1F, 5-1U, 9-2 vs spread
Big 14: 3-7SU, 0-3-1F, 4-2U, 4-5-1 vs spread
Big X: 4-2SU, 1-1F, 3-1U, 4-2 vs spread
C-USA: 4-2SU, 2-3F, 1-0U, 3-3 vs spread
MAC: 0-6SU, 3-2-1U, 3-2-1 vs spread
MW: 4-3SU, 1-3F, 3-0U, 4-3 vs spread
Pac-12: 3-3SU, 0-5F, 0-1U, 0-6 vs spread
SEC: 6-6SU, 4-2F, 2-4U, 6-6 vs spread
Sun Belt: 3-4SU, 1-1F, 3-2U, 4-3 vs spread
Tuesday’s 6-pack
— Florida 30, Iowa 3— Hawkeyes lost their fifth bowl in a row, last three by an average score of 40-16.
— Wisconsin 24, Western Michigan 16— Broncos hung in there, but lost for first time.
— Portland State’s basketball team was 4-21 on the foul line in a game over the weekend- they lost 73-59 to Northern Colorado. Kids should be able to shoot 4-21 if they’re drunk.
— Average exit velocity on a major league home run last year was 103.4 mph.
— Out of 2,430 major league baseball games LY, seven ended on a bases-loaded walk.
— A 32-year-old Starbucks barista named Damon won more than $900,000 in the Westgate SuperContest, the most prestigious football handicapping contest in the world. He went 54-28-3 with his weekly picks. Life-changing money; good for him.
Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……..
13) USC 52, Penn State 49— Tremendous game; Penn State scored TDs on seven straight possessions….and lost!!!! Sam Darnold is Trojans’ freshman QB who will be very wealthy in a couple years. Looks a little like Andy Dalton, plays a little like Drew Brees.
12) Mike Krzyzewski is having a back operation Friday, will take a leave of absence from his job as Duke’s basketball coach. This happened once before, in 1996 and it didn’t go well- Blue Devils went 13-18 that year and Pete Gaudet, the interim coach then, wound up teaching phys ed at an Ohio college.
Jeff Capel will be the interim coach now; he was the best player on that ’96 Duke team. He’s been the head coach at VCU/Oklahoma, so he is capable, but very big shoes to fill.
11) Couple of other Duke-related issues:
a) When does Grayson Allen come back? I said all along he would be back for the Florida State game on January 10; maybe he comes back on Saturday when Capel coaches his first game.
b) Every Duke assistant coach is a former Duke player; this is a bad idea- they need an older guy who Coach K can trust to give him honest input. A former player is less likely to disagree with his boss. Joe Paterno needed someone like that at Penn State, to avoid the situation he wound up in.
10) I met a guy in Las Vegas who owns a home in Laguna Beach, CA, where the chairman of the home planning board is Eve Plumb, better known as Jan from the Brady Bunch. This guy was at odds with Ms Plumb for most of the last year over his house being remodeled. At odds to the point that she accused him of stalking/terrorizing her. Fun times.
I had no idea you needed approval to remodel your home, but still, it must be nice to live near a beach.
9) Lane Kiffin is out as OC at Alabama; he won’t be at the national title game. Nick Saban is a control freak and apparently Kiffin’s act became a bit too dramatic, so he was told to take a hike. Steve Sarkisian will be the Alabama OC. Clemson has to be a live underdog, right?
8) This week I heard a college basketball analyst say, “He isn’t a real high percentage shooter” which is a nice way of saying, “Damn he is a lousy shooter.”
7) There are 40 bowl games that are jammed with Chik-fil-A commercials; least they could do if they show all these commercials is to put a Chik-fil-A in the Albany area, right?
6) There were two twins born in San Diego late Saturday night; one was born at 11:56pm, the other at midnight, meaning there are twin girls who were born in different years. Unusual.
5) Do people still use pencils? I saw a pencil in a movie the other night; had forgotten about them.
4) When I see NBA players taking nights off to “rest” I think of this: John Stockton played all 82 games in 17 of his 19 NBA seasons. Players are becoming more babyfied (is that a word?) these days. Kids in AAU play 2-3 games a day, it isn’t that hard to play 82 games in 162 days.
3) Tyreke Hill has been a huge steal for the KC Chiefs, a 5th-round pick who has been dynamic as hell as a WR/returner. Why did he slip in the draft? He had domestic violence issues while at Oklahoma State, so teams laid off drafting him. Whoops.
You’re going to see kids in Hill’s shoes get drafted higher this April, because teams have to be kicking themselves for passing on Hill.
You lose you get fired and no one gives you bonus points if you passed on drafting a kid because he got into a fight with his girlfriend. It is a cut-throat business where you have to win to keep your job and talented players help you win.
2) Pet Peeve #1 of 2017: Red zone efficiency in football. Instead of TD %age, it is something that needs to be measured by points per possession.
Say Team A has three trips to red zone and kicks three FGs, that is 0%, but nine points.
Team B scores one TD, goes for 2 and makes it; they also lose two fumbles in red zone.
Team B has a 33% TD rate in red zone but only 2.67 pts/possession. Team A has 0% but 3.00 ppp. Points per possession is a more accurate measure of efficiency.
1) Over last three years in NFL Wild Card round, road team is 8-4 SU, 5-1 in games involving the #’s 3-6 seeds.
— Florida 30, Iowa 3— Hawkeyes lost their fifth bowl in a row, last three by an average score of 40-16.
— Wisconsin 24, Western Michigan 16— Broncos hung in there, but lost for first time.
— Portland State’s basketball team was 4-21 on the foul line in a game over the weekend- they lost 73-59 to Northern Colorado. Kids should be able to shoot 4-21 if they’re drunk.
— Average exit velocity on a major league home run last year was 103.4 mph.
— Out of 2,430 major league baseball games LY, seven ended on a bases-loaded walk.
— A 32-year-old Starbucks barista named Damon won more than $900,000 in the Westgate SuperContest, the most prestigious football handicapping contest in the world. He went 54-28-3 with his weekly picks. Life-changing money; good for him.
Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……..
13) USC 52, Penn State 49— Tremendous game; Penn State scored TDs on seven straight possessions….and lost!!!! Sam Darnold is Trojans’ freshman QB who will be very wealthy in a couple years. Looks a little like Andy Dalton, plays a little like Drew Brees.
12) Mike Krzyzewski is having a back operation Friday, will take a leave of absence from his job as Duke’s basketball coach. This happened once before, in 1996 and it didn’t go well- Blue Devils went 13-18 that year and Pete Gaudet, the interim coach then, wound up teaching phys ed at an Ohio college.
Jeff Capel will be the interim coach now; he was the best player on that ’96 Duke team. He’s been the head coach at VCU/Oklahoma, so he is capable, but very big shoes to fill.
11) Couple of other Duke-related issues:
a) When does Grayson Allen come back? I said all along he would be back for the Florida State game on January 10; maybe he comes back on Saturday when Capel coaches his first game.
b) Every Duke assistant coach is a former Duke player; this is a bad idea- they need an older guy who Coach K can trust to give him honest input. A former player is less likely to disagree with his boss. Joe Paterno needed someone like that at Penn State, to avoid the situation he wound up in.
10) I met a guy in Las Vegas who owns a home in Laguna Beach, CA, where the chairman of the home planning board is Eve Plumb, better known as Jan from the Brady Bunch. This guy was at odds with Ms Plumb for most of the last year over his house being remodeled. At odds to the point that she accused him of stalking/terrorizing her. Fun times.
I had no idea you needed approval to remodel your home, but still, it must be nice to live near a beach.
9) Lane Kiffin is out as OC at Alabama; he won’t be at the national title game. Nick Saban is a control freak and apparently Kiffin’s act became a bit too dramatic, so he was told to take a hike. Steve Sarkisian will be the Alabama OC. Clemson has to be a live underdog, right?
8) This week I heard a college basketball analyst say, “He isn’t a real high percentage shooter” which is a nice way of saying, “Damn he is a lousy shooter.”
7) There are 40 bowl games that are jammed with Chik-fil-A commercials; least they could do if they show all these commercials is to put a Chik-fil-A in the Albany area, right?
6) There were two twins born in San Diego late Saturday night; one was born at 11:56pm, the other at midnight, meaning there are twin girls who were born in different years. Unusual.
5) Do people still use pencils? I saw a pencil in a movie the other night; had forgotten about them.
4) When I see NBA players taking nights off to “rest” I think of this: John Stockton played all 82 games in 17 of his 19 NBA seasons. Players are becoming more babyfied (is that a word?) these days. Kids in AAU play 2-3 games a day, it isn’t that hard to play 82 games in 162 days.
3) Tyreke Hill has been a huge steal for the KC Chiefs, a 5th-round pick who has been dynamic as hell as a WR/returner. Why did he slip in the draft? He had domestic violence issues while at Oklahoma State, so teams laid off drafting him. Whoops.
You’re going to see kids in Hill’s shoes get drafted higher this April, because teams have to be kicking themselves for passing on Hill.
You lose you get fired and no one gives you bonus points if you passed on drafting a kid because he got into a fight with his girlfriend. It is a cut-throat business where you have to win to keep your job and talented players help you win.
2) Pet Peeve #1 of 2017: Red zone efficiency in football. Instead of TD %age, it is something that needs to be measured by points per possession.
Say Team A has three trips to red zone and kicks three FGs, that is 0%, but nine points.
Team B scores one TD, goes for 2 and makes it; they also lose two fumbles in red zone.
Team B has a 33% TD rate in red zone but only 2.67 pts/possession. Team A has 0% but 3.00 ppp. Points per possession is a more accurate measure of efficiency.
1) Over last three years in NFL Wild Card round, road team is 8-4 SU, 5-1 in games involving the #’s 3-6 seeds.
2016 Bowl Record:
DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD
01/02/2017 3-2-1 60.00% +400
12/31/2016 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
12/30/2016 5-5-0 50.00% -250
12/29/2016 5-1-0 83.33% +1950
12/28/2016 6-2-0 75.00% +1900
12/27/2016 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
12/26/2016 2-4-0 33.33% -1200
12/24/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
12/23/2016 2-3-1 40.00% -650
12/22/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000
12/20/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
12/19/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000
12/17/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800
DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD
01/02/2017 3-2-1 60.00% +400
12/31/2016 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
12/30/2016 5-5-0 50.00% -250
12/29/2016 5-1-0 83.33% +1950
12/28/2016 6-2-0 75.00% +1900
12/27/2016 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
12/26/2016 2-4-0 33.33% -1200
12/24/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
12/23/2016 2-3-1 40.00% -650
12/22/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000
12/20/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
12/19/2016 2-0-0 100.00% +1000
12/17/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800
Get ready for a blockbuster in Tampa
December 31, 2016
Get ready for a blockbuster sequel.
It's Alabama vs. Clemson, The Rematch.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide will take on the No. 3 Tigers in a do-over of last season's national championship game, a 45-40 thriller won by Alabama.
If the Jan. 9 matchup in Tampa comes anywhere close to that classic in the desert, it will more than make up for two semifinal duds on Saturday.
Alabama (14-0) wore down No. 4 Washington for a 24-7 victory in the Peach Bowl, while Clemson dominated No. 2 Ohio State 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl, handing Urban Meyer the first shutout of his coaching career.
The Tide opened as a touchdown favorite .
''They are who they are because they're the best, they're the standard,'' Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. ''We're excited. If you're ever going to be the best, you've to beat them. It's going to be an unbelievable game. I'm glad we've got a shot. That's all we can ask for.''
Alabama will be going for its fifth national championship in eight seasons, a run that already has stamped it as one of the greatest dynasties in college football history.
If coach Nick Saban claims another title, he will join Bear Bryant as the only coaches to win six titles in the poll era.
Clemson (13-1) will be going for the second national title in school history, having come up just short a year ago.
The Tigers wanted another shot at Alabama all along.
''Of course,'' said Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, who turned in a virtuoso performance in the Fiesta Bowl, much like he did in last year's title game. ''They're the best of the best. You've got to earn it.''
Alabama has been dominant all year long, surviving a close call at Ole Miss early in the season but winning every other game by double-figure margins.
The Tide went old school on Washington, wearing down the Huskies with its stifling defense and a powerful running game, overcoming an off day for freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Bo Scarbrough , a second-string running back who has come on strong late in the season, rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the Peach Bowl. He figures to play a big role in the championship game.
''We've been playing him more and more, and he has certainly delivered in a really positive way,'' Saban said. ''Whoever's hot, that's who's going to get the ball. He's been hot lately and he's going to get the ball.''
But everything at Alabama starts with the defense. The Tide leads the nation in most major categories and has even helped out the offense by scoring 11 touchdowns, including Ryan Anderson's interception return for a score just before halftime in the Peach Bowl, putting his team firmly in control against the Huskies.
''They can get in a quarterback's head,'' said Washington quarterback Jake Browning, who threw two interceptions and was sacked five times.
Clemson endured an up-and-down year that included close victories over Troy and North Carolina State, and a shocking loss at home to Pittsburgh.
But the Tigers, led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Watson, are playing their best when it matters most.
The victory over Ohio State was dominant in every way.
''That's our best four quarters of the year,'' Swinney said. ''We were at our best on the biggest stage.''
Well, not quite the biggest.
The next game is the one Clemson has been aiming for since the Tigers walked off the same field in Arizona having come up just short against Alabama.
''It's gonna be a heck of a ballgame down in Tampa,'' Swinney said. ''Let's get it on.''
December 31, 2016
Get ready for a blockbuster sequel.
It's Alabama vs. Clemson, The Rematch.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide will take on the No. 3 Tigers in a do-over of last season's national championship game, a 45-40 thriller won by Alabama.
If the Jan. 9 matchup in Tampa comes anywhere close to that classic in the desert, it will more than make up for two semifinal duds on Saturday.
Alabama (14-0) wore down No. 4 Washington for a 24-7 victory in the Peach Bowl, while Clemson dominated No. 2 Ohio State 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl, handing Urban Meyer the first shutout of his coaching career.
The Tide opened as a touchdown favorite .
''They are who they are because they're the best, they're the standard,'' Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. ''We're excited. If you're ever going to be the best, you've to beat them. It's going to be an unbelievable game. I'm glad we've got a shot. That's all we can ask for.''
Alabama will be going for its fifth national championship in eight seasons, a run that already has stamped it as one of the greatest dynasties in college football history.
If coach Nick Saban claims another title, he will join Bear Bryant as the only coaches to win six titles in the poll era.
Clemson (13-1) will be going for the second national title in school history, having come up just short a year ago.
The Tigers wanted another shot at Alabama all along.
''Of course,'' said Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, who turned in a virtuoso performance in the Fiesta Bowl, much like he did in last year's title game. ''They're the best of the best. You've got to earn it.''
Alabama has been dominant all year long, surviving a close call at Ole Miss early in the season but winning every other game by double-figure margins.
The Tide went old school on Washington, wearing down the Huskies with its stifling defense and a powerful running game, overcoming an off day for freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Bo Scarbrough , a second-string running back who has come on strong late in the season, rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the Peach Bowl. He figures to play a big role in the championship game.
''We've been playing him more and more, and he has certainly delivered in a really positive way,'' Saban said. ''Whoever's hot, that's who's going to get the ball. He's been hot lately and he's going to get the ball.''
But everything at Alabama starts with the defense. The Tide leads the nation in most major categories and has even helped out the offense by scoring 11 touchdowns, including Ryan Anderson's interception return for a score just before halftime in the Peach Bowl, putting his team firmly in control against the Huskies.
''They can get in a quarterback's head,'' said Washington quarterback Jake Browning, who threw two interceptions and was sacked five times.
Clemson endured an up-and-down year that included close victories over Troy and North Carolina State, and a shocking loss at home to Pittsburgh.
But the Tigers, led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Watson, are playing their best when it matters most.
The victory over Ohio State was dominant in every way.
''That's our best four quarters of the year,'' Swinney said. ''We were at our best on the biggest stage.''
Well, not quite the biggest.
The next game is the one Clemson has been aiming for since the Tigers walked off the same field in Arizona having come up just short against Alabama.
''It's gonna be a heck of a ballgame down in Tampa,'' Swinney said. ''Let's get it on.''
Swinney: Clemson has 'more juice'
January 3, 2017
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) No long stretches of games. More depth on defense. All in all, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney believes he has a fresher, steadier group heading into this year's national championship game with No. 1 Alabama.
Swinney said his Tigers were impacted in 2015 by 10 consecutive weeks of grueling football from late September until the Atlantic Coast Conference title game in early December. On top of that, Swinney's defense was chock full of front line stars, yet had little experienced depth behind them.
That's not the case this time around, at least not in Swinney's eyes when No. 3 Clemson (13-1) looks to take down the Crimson Tide (14-0) on Monday night in Tampa, Florida.
''I feel like we have more juice'' than when the Tigers faced Alabama a season ago, Swinney said Tuesday.
Clemson's certainly playing with more confidence.
The Tigers turned an expected tight game with No. 2 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl into a 31-0 runaway , the third shutout of the season for a defense that lost six starters with college eligibility left to the NFL draft.
''We were top heavy, especially defensively. We were one deep on the line and that took a toll on us,'' Swinney said. ''The biggest difference in our team was we kind of had more competitive depth. We were going to have more guys functionally ready to play winning football.''
That's apparent on the defensive line where Clemson has lost seven starters over the last two years, yet is permitting just 123 yards rushing per game this season.
Younger players like defensive end Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant and Albert Huggins spent last season finding their way and getting little playing time behind dominant starters Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd, both high round NFL draft picks who were one-two nationally in tackles for loss.
The work paid off this season when Ferrell led a strong group that knew it couldn't be the ones who let Clemson's tradition defensive excellence - the Tigers have finished in the top 10 nationally on defense each of the past three seasons - falter with them.
The line was boosted by five-star freshman Dexter Lawrence, a nimble 340-pounder who controls the middle and allows the rest of Clemson's defenders to harass quarterbacks and take down tailbacks. Defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, a senior, led the Tigers with 10 1-2 sacks after getting just 3 1-2 his first three seasons.
''We couldn't let the moment get too big for us,'' said Ferrell, who had three tackles behind the line in the Ohio State rout.
Next up is a much bigger moment against Alabama, which outlasted the Tigers 45-40 in last year's national championship game.
Clemson's defense gave up just 138 yards rushing to Alabama last year, but Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry ran for three scores including a 50-yard TD for the Crimson Tide's opening score.
More crushing were the 53 and 51 yard touchdown passes from Jake Coker to tight end O.J. Howard that stung Clemson's secondary, a unit that had three of last year's four starters selected in the 2016 NFL draft.
Swinney said the names might not be as familiar to fans, but this year's players are just as effective. They are also infused with the belief they deserve to match up with Alabama for the game's top prize.
''The biggest thing from last year is that they know they belong,'' Swinney said. ''They know they're good enough.''
January 3, 2017
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) No long stretches of games. More depth on defense. All in all, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney believes he has a fresher, steadier group heading into this year's national championship game with No. 1 Alabama.
Swinney said his Tigers were impacted in 2015 by 10 consecutive weeks of grueling football from late September until the Atlantic Coast Conference title game in early December. On top of that, Swinney's defense was chock full of front line stars, yet had little experienced depth behind them.
That's not the case this time around, at least not in Swinney's eyes when No. 3 Clemson (13-1) looks to take down the Crimson Tide (14-0) on Monday night in Tampa, Florida.
''I feel like we have more juice'' than when the Tigers faced Alabama a season ago, Swinney said Tuesday.
Clemson's certainly playing with more confidence.
The Tigers turned an expected tight game with No. 2 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl into a 31-0 runaway , the third shutout of the season for a defense that lost six starters with college eligibility left to the NFL draft.
''We were top heavy, especially defensively. We were one deep on the line and that took a toll on us,'' Swinney said. ''The biggest difference in our team was we kind of had more competitive depth. We were going to have more guys functionally ready to play winning football.''
That's apparent on the defensive line where Clemson has lost seven starters over the last two years, yet is permitting just 123 yards rushing per game this season.
Younger players like defensive end Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant and Albert Huggins spent last season finding their way and getting little playing time behind dominant starters Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd, both high round NFL draft picks who were one-two nationally in tackles for loss.
The work paid off this season when Ferrell led a strong group that knew it couldn't be the ones who let Clemson's tradition defensive excellence - the Tigers have finished in the top 10 nationally on defense each of the past three seasons - falter with them.
The line was boosted by five-star freshman Dexter Lawrence, a nimble 340-pounder who controls the middle and allows the rest of Clemson's defenders to harass quarterbacks and take down tailbacks. Defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, a senior, led the Tigers with 10 1-2 sacks after getting just 3 1-2 his first three seasons.
''We couldn't let the moment get too big for us,'' said Ferrell, who had three tackles behind the line in the Ohio State rout.
Next up is a much bigger moment against Alabama, which outlasted the Tigers 45-40 in last year's national championship game.
Clemson's defense gave up just 138 yards rushing to Alabama last year, but Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry ran for three scores including a 50-yard TD for the Crimson Tide's opening score.
More crushing were the 53 and 51 yard touchdown passes from Jake Coker to tight end O.J. Howard that stung Clemson's secondary, a unit that had three of last year's four starters selected in the 2016 NFL draft.
Swinney said the names might not be as familiar to fans, but this year's players are just as effective. They are also infused with the belief they deserve to match up with Alabama for the game's top prize.
''The biggest thing from last year is that they know they belong,'' Swinney said. ''They know they're good enough.''
NCAAF
Long Sheet
National Championship
Monday, January 9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLEMSON (13 - 1) vs. ALABAMA (14 - 0) - 1/9/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ALABAMA is 66-45 ATS (+16.5 Units) in road games in games played on a grass field since 1992.
ALABAMA is 54-28 ATS (+23.2 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.
ALABAMA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEMSON is 31-14 ATS (+15.6 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.
CLEMSON is 59-35 ATS (+20.5 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
Head-to-Head Series History
CLEMSON is 1-0 against the spread versus ALABAMA over the last 3 seasons
ALABAMA is 1-0 straight up against CLEMSON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAAF
Short Sheet
National Championship
Mon – Jan. 9
Clemson at Alabama, 8:00 PM ET
Clemson: 5-20 ATS after allowing 125 or less rushing yards in 4 straight games
Clemson: 13-28 ATS after allowing 125 or less rushing yards in 3 straight games
Alabama: 7-1 ATS after outrushing opponent by 150 or more yards last game
Alabama: 10-2 ATS after allowing 225 or less total yards in their previous game
Clemson: 8-1 OVER in road games after 4 or more consecutive straight up wins
Alabama: 19-6 OVER as a neutral field favorite
Alabama: 22-10 OVER in road games after having won 8 or more out of their last 10 games
Alabama: 29-13 OVER in road games after allowing 100 or less rushing yards in 2 straight games
NCAAF
National Championship
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, January 9
8:00 PM
CLEMSON vs. ALABAMA
Clemson is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Clemson's last 5 games
Alabama is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Alabama's last 7 games
Long Sheet
National Championship
Monday, January 9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLEMSON (13 - 1) vs. ALABAMA (14 - 0) - 1/9/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ALABAMA is 66-45 ATS (+16.5 Units) in road games in games played on a grass field since 1992.
ALABAMA is 54-28 ATS (+23.2 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.
ALABAMA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEMSON is 31-14 ATS (+15.6 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.
CLEMSON is 59-35 ATS (+20.5 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
Head-to-Head Series History
CLEMSON is 1-0 against the spread versus ALABAMA over the last 3 seasons
ALABAMA is 1-0 straight up against CLEMSON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAAF
Short Sheet
National Championship
Mon – Jan. 9
Clemson at Alabama, 8:00 PM ET
Clemson: 5-20 ATS after allowing 125 or less rushing yards in 4 straight games
Clemson: 13-28 ATS after allowing 125 or less rushing yards in 3 straight games
Alabama: 7-1 ATS after outrushing opponent by 150 or more yards last game
Alabama: 10-2 ATS after allowing 225 or less total yards in their previous game
Clemson: 8-1 OVER in road games after 4 or more consecutive straight up wins
Alabama: 19-6 OVER as a neutral field favorite
Alabama: 22-10 OVER in road games after having won 8 or more out of their last 10 games
Alabama: 29-13 OVER in road games after allowing 100 or less rushing yards in 2 straight games
NCAAF
National Championship
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, January 9
8:00 PM
CLEMSON vs. ALABAMA
Clemson is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Clemson's last 5 games
Alabama is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Alabama's last 7 games
NCAAF
Dunkel
National Championship
Monday, January 9
Clemson @ Alabama
Game 151-152
January 9, 2017 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Clemson
115.711
Alabama
120.311
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Alabama
by 4 1/2
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Alabama
by 7
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Clemson
(+7); Over
-----------------------------
NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up
Monday, January 9
National title game, Tampa: Clemson-Alabama
Alabama is 14-0 this season; they covered seven of last eight games, with only win all year by less than 10 points 48-43 at Ole Miss on Sept 12. Sarkisian replaces Kiffin as OC, not sure if that has any effect at all. Clemson outgained Alabama 550-473 in 45-40 loss to Crimson Tide in national title game LY; Watson threw for 405 yards in a losing cause. Tigers lost 43-42 at home to Pitt on Nov 12, then scored 41 pts/game in winning its four games since- they covered only game as an underdog this year, beating Louisville 42-36. Crimson Tide is 3-2 in last five bowls, scoring 31+ points in all five games- Crimson Tide covered last seven I-A games; they beat LSU 10-0 in only game with single digit spread this year. Bama has a freshman QB, but they do well no matter who QB is. Clemson is 2-2 this year in games with a single digit spread. Over is 3-1-1 in last five Clemson games, 2-4 in last six Alabama games.
Dunkel
National Championship
Monday, January 9
Clemson @ Alabama
Game 151-152
January 9, 2017 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Clemson
115.711
Alabama
120.311
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Alabama
by 4 1/2
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Alabama
by 7
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Clemson
(+7); Over
-----------------------------
NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up
Monday, January 9
National title game, Tampa: Clemson-Alabama
Alabama is 14-0 this season; they covered seven of last eight games, with only win all year by less than 10 points 48-43 at Ole Miss on Sept 12. Sarkisian replaces Kiffin as OC, not sure if that has any effect at all. Clemson outgained Alabama 550-473 in 45-40 loss to Crimson Tide in national title game LY; Watson threw for 405 yards in a losing cause. Tigers lost 43-42 at home to Pitt on Nov 12, then scored 41 pts/game in winning its four games since- they covered only game as an underdog this year, beating Louisville 42-36. Crimson Tide is 3-2 in last five bowls, scoring 31+ points in all five games- Crimson Tide covered last seven I-A games; they beat LSU 10-0 in only game with single digit spread this year. Bama has a freshman QB, but they do well no matter who QB is. Clemson is 2-2 this year in games with a single digit spread. Over is 3-1-1 in last five Clemson games, 2-4 in last six Alabama games.
NCAAF
Monday, January 9
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
College Football National Championship betting preview: Clemson vs. Alabama
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Can Clemson get its revenge against Alabama when they meet in the national title game for the second straight year. Clemson is currently a 6.5-point underdog.
No. 2 Clemson Tigers vs No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-6.5, 50.5)
Game to be played at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
Top-seeded Alabama looks to claim its fifth national title in 10 seasons under Nick Saban when it battles second-seeded Clemson in Monday's College Football Playoff championship contest at Tampa, Fla. It is a rematch of last season's title game in which the Crimson Tide prevailed 45-40 despite a huge game by Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (405 yards passing, 73 rushing). Alabama is attempting to record its 27th consecutive victory while Clemson is pursuing its second national title and first since 1981.
Watson passed for 259 yards and one touchdown while adding two rushing scores in Clemson's 31-0 rout of Ohio State in the semifinals, and he has a major advantage in experience over counterpart Jalen Hurts. Watson, who finished second in this season's Heisman Trophy balloting and third in 2015, has passed for 4,173 yards and 38 touchdowns this campaign but also is prone to miscues, as evidenced by his 17 interceptions. Hurts has accounted for 34 scores (22 passing, 12 rushing) and is aiming to join Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway (1985) as the only true freshman quarterbacks to lead a team to a national title, but he passed for only 57 yards in the Crimson Tide's 24-7 semifinal victory over Washington.
Alabama made the odd move of separating itself from offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin after the win over Washington, as the new Florida Atlantic coach became a distraction while attempting to juggle two jobs. Saban was highly disappointed with the offensive showing against the Huskies and promoted offensive analyst Steve Sarkisian to offensive coordinator, insisting it will be a smooth transition. "I just feel like I have to make decisions about what's best for the players to have the best chance of being successful," Saban told reporters. "You know, we made the decision and we're not talking about it anymore. We're moving forward. We're looking forward, and everybody is doing everything they can to support the people that are here now to make it work."
TV: 8:17 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE HISTORY: Alabama opened as 6-point favorites, that number wasn’t high enough for bettors and has been bet up a full point to 7. The total opened at 53 and has been slowly fading all week down to 50. Check out the complete line history here.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: A rematch from last year’s title game find the same spread only Alabama is the undefeated team this year, and Clemson the one-loss opponent. The Tide should feel confident knowing they are 44-5 SU as a No. 1 ranked team under Nick Saban, while the Tigers are a dazzling 5-0 ATS as bowl dogs versus SEC opponents. The question is can Alabama extend its all-time 13-0 school mark against Clemson, or do the Tigers avenge last year’s loss tonight?
WHAT BOOKS SAY: ""There hasn't been a lot of sharp money show up yet, but what has was early and on Alabama. The action is really starting to pick up and while most of the public has been on Clemson, we are starting seeing a good bit of Bama bets. Currently, more than 65 percent of the wagers are on Clemson but the money is almost even. The under is carrying 72 percent of the handle."
WEATHER REPORT: The weather is expected to be perfect for football Monday night in Tampa Bay with clear skies and temperatures in the mid-50’s at kick off.
INJURY REPORT:
Clemson - DE Richard Yeargin (Questionable, knee), WR Trevion Thompson (Questionable, wrist), CB Adrian Baker (Doubtful, knee), OT Jake Fruhmorgen (Doubtful, shoulder), OT Chandler Reeves (Out indefinitely, knee), WR Adrien Dunn (Out for season, knee), CB Brian Dawkins (Out indefinitely, knee).
Alabama - DL Dakota Ball (Out indefinitely, finger), LB Shaun Dion Hamilton (Out for season, knee), OL Josh Casher (Out for season, foot), OL Alphonse Taylor (Out indefinitely, concussion), RB B.J. Emmons (Out indefinitely, foot), DB Eddie Jackson (Out for season, leg).
ABOUT CLEMSON (13-1 SU, 7-7 ATS, 7-7 O/U): Watson threw three or more touchdown passes on seven occasions and topped 300 yards six times while fueling a powerful offense that averaged 39.5 points and scored over 40 seven times. Juniors Mike Williams (90 receptions, 1,267 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Artavis Scott (73 catches) form a potent one-two receiving combo while junior running back Wayne Gallman rushed for 1,087 yards and 16 scores. The Tigers' defense allows averages of 17.1 points and 306.9 yards per game but features weak-side linebacker Ben Boulware (team-best 121 tackles), defensive tackle Carlos Watkins (team-high 10.5 sacks) and strong safety Jadar Johnson (team-leading five interceptions) - all seniors.
ABOUT ALABAMA (14-0 SU, 10-4 ATS, 6-8 O/U): Bo Scarbrough is the squad's third-leading rusher (719 yards) behind fellow sophomore Damien Harris (1,013) and Hurts (891), but he'll play a major role after rushing for two touchdowns and a Crimson Tide bowl-record 180 yards against Washington. Clemson's defense certainly will be paying close attention to senior tight end O.J. Howard (41 catches, 489 yards, two touchdowns) after he made five catches for a career-best 208 yards and two TDs while winning Offensive MVP honors in last year's national title game. Senior defensive end Jonathan Allen (9.5 sacks, two fumble-return scores) won the Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defensive player and, along with sophomore strong safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (team-best six interceptions), is among the standouts for a unit that scored 11 defensive touchdowns (six interceptions, five fumbles) and leads the nation in both scoring defense (11.4 points per game) and total defense (244 yards).
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 bowl games.
* Tigers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games.
* Crimson Tide are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-1 in Tigers last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 4-0 in Crimson Tide last 4 games in January.
CONSENSUS: The public is backing Clemson with 60 percent of users taking the underdog Tigers. As for the total, Over is getting 60 percent of the action.
Monday, January 9
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
College Football National Championship betting preview: Clemson vs. Alabama
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can Clemson get its revenge against Alabama when they meet in the national title game for the second straight year. Clemson is currently a 6.5-point underdog.
No. 2 Clemson Tigers vs No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-6.5, 50.5)
Game to be played at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
Top-seeded Alabama looks to claim its fifth national title in 10 seasons under Nick Saban when it battles second-seeded Clemson in Monday's College Football Playoff championship contest at Tampa, Fla. It is a rematch of last season's title game in which the Crimson Tide prevailed 45-40 despite a huge game by Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (405 yards passing, 73 rushing). Alabama is attempting to record its 27th consecutive victory while Clemson is pursuing its second national title and first since 1981.
Watson passed for 259 yards and one touchdown while adding two rushing scores in Clemson's 31-0 rout of Ohio State in the semifinals, and he has a major advantage in experience over counterpart Jalen Hurts. Watson, who finished second in this season's Heisman Trophy balloting and third in 2015, has passed for 4,173 yards and 38 touchdowns this campaign but also is prone to miscues, as evidenced by his 17 interceptions. Hurts has accounted for 34 scores (22 passing, 12 rushing) and is aiming to join Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway (1985) as the only true freshman quarterbacks to lead a team to a national title, but he passed for only 57 yards in the Crimson Tide's 24-7 semifinal victory over Washington.
Alabama made the odd move of separating itself from offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin after the win over Washington, as the new Florida Atlantic coach became a distraction while attempting to juggle two jobs. Saban was highly disappointed with the offensive showing against the Huskies and promoted offensive analyst Steve Sarkisian to offensive coordinator, insisting it will be a smooth transition. "I just feel like I have to make decisions about what's best for the players to have the best chance of being successful," Saban told reporters. "You know, we made the decision and we're not talking about it anymore. We're moving forward. We're looking forward, and everybody is doing everything they can to support the people that are here now to make it work."
TV: 8:17 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE HISTORY: Alabama opened as 6-point favorites, that number wasn’t high enough for bettors and has been bet up a full point to 7. The total opened at 53 and has been slowly fading all week down to 50. Check out the complete line history here.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: A rematch from last year’s title game find the same spread only Alabama is the undefeated team this year, and Clemson the one-loss opponent. The Tide should feel confident knowing they are 44-5 SU as a No. 1 ranked team under Nick Saban, while the Tigers are a dazzling 5-0 ATS as bowl dogs versus SEC opponents. The question is can Alabama extend its all-time 13-0 school mark against Clemson, or do the Tigers avenge last year’s loss tonight?
WHAT BOOKS SAY: ""There hasn't been a lot of sharp money show up yet, but what has was early and on Alabama. The action is really starting to pick up and while most of the public has been on Clemson, we are starting seeing a good bit of Bama bets. Currently, more than 65 percent of the wagers are on Clemson but the money is almost even. The under is carrying 72 percent of the handle."
WEATHER REPORT: The weather is expected to be perfect for football Monday night in Tampa Bay with clear skies and temperatures in the mid-50’s at kick off.
INJURY REPORT:
Clemson - DE Richard Yeargin (Questionable, knee), WR Trevion Thompson (Questionable, wrist), CB Adrian Baker (Doubtful, knee), OT Jake Fruhmorgen (Doubtful, shoulder), OT Chandler Reeves (Out indefinitely, knee), WR Adrien Dunn (Out for season, knee), CB Brian Dawkins (Out indefinitely, knee).
Alabama - DL Dakota Ball (Out indefinitely, finger), LB Shaun Dion Hamilton (Out for season, knee), OL Josh Casher (Out for season, foot), OL Alphonse Taylor (Out indefinitely, concussion), RB B.J. Emmons (Out indefinitely, foot), DB Eddie Jackson (Out for season, leg).
ABOUT CLEMSON (13-1 SU, 7-7 ATS, 7-7 O/U): Watson threw three or more touchdown passes on seven occasions and topped 300 yards six times while fueling a powerful offense that averaged 39.5 points and scored over 40 seven times. Juniors Mike Williams (90 receptions, 1,267 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Artavis Scott (73 catches) form a potent one-two receiving combo while junior running back Wayne Gallman rushed for 1,087 yards and 16 scores. The Tigers' defense allows averages of 17.1 points and 306.9 yards per game but features weak-side linebacker Ben Boulware (team-best 121 tackles), defensive tackle Carlos Watkins (team-high 10.5 sacks) and strong safety Jadar Johnson (team-leading five interceptions) - all seniors.
ABOUT ALABAMA (14-0 SU, 10-4 ATS, 6-8 O/U): Bo Scarbrough is the squad's third-leading rusher (719 yards) behind fellow sophomore Damien Harris (1,013) and Hurts (891), but he'll play a major role after rushing for two touchdowns and a Crimson Tide bowl-record 180 yards against Washington. Clemson's defense certainly will be paying close attention to senior tight end O.J. Howard (41 catches, 489 yards, two touchdowns) after he made five catches for a career-best 208 yards and two TDs while winning Offensive MVP honors in last year's national title game. Senior defensive end Jonathan Allen (9.5 sacks, two fumble-return scores) won the Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defensive player and, along with sophomore strong safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (team-best six interceptions), is among the standouts for a unit that scored 11 defensive touchdowns (six interceptions, five fumbles) and leads the nation in both scoring defense (11.4 points per game) and total defense (244 yards).
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 bowl games.
* Tigers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games.
* Crimson Tide are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-1 in Tigers last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 4-0 in Crimson Tide last 4 games in January.
CONSENSUS: The public is backing Clemson with 60 percent of users taking the underdog Tigers. As for the total, Over is getting 60 percent of the action.
NCAAF National championship biggest betting mismatches
The Crimson Tide's relentless run defense should have a field day against Clemson's struggling run game.
Here are three mismatches bettors should consider heading into the 2017 national title game:
Tigers' turnover troubles vs. Crimson Tide's ball-hawking prowess
Clemson was a force on both sides of the football over the course of the season, and that was on full display in its 31-0 waxing of Ohio State in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day. The Tigers dominated the Buckeyes in total yards (470-215) and first downs (24-9) while holding Ohio State to just 3-of-16 on third and fourth downs. But Clemson did have two turnovers in the rout, and can't afford to be so careless in the national championship game.
The Tigers might have been elite in a number of areas this season, but turnover differential wasn't one of them. Clemson was an ordinary +1 in turnover margin for the season, and would have been dead even were it not for a 3-2 edge vs. Ohio State. Standout quarterback Deshaun Watson racked up 4,173 passing yards and 38 touchdowns, but finished second among FBS QBs in interceptions (17) and has thrown multiple picks in five different games this season.
That could spell serious trouble against a Crimson Tide defense that made life miserable for opponents all season long. Alabama finished tied for ninth in the FBS in turnovers forced at 27 - even with the Tigers - and had three in a 24-7 triumph over Washington in their national semifinal. In a game in which the Crimson Tide struggled to move the football - compiling just 326 total yards against the Huskies - those turnovers made the difference.
Yet, while Alabama and Clemson were even in forcing turnovers, the Crimson Tide took much better care of the football on offense, turning the ball over just 19 times. That +8 turnover differential was tied for the 17th-best rate in the FBS, and speaks to the success quarterback Jalen Hurts had at limiting mistakes; he had a minuscule nine interceptions on the season, and threw multiple picks just twice. If he can execute a similar game plan Monday, Alabama should win the turnover battle.
Clemson's penalty problems vs. Alabama's superior discipline
It isn't uncommon to see great teams succeed despite struggling with penalties - just look at the Oakland Raiders, who were far and away the most penalized team in the National Football League over the course of the regular season but still made the playoffs. Of course, you can get away with those sorts of things against inferior opponents, but more often than not, a lack of discipline against an elite opponent can spell disaster - and that's a major concern for Clemson on Monday night.
The Tigers struggled mightily with penalties during the season, racking up the 21st-most infractions in the nation (92) while ranking 90th in fewest penalty yards per contest (59.64). In its three games against ranked opponents during the season, it averaged 7.7 penalties for 69.3 yards; it won those three contests by a combined 16 points, mostly because its foes were even more undisciplined - averaging 10.7 penalties for 101.3 yards. In the loss to Pittsburgh, Clemson had nine penalties for 101 yards.
The Tigers might have escaped with wins over Louisville, Florida State and Virginia Tech thanks in large part to their opponents' penalty struggles, but they likely won't get away with that against the Crimson Tide. Alabama finished in the middle of the pack in total penalties (77), but those infractions were far less damaging - the Crimson Tide compiled just 578 penalty yards through their first 14 games, good for an average of 41.29 yards per contest - 15th-best in the FBS.
No stretch better epitomizes Alabama's elite discipline than the three-game span in which it faced national powers Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU from mid-October to early November. The Crimson Tide incurred just 18 penalties for a minuscule 111 yards, winning those three games by a combined score of 92-24. Few teams can maintain a high level of defense while avoiding flags like Alabama, which has a decided advantage if the game is decided by penalties.
Gallman's dismal December vs. Crimson Tide's relentless run D
No one can deny that Clemson running back Wayne Gallman was one of the catalysts for the Tigers' sensational season, compiling 1,087 yards on 218 carries while adding 16 touchdowns on the ground - tied for 15th-most in the nation. Gallman has five 100-yard efforts on the year, and comes into the national championship game having scored 11 times in his previous seven games. But recent history isn't in his favor, particularly with a brutal Alabama defense waiting for him in Tampa.
Gallman was far from his best in the regular-season finale at Virginia Tech, turning 17 carries into a modest 59 yards and a score. He couldn't get untracked against a solid Hokies defense, and was only slightly better against the Buckeyes, finishing with 85 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He averaged a ho-hum 4.1 yards in those two December games - and if you take out consecutive carries of 20 and 18 yards against Ohio State on the opening two plays of the fourth quarter, that average falls to 3.2.
Clemson is going to need their junior workhorse to be much more effective against the Crimson Tide - and that isn't going to be easy. Alabama is in a league of its own when it comes to rushing defense, leading the nation in opponent yards per carry (2.0) and yards per game (62.0). The Crimson Tide allowed just three rushing touchdowns all season; no other team surrendered fewer than five, and only nine other schools limited foes to double-digit scores.
How tall a task does Gallman face? His own co-offensive coordinator, Tony Elliott, believes all eleven Alabama starters on defense will wind up being taken in the NFL draft. The Crimson Tide D limited Gallman to 45 yards on 14 carries in last year's national title game, and is even better heading into the rematch. Watson should be able to cause havoc with his rushing ability, but unless Gallman can break a big one, he's likely going to be in for a long day.
The Crimson Tide's relentless run defense should have a field day against Clemson's struggling run game.
Here are three mismatches bettors should consider heading into the 2017 national title game:
Tigers' turnover troubles vs. Crimson Tide's ball-hawking prowess
Clemson was a force on both sides of the football over the course of the season, and that was on full display in its 31-0 waxing of Ohio State in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day. The Tigers dominated the Buckeyes in total yards (470-215) and first downs (24-9) while holding Ohio State to just 3-of-16 on third and fourth downs. But Clemson did have two turnovers in the rout, and can't afford to be so careless in the national championship game.
The Tigers might have been elite in a number of areas this season, but turnover differential wasn't one of them. Clemson was an ordinary +1 in turnover margin for the season, and would have been dead even were it not for a 3-2 edge vs. Ohio State. Standout quarterback Deshaun Watson racked up 4,173 passing yards and 38 touchdowns, but finished second among FBS QBs in interceptions (17) and has thrown multiple picks in five different games this season.
That could spell serious trouble against a Crimson Tide defense that made life miserable for opponents all season long. Alabama finished tied for ninth in the FBS in turnovers forced at 27 - even with the Tigers - and had three in a 24-7 triumph over Washington in their national semifinal. In a game in which the Crimson Tide struggled to move the football - compiling just 326 total yards against the Huskies - those turnovers made the difference.
Yet, while Alabama and Clemson were even in forcing turnovers, the Crimson Tide took much better care of the football on offense, turning the ball over just 19 times. That +8 turnover differential was tied for the 17th-best rate in the FBS, and speaks to the success quarterback Jalen Hurts had at limiting mistakes; he had a minuscule nine interceptions on the season, and threw multiple picks just twice. If he can execute a similar game plan Monday, Alabama should win the turnover battle.
Clemson's penalty problems vs. Alabama's superior discipline
It isn't uncommon to see great teams succeed despite struggling with penalties - just look at the Oakland Raiders, who were far and away the most penalized team in the National Football League over the course of the regular season but still made the playoffs. Of course, you can get away with those sorts of things against inferior opponents, but more often than not, a lack of discipline against an elite opponent can spell disaster - and that's a major concern for Clemson on Monday night.
The Tigers struggled mightily with penalties during the season, racking up the 21st-most infractions in the nation (92) while ranking 90th in fewest penalty yards per contest (59.64). In its three games against ranked opponents during the season, it averaged 7.7 penalties for 69.3 yards; it won those three contests by a combined 16 points, mostly because its foes were even more undisciplined - averaging 10.7 penalties for 101.3 yards. In the loss to Pittsburgh, Clemson had nine penalties for 101 yards.
The Tigers might have escaped with wins over Louisville, Florida State and Virginia Tech thanks in large part to their opponents' penalty struggles, but they likely won't get away with that against the Crimson Tide. Alabama finished in the middle of the pack in total penalties (77), but those infractions were far less damaging - the Crimson Tide compiled just 578 penalty yards through their first 14 games, good for an average of 41.29 yards per contest - 15th-best in the FBS.
No stretch better epitomizes Alabama's elite discipline than the three-game span in which it faced national powers Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU from mid-October to early November. The Crimson Tide incurred just 18 penalties for a minuscule 111 yards, winning those three games by a combined score of 92-24. Few teams can maintain a high level of defense while avoiding flags like Alabama, which has a decided advantage if the game is decided by penalties.
Gallman's dismal December vs. Crimson Tide's relentless run D
No one can deny that Clemson running back Wayne Gallman was one of the catalysts for the Tigers' sensational season, compiling 1,087 yards on 218 carries while adding 16 touchdowns on the ground - tied for 15th-most in the nation. Gallman has five 100-yard efforts on the year, and comes into the national championship game having scored 11 times in his previous seven games. But recent history isn't in his favor, particularly with a brutal Alabama defense waiting for him in Tampa.
Gallman was far from his best in the regular-season finale at Virginia Tech, turning 17 carries into a modest 59 yards and a score. He couldn't get untracked against a solid Hokies defense, and was only slightly better against the Buckeyes, finishing with 85 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He averaged a ho-hum 4.1 yards in those two December games - and if you take out consecutive carries of 20 and 18 yards against Ohio State on the opening two plays of the fourth quarter, that average falls to 3.2.
Clemson is going to need their junior workhorse to be much more effective against the Crimson Tide - and that isn't going to be easy. Alabama is in a league of its own when it comes to rushing defense, leading the nation in opponent yards per carry (2.0) and yards per game (62.0). The Crimson Tide allowed just three rushing touchdowns all season; no other team surrendered fewer than five, and only nine other schools limited foes to double-digit scores.
How tall a task does Gallman face? His own co-offensive coordinator, Tony Elliott, believes all eleven Alabama starters on defense will wind up being taken in the NFL draft. The Crimson Tide D limited Gallman to 45 yards on 14 carries in last year's national title game, and is even better heading into the rematch. Watson should be able to cause havoc with his rushing ability, but unless Gallman can break a big one, he's likely going to be in for a long day.
College Football Playoff Title Game Trends
Three teams have entered national championship title games off a SU underdog wins. Clemson fits that bill this year,
And then there was one.
One team will be left standing at the conclusion of the 2017 College Football Championship game Monday evening, either last year’s champion Alabama, or last year’s runner-up Clemson.
From our all-knowing database, presented below are some of the more notable findings. Enjoy the game.
How They Got Here
Ironically, while the pointspread on this year’s game is the same as last year’s title game - Alabama is a 6.5-point favorite - the record of the two teams has reversed.
The Tide enters as the 13-0 undefeated favorite, whereas the Tigers were the 13-0 undefeated underdog last year.
Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide began the season as the AP preseason No. 1 ranked team and sailed undefeated into the championship game. On the flip side, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers suffered their only defeat in a one-point shootout loss against Pittsburgh.
It should be noted that undefeated AP preseason No. 1 ranked teams have gone 3-7 SU and ATS in bowl games since 1980, including Alabama’s win over Washington in the Peach Bowl this season.
Title Game Tendencies
Looking back at the BCS championship and College Football Playoff title games, undefeated teams have been a 50-50 proposition, going 10-10 straight up (SU) and 10-10 against the spread (ATS) since the first BCS title fight in 1999.
However, spotless teams are only 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS when facing a foe off consecutive SU/ATS wins.
In another twist, three teams have entered national championship title games off a SU underdog wins. All three have managed to take home the money.
Conference and Team Trends
Alabama stands 12-3 SU against ACC opposition since 1980, with 10 of the twelve wins by double-digit margins.
The SEC is 5-6 SUATS in bowl games this season, while the ACC is 8-3 SU and 9-2 ATS – including 2-0 SUATS versus the SEC.
Clemson is 3-13 SU in its last sixteen games against the SEC, but 8-3 ATS as dogs of more than 3 points in those games.
Coaches DNA
As expected, both coaches bring plenty of cred into this affair.
Nick Saban is 44-5 SU in games with the Tide in which they are ranked No. 1 in the polls. In addition, Saban is 88-15 SU and 59-39 ATS in games in which his teams are undefeated, including 33-14 ATS against opponents his team defeated in a most recent meeting.
Dabo Swinney is 10-6 SUATS against undefeated opposition, including 6-1 ATS when the Tigers are taking points. In addition, Swinney is 3-0 ATS with rest when tackling SEC foes.
Still Perfect After All These Years
Alabama is 13-0 all-time against Clemson since 1905.
Three teams have entered national championship title games off a SU underdog wins. Clemson fits that bill this year,
And then there was one.
One team will be left standing at the conclusion of the 2017 College Football Championship game Monday evening, either last year’s champion Alabama, or last year’s runner-up Clemson.
From our all-knowing database, presented below are some of the more notable findings. Enjoy the game.
How They Got Here
Ironically, while the pointspread on this year’s game is the same as last year’s title game - Alabama is a 6.5-point favorite - the record of the two teams has reversed.
The Tide enters as the 13-0 undefeated favorite, whereas the Tigers were the 13-0 undefeated underdog last year.
Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide began the season as the AP preseason No. 1 ranked team and sailed undefeated into the championship game. On the flip side, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers suffered their only defeat in a one-point shootout loss against Pittsburgh.
It should be noted that undefeated AP preseason No. 1 ranked teams have gone 3-7 SU and ATS in bowl games since 1980, including Alabama’s win over Washington in the Peach Bowl this season.
Title Game Tendencies
Looking back at the BCS championship and College Football Playoff title games, undefeated teams have been a 50-50 proposition, going 10-10 straight up (SU) and 10-10 against the spread (ATS) since the first BCS title fight in 1999.
However, spotless teams are only 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS when facing a foe off consecutive SU/ATS wins.
In another twist, three teams have entered national championship title games off a SU underdog wins. All three have managed to take home the money.
Conference and Team Trends
Alabama stands 12-3 SU against ACC opposition since 1980, with 10 of the twelve wins by double-digit margins.
The SEC is 5-6 SUATS in bowl games this season, while the ACC is 8-3 SU and 9-2 ATS – including 2-0 SUATS versus the SEC.
Clemson is 3-13 SU in its last sixteen games against the SEC, but 8-3 ATS as dogs of more than 3 points in those games.
Coaches DNA
As expected, both coaches bring plenty of cred into this affair.
Nick Saban is 44-5 SU in games with the Tide in which they are ranked No. 1 in the polls. In addition, Saban is 88-15 SU and 59-39 ATS in games in which his teams are undefeated, including 33-14 ATS against opponents his team defeated in a most recent meeting.
Dabo Swinney is 10-6 SUATS against undefeated opposition, including 6-1 ATS when the Tigers are taking points. In addition, Swinney is 3-0 ATS with rest when tackling SEC foes.
Still Perfect After All These Years
Alabama is 13-0 all-time against Clemson since 1905.
Tide, Tigers meet again
January 6, 2017
CFB National Championship (ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Sportsbook.ag Odds: Alabama (-6.5); Total set at 51
The National Championship rematch game that many have pined for all year long as come to fruition as Clemson and Alabama duke it out one more time for all the marbles.
Last year's championship game between the two was highly exciting, filled with big plays all over the field in 'Bama's 45-40 win.
The faces have changed a bit more on Alabama's side this time around and Clemson would love to exact some revenge, but no matter what, we are likely in for another historic CFB Championship.
Most of the news surrounding this game concern's Alabama's HC Nick Saban's decision to relieve OC Lane Kiffin of his duties so that he can focus on his new position at FAU. Switching offensive coordinators prior to the final game of the season isn't something any other team would likely do, but Saban always has a plan and having OC consultant Steve Sarkisian step in isn't like a guy getting his first crack at a position like this.
Sarkisian is a brilliant offensive mind and has been with the Crimson Tide all year long, so don't expect this change to have as big of an effect on Alabama's offense as some might suggest. This is still a team that's built to win with their defense and going from option 1A to 1B in OC's shouldn't be a huge concern.
Furthermore, news from Alabama practices this week suggest that 'Bama's offense is running more smoothly under Sarkisian. That's not a knock on Kiffin's amazing job he's done this year, but Sarkisian is known for his balanced attacks and we saw in the national semi-final that the Tide really relied heavily on their inside running game.
The running abilities of Jalen Hurts and Bo Scarborough will continue to be there, but Alabama's got some very good playmakers on the outside and they'd love to get the ball in their hands more. Spreading out the love and keeping a very good Clemson defense off balance would do wonders for Alabama's chances of repeating and we shouldn't be surprised to see this game resemble last year's high scoring championship game as opposed to the two semi-finals this year that were rather low scoring.
In fact, it's along those lines that I believe betting on the total is the better option in this game.
In terms of the side, many will point to the revenge angle in Clemson's favor, the fact that the Tigers gave the Tide all they could handle a year ago, and that Clemson's core is a year older and wiser to complete the job this time around. We've already seen this point spread drop from opening up at -7 and Clemson ML wagers will continue to be popular up until kick-off.
But it's not like Alabama doesn't have plenty of guys returning from last year's game as well, and Nick Saban is a master gameplanner that will throw many new looks at Clemson all night long. The fact that he changed OC's suggests that all of Alabama's tendencies this year Clemson has been studying on film can basically be thrown out the window with a new guy calling in the plays.
Which leads me to the total of 51. VegasInsider.com's betting percentage numbers show over 85% of the action on this championship game's total being in support of the under. The number opened up in the 52.5-52 range and has dropped slightly with all of that 'under' action.
Taking championship games (or series) typically lends itself to 'under' bettors and given the dominant performances we saw from both defenses in the semi-finals would suggest another low-scoring game is on tap.
However, that was the same story a year ago after Clemson and Alabama came into this title game after dominant defensive performances and cashing 'under' tickets in the semi-final respectively.
The total for that championship game was basically right where it is this season (50.5) and we saw both offenses explode to put up 85 points. Clearly there were schematic things that both sides thought they could exploit against the other and nothing really has changed for the rematch.
You could even have no problem arguing that Alabama's OC change makes their offense more explosive because their tendencies have all but gone out the window.
Chances are we won't see 80+ points scored in the rematch as both defenses will be looking for a better performance, but 60+ points won't be a surprise.
Both sides put up an average of 39 points per game this year and while the defenses will put their mark on limiting the opposition, a back-and-forth contest with both teams threatening the 30-point mark is in the making.
Clemson is on a 4-0 O/U run after allowing less than 20 points in their last contest and going even further they are 6-2 O/U after allowing less than 100 rushing yards, and 8-3 O/U after allowing less than 170 yards through the air.
Meanwhile, Alabama is on a 9-3 O/U run in bowl games, a perfect 4-0 O/U in January tilts, and 19-6-1 O/U on a neutral field. New OC Steve Sarkisian won't be shy about opening up the playbook a bit to take a lot of pressure off the Tide's defense in slowing down Heisman runner-up DeShaun Watson.
Nick Saban knows that it's unlikely he wins this game with a 24-7 scoreline like he did vs Washington with the offense Clemson has, so putting up touchdowns and not settling for FG's will be paramount.
Considering how explosive offensively this game was a year ago, don't expect much to change in that regard in the rematch. Having the majority of bettors flock to the 'under' makes this 'over' play all the more valuable.
Best Bet: Take Over 51 points
January 6, 2017
CFB National Championship (ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Sportsbook.ag Odds: Alabama (-6.5); Total set at 51
The National Championship rematch game that many have pined for all year long as come to fruition as Clemson and Alabama duke it out one more time for all the marbles.
Last year's championship game between the two was highly exciting, filled with big plays all over the field in 'Bama's 45-40 win.
The faces have changed a bit more on Alabama's side this time around and Clemson would love to exact some revenge, but no matter what, we are likely in for another historic CFB Championship.
Most of the news surrounding this game concern's Alabama's HC Nick Saban's decision to relieve OC Lane Kiffin of his duties so that he can focus on his new position at FAU. Switching offensive coordinators prior to the final game of the season isn't something any other team would likely do, but Saban always has a plan and having OC consultant Steve Sarkisian step in isn't like a guy getting his first crack at a position like this.
Sarkisian is a brilliant offensive mind and has been with the Crimson Tide all year long, so don't expect this change to have as big of an effect on Alabama's offense as some might suggest. This is still a team that's built to win with their defense and going from option 1A to 1B in OC's shouldn't be a huge concern.
Furthermore, news from Alabama practices this week suggest that 'Bama's offense is running more smoothly under Sarkisian. That's not a knock on Kiffin's amazing job he's done this year, but Sarkisian is known for his balanced attacks and we saw in the national semi-final that the Tide really relied heavily on their inside running game.
The running abilities of Jalen Hurts and Bo Scarborough will continue to be there, but Alabama's got some very good playmakers on the outside and they'd love to get the ball in their hands more. Spreading out the love and keeping a very good Clemson defense off balance would do wonders for Alabama's chances of repeating and we shouldn't be surprised to see this game resemble last year's high scoring championship game as opposed to the two semi-finals this year that were rather low scoring.
In fact, it's along those lines that I believe betting on the total is the better option in this game.
In terms of the side, many will point to the revenge angle in Clemson's favor, the fact that the Tigers gave the Tide all they could handle a year ago, and that Clemson's core is a year older and wiser to complete the job this time around. We've already seen this point spread drop from opening up at -7 and Clemson ML wagers will continue to be popular up until kick-off.
But it's not like Alabama doesn't have plenty of guys returning from last year's game as well, and Nick Saban is a master gameplanner that will throw many new looks at Clemson all night long. The fact that he changed OC's suggests that all of Alabama's tendencies this year Clemson has been studying on film can basically be thrown out the window with a new guy calling in the plays.
Which leads me to the total of 51. VegasInsider.com's betting percentage numbers show over 85% of the action on this championship game's total being in support of the under. The number opened up in the 52.5-52 range and has dropped slightly with all of that 'under' action.
Taking championship games (or series) typically lends itself to 'under' bettors and given the dominant performances we saw from both defenses in the semi-finals would suggest another low-scoring game is on tap.
However, that was the same story a year ago after Clemson and Alabama came into this title game after dominant defensive performances and cashing 'under' tickets in the semi-final respectively.
The total for that championship game was basically right where it is this season (50.5) and we saw both offenses explode to put up 85 points. Clearly there were schematic things that both sides thought they could exploit against the other and nothing really has changed for the rematch.
You could even have no problem arguing that Alabama's OC change makes their offense more explosive because their tendencies have all but gone out the window.
Chances are we won't see 80+ points scored in the rematch as both defenses will be looking for a better performance, but 60+ points won't be a surprise.
Both sides put up an average of 39 points per game this year and while the defenses will put their mark on limiting the opposition, a back-and-forth contest with both teams threatening the 30-point mark is in the making.
Clemson is on a 4-0 O/U run after allowing less than 20 points in their last contest and going even further they are 6-2 O/U after allowing less than 100 rushing yards, and 8-3 O/U after allowing less than 170 yards through the air.
Meanwhile, Alabama is on a 9-3 O/U run in bowl games, a perfect 4-0 O/U in January tilts, and 19-6-1 O/U on a neutral field. New OC Steve Sarkisian won't be shy about opening up the playbook a bit to take a lot of pressure off the Tide's defense in slowing down Heisman runner-up DeShaun Watson.
Nick Saban knows that it's unlikely he wins this game with a 24-7 scoreline like he did vs Washington with the offense Clemson has, so putting up touchdowns and not settling for FG's will be paramount.
Considering how explosive offensively this game was a year ago, don't expect much to change in that regard in the rematch. Having the majority of bettors flock to the 'under' makes this 'over' play all the more valuable.
Best Bet: Take Over 51 points
Alabama vs. Clemson
January 8, 2017
An Alabama-Clemson rematch in the finals of the third College Football Playoff on Jan. 9 of 2017 was never a given, but there were plenty of reasons to think it would happen as far back as the night (1/11/16) the Crimson Tide walked off the field as 45-40 winners over the Tigers at University of Phoenix Stadium last year.
Alabama (14-0 straight up, 10-4 against the spread) easily made it to Tampa, winning 13 of its 14 games by double-digit margins. The Tide’s struggled in last week’s 24-7 win over Washington, but the defense completely shut down the Huskies after they scored on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.
Alabama’s defense scored its 11th touchdown of the season and completely turned the momentum of the game when Ryan Anderson intercepted Jake Browning and returned the pick 26 yards for a TD with just 1:13 left in the second quarter. Anderson’s pick-six sent Alabama into intermission with a 17-7 advantage.
Bo Scarbrough, who had scored on an 18-yard TD run midway through the first quarter, added a 68-yard TD scamper to put Nick Saban’s team ahead of the number for the first time with 11:56 left in the fourth quarter.
Washington was driving with a chance to post a backdoor cover late in the fourth quarter. But on fourth and long, Chris Petersen opted to turn down a long field-goal attempt and the Huskies couldn’t get the first down. Therefore, Alabama backers cashed tickets laying 13 points. The 31 combined points produced a thunder ‘under’ with the total closing at 51.
I mentioned Petersen turning down the field goal because in the week leading up to the Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the number went from 14 up to 16.5 and back down all the way to 13. So a successful field goal by UW to cut the deficit to 24-10 would’ve been the difference in a win or loss (or push) for many gamblers.
Alabama held the Huskies to just 194 yards of total offense, but it produced just 326 yards. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who took the head-coaching job at Florida Atlantic in early December, appeared all out of sorts on the sidelines. He called a terrible game, prompting Saban to send him packing for Boca Raton earlier this week.
Former Washington and Southern Cal head coach Steve Sarkisian had already been named the next offensive coordinator, and he’ll be thrown straight into the fire calling plays Monday night. ‘Sark’ was dubiously dismissed by USC after several alcohol-related incidents, the last of which was showing up to work drunk on Sunday morning after a home loss to Washington.
By all indications, ‘Sark’ has been 100-percent sober for a long time now. He looks healthier than he’s appeared in many years.
While Alabama needed its defense to secure its 26th consecutive victory and make it back to the CFP finals, Clemson (13-1 SU, 7-7 ATS) put together its best performance of the year in all phases in the other CFP semifinal matchup. The Tigers smashed Ohio State 31-0 as a one-point underdog at the Playstation Fiesta Bowl.
Junior quarterback Deshaun Watson led the way by completing 23-of-36 passes for 259 yards and one TD, although he was intercepted twice. Watson rushed 15 times for 57 yards and a pair of TDs. Wayne Gallman ran for a team-best 85 yards and one TD on 18 carries.
Mike Williams, the dynamic wide receiver who didn’t play against Alabama last year after sustaining a season-ending neck injury in the 2015 season opener, had six catches for 96 yards against the Buckeyes. Hunter Renfrow had five receptions for 50 yards, while C.J. Fuller had three grabs for 45 yards and one TD.
Clemson’s defense held Ohio State to a season-low 215 yards of total offense. The Tigers forced three turnovers, including interceptions by Van Smith and Cordrea Tankersley. Smith returned his pick 86 yards.
For the season, Watson has completed 352-of-523 passes (67.3%) for 4,173 yards with a 38/17 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has 581 rushing yards and eight TDs. Gallman has rushed for a team-high 1,087 yards and 16 TDs while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Gallman also has 17 catches for 113 yards.
Williams has bounced back from the neck injury in fantastic fashion. The junior wideout has 90 receptions for 1,267 yards and 10 TDs. Senior tight end Jordan Leggett has 39 catches for 641 yards, while Deon Cain has 33 grabs for 630 yards. Watson has an abundance of weapons at his disposal, including Artavis Scott (73, 608 and 5 TDs), Ray-Ray McCloud (49, 472 and 2) and Renfrow (34, 403 and 4 TDs).
Clemson might have the nation’s best defensive coordinator in Brent Venables. The best move of Dabo Swinney’s entire nine-year tenure at Clemson was plucking Venables away from Oklahoma after Geno Smith and West Virginia hung a 70-spot on the Tigers at the Orange Bowl five years ago.
Venables returned only four starters from last year’s unit, but this year’s defense has been even better. The Tigers are eighth in the nation in total defense, seventh in scoring (17.1 points per game), 16th against the pass and 19th versus the run.
The defense is led by senior LB Ben Boulware and senior DT Carlos Watkins. Boulware has recorded 110 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, three forced fumbles, one pass broken up and one interception. Watkins has tallied 44 tackles, 12.5 TFL’s, 10.5 sacks, four QB hurries, four PBU and one blocked kick.
Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the country in total defense, scoring (11.4 PPG) and rush defense. They’re ranked 12th versus the pass. The Tide has held 12 of its 14 foes to 16 points or fewer.
The 24 points scored against Washington was the second-lowest scoring output of the year. Only in a 10-0 win at LSU has Alabama been held to fewer points. Scarbrough rushed for 180 yards and two TDs against the Huskies, but he provided the only offensive production.
True freshman QB Jalen Hurts connected on just 7-of-14 throws for merely 57 yards. Hurts was held to 50 rushing yards on 19 attempts. For the season, Hurts has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,620 yards with a 21/9 TD-INT ratio. He is the team’s second-leading rusher with 891 yards, 12 TDs and a 4.9 YPC average.
Damien Harris has rushed for a team-high 1,013 yards and two TDs while averaging 7.2 YPC. Scarbrough has run for 719 yards and nine TDs with a 6.6 YPC average. Alabama is deep in the backfield, getting production from another true freshman in Joshua Jacobs, who has 551 rushing yards, four TDs and a 6.6 YPC average. Jacobs also has 14 catches for 156 yards and returned a blocked punt 27 yards for a TD in the 54-16 win over Florida at the SEC Championship Game.
Alabama has a pair of elite WRs and one of the nation’s best tight ends. ArDarius Stewart has brought down 52 catches for 816 yards and seven TDs, while Calvin Ridley has 66 receptions for 740 yards and seven TDs. Senior TE O.J. Howard has 41 catches for 489 yards and two TDs.
As of early Sunday night, most betting shops had Alabama listed as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 51. Clemson was available on the money line for a +185 return (risk $100 to win $185). For first-half wagers, the Tide was favored by 3.5 with a total of 25.5 points. For first-quarter bets, Alabama is -170 on the money line, while Clemson is available for a +150 payout. The total is 10 (‘over’ -125, ‘under’ +105).
This is just Alabama’s second single-digit ‘chalk’ spot of the season. In the previous instance, the Tide captured a 10-0 win at LSU as a seven-point road favorite. You would probably think that Alabama has thrived in the role of a single-digit favorite recently, but that’s not the case. Saban’s teams have limped to a 7-10 spread record in 17 such situations going back to the 9-6 overtime loss to LSU as a 4.5-point home favorite in 2011.
Clemson has only been an underdog twice year, winning outright in both instances (as a one-point ‘dog each time) vs. Louisville and Ohio St. The Tigers have been ‘dogs in six straight bowl games, going 6-0 ATS with five outright wins. They own a 13-4 spread record with 10 outright victories in 17 games as ‘dogs dating back to 2011.
Clemson had a 550-473 advantage in total offense in last year’s meeting. Watson completed 30-of-47 passes for 405 yards and four TDs with one interception. He ran 20 times for 73 yards. His 24-yard TD pass to Leggett with 12 seconds remaining gave the Tigers a backdoor cover as 6.5-point underdogs. The 85 combined points soared ‘over’ the 50.5-point total.
There were three ties (7-7, 14-14 and 24-24) and four lead changes in Alabama’s 45-40 win that provided Saban with his fifth national championship and his fourth at Alabama since 2009.
When Clemson pulled to within 31-27 on a field goal with 7:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, Kenyan Drake answered with a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD. But Watson would march the Tigers right back down the field, finding Scott for a 15-yard scoring strike with 4:40 left.
Derrick Henry’s one-yard TD run with 1:07 left put the game on ice and appeared to have Alabama’s betting supporters poised to cash tickets. However, Watson’s aforementioned TD pass to Leggett changed that.
Henry rushed for 158 yards and three TDs on 36 carries. Jake Coker completed 16-of-25 passes for 335 yards and two TDs without an interception. O.J. Howard had five receptions for 208 yards, including a pair of TD catches that covered 51 and 53 yards. Stewart had a pair of catches for 63 yards, but Ridley was limited to 14 receiving yards on six receptions.
Totals have been an overall wash (7-7) for Clemson, but it has seen the ‘over’ hit at a 7-3 clip in its last 10 contests. The Tigers have seen their games average combined scores of 56.6 PPG.
The ‘under’ is 8-6 overall for Alabama, cashing in five of its last seven games. The Tide has played three games on neutral field with the ‘over’ going 2-1 in those contests. Their 14 games have averaged combined scores of 50.8 PPG.
Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is scheduled for Monday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
-- Clemson is seeking its first national title since 1981.
-- There are a slew of proposition bets available for the Alabama-Clemson game. For instance, gamblers can wager on the player to score the first touchdown of the game. Hurts is the +600 ‘chalk’ (risk $100 to win $600), while other attractive options include Scarbrough (+650), Watson (+700), Stewart (+750), Williams (+750), Gallman (+750), Ridley (+800) and Howard (+1200).
-- Watson’s total for completions is 24.5 (‘under’ -130, ‘over’ -110), while his passing yards are at 275.5 (-120 both ways).
-- Hurts’s totals look like this: completions: 16 (‘under’ -140, ‘over’ +100), passing yards: 186.5 (-120 both ways) and TD passes: 1.5 (‘over’ -140, ‘under’ +100).
-- Najee Harris flew into Birmingham on Sunday en route to Tuscaloosa to start classes this week. Harris, who is the No. 1 RB and overall player in the 2017 class, is enrolling early and will participate in spring practice for the Crimson Tide. Harris has been an Alabama commit for a long time, but Michigan was believed to be in the mix in recent weeks. He is the sixth five-star RB Alabama has signed since 2009.
-- FOX’s Bruce Feldman reported early Sunday afternoon that California had fired Sonny Dykes, who had a 19-30 overall record and a 10-26 mark in Pac-12 play during his four-year tenure. The Golden Bears limped to a 5-7 record this season after losing No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Jared Goff.
January 8, 2017
An Alabama-Clemson rematch in the finals of the third College Football Playoff on Jan. 9 of 2017 was never a given, but there were plenty of reasons to think it would happen as far back as the night (1/11/16) the Crimson Tide walked off the field as 45-40 winners over the Tigers at University of Phoenix Stadium last year.
Alabama (14-0 straight up, 10-4 against the spread) easily made it to Tampa, winning 13 of its 14 games by double-digit margins. The Tide’s struggled in last week’s 24-7 win over Washington, but the defense completely shut down the Huskies after they scored on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.
Alabama’s defense scored its 11th touchdown of the season and completely turned the momentum of the game when Ryan Anderson intercepted Jake Browning and returned the pick 26 yards for a TD with just 1:13 left in the second quarter. Anderson’s pick-six sent Alabama into intermission with a 17-7 advantage.
Bo Scarbrough, who had scored on an 18-yard TD run midway through the first quarter, added a 68-yard TD scamper to put Nick Saban’s team ahead of the number for the first time with 11:56 left in the fourth quarter.
Washington was driving with a chance to post a backdoor cover late in the fourth quarter. But on fourth and long, Chris Petersen opted to turn down a long field-goal attempt and the Huskies couldn’t get the first down. Therefore, Alabama backers cashed tickets laying 13 points. The 31 combined points produced a thunder ‘under’ with the total closing at 51.
I mentioned Petersen turning down the field goal because in the week leading up to the Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the number went from 14 up to 16.5 and back down all the way to 13. So a successful field goal by UW to cut the deficit to 24-10 would’ve been the difference in a win or loss (or push) for many gamblers.
Alabama held the Huskies to just 194 yards of total offense, but it produced just 326 yards. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who took the head-coaching job at Florida Atlantic in early December, appeared all out of sorts on the sidelines. He called a terrible game, prompting Saban to send him packing for Boca Raton earlier this week.
Former Washington and Southern Cal head coach Steve Sarkisian had already been named the next offensive coordinator, and he’ll be thrown straight into the fire calling plays Monday night. ‘Sark’ was dubiously dismissed by USC after several alcohol-related incidents, the last of which was showing up to work drunk on Sunday morning after a home loss to Washington.
By all indications, ‘Sark’ has been 100-percent sober for a long time now. He looks healthier than he’s appeared in many years.
While Alabama needed its defense to secure its 26th consecutive victory and make it back to the CFP finals, Clemson (13-1 SU, 7-7 ATS) put together its best performance of the year in all phases in the other CFP semifinal matchup. The Tigers smashed Ohio State 31-0 as a one-point underdog at the Playstation Fiesta Bowl.
Junior quarterback Deshaun Watson led the way by completing 23-of-36 passes for 259 yards and one TD, although he was intercepted twice. Watson rushed 15 times for 57 yards and a pair of TDs. Wayne Gallman ran for a team-best 85 yards and one TD on 18 carries.
Mike Williams, the dynamic wide receiver who didn’t play against Alabama last year after sustaining a season-ending neck injury in the 2015 season opener, had six catches for 96 yards against the Buckeyes. Hunter Renfrow had five receptions for 50 yards, while C.J. Fuller had three grabs for 45 yards and one TD.
Clemson’s defense held Ohio State to a season-low 215 yards of total offense. The Tigers forced three turnovers, including interceptions by Van Smith and Cordrea Tankersley. Smith returned his pick 86 yards.
For the season, Watson has completed 352-of-523 passes (67.3%) for 4,173 yards with a 38/17 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has 581 rushing yards and eight TDs. Gallman has rushed for a team-high 1,087 yards and 16 TDs while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Gallman also has 17 catches for 113 yards.
Williams has bounced back from the neck injury in fantastic fashion. The junior wideout has 90 receptions for 1,267 yards and 10 TDs. Senior tight end Jordan Leggett has 39 catches for 641 yards, while Deon Cain has 33 grabs for 630 yards. Watson has an abundance of weapons at his disposal, including Artavis Scott (73, 608 and 5 TDs), Ray-Ray McCloud (49, 472 and 2) and Renfrow (34, 403 and 4 TDs).
Clemson might have the nation’s best defensive coordinator in Brent Venables. The best move of Dabo Swinney’s entire nine-year tenure at Clemson was plucking Venables away from Oklahoma after Geno Smith and West Virginia hung a 70-spot on the Tigers at the Orange Bowl five years ago.
Venables returned only four starters from last year’s unit, but this year’s defense has been even better. The Tigers are eighth in the nation in total defense, seventh in scoring (17.1 points per game), 16th against the pass and 19th versus the run.
The defense is led by senior LB Ben Boulware and senior DT Carlos Watkins. Boulware has recorded 110 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, three forced fumbles, one pass broken up and one interception. Watkins has tallied 44 tackles, 12.5 TFL’s, 10.5 sacks, four QB hurries, four PBU and one blocked kick.
Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the country in total defense, scoring (11.4 PPG) and rush defense. They’re ranked 12th versus the pass. The Tide has held 12 of its 14 foes to 16 points or fewer.
The 24 points scored against Washington was the second-lowest scoring output of the year. Only in a 10-0 win at LSU has Alabama been held to fewer points. Scarbrough rushed for 180 yards and two TDs against the Huskies, but he provided the only offensive production.
True freshman QB Jalen Hurts connected on just 7-of-14 throws for merely 57 yards. Hurts was held to 50 rushing yards on 19 attempts. For the season, Hurts has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,620 yards with a 21/9 TD-INT ratio. He is the team’s second-leading rusher with 891 yards, 12 TDs and a 4.9 YPC average.
Damien Harris has rushed for a team-high 1,013 yards and two TDs while averaging 7.2 YPC. Scarbrough has run for 719 yards and nine TDs with a 6.6 YPC average. Alabama is deep in the backfield, getting production from another true freshman in Joshua Jacobs, who has 551 rushing yards, four TDs and a 6.6 YPC average. Jacobs also has 14 catches for 156 yards and returned a blocked punt 27 yards for a TD in the 54-16 win over Florida at the SEC Championship Game.
Alabama has a pair of elite WRs and one of the nation’s best tight ends. ArDarius Stewart has brought down 52 catches for 816 yards and seven TDs, while Calvin Ridley has 66 receptions for 740 yards and seven TDs. Senior TE O.J. Howard has 41 catches for 489 yards and two TDs.
As of early Sunday night, most betting shops had Alabama listed as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 51. Clemson was available on the money line for a +185 return (risk $100 to win $185). For first-half wagers, the Tide was favored by 3.5 with a total of 25.5 points. For first-quarter bets, Alabama is -170 on the money line, while Clemson is available for a +150 payout. The total is 10 (‘over’ -125, ‘under’ +105).
This is just Alabama’s second single-digit ‘chalk’ spot of the season. In the previous instance, the Tide captured a 10-0 win at LSU as a seven-point road favorite. You would probably think that Alabama has thrived in the role of a single-digit favorite recently, but that’s not the case. Saban’s teams have limped to a 7-10 spread record in 17 such situations going back to the 9-6 overtime loss to LSU as a 4.5-point home favorite in 2011.
Clemson has only been an underdog twice year, winning outright in both instances (as a one-point ‘dog each time) vs. Louisville and Ohio St. The Tigers have been ‘dogs in six straight bowl games, going 6-0 ATS with five outright wins. They own a 13-4 spread record with 10 outright victories in 17 games as ‘dogs dating back to 2011.
Clemson had a 550-473 advantage in total offense in last year’s meeting. Watson completed 30-of-47 passes for 405 yards and four TDs with one interception. He ran 20 times for 73 yards. His 24-yard TD pass to Leggett with 12 seconds remaining gave the Tigers a backdoor cover as 6.5-point underdogs. The 85 combined points soared ‘over’ the 50.5-point total.
There were three ties (7-7, 14-14 and 24-24) and four lead changes in Alabama’s 45-40 win that provided Saban with his fifth national championship and his fourth at Alabama since 2009.
When Clemson pulled to within 31-27 on a field goal with 7:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, Kenyan Drake answered with a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD. But Watson would march the Tigers right back down the field, finding Scott for a 15-yard scoring strike with 4:40 left.
Derrick Henry’s one-yard TD run with 1:07 left put the game on ice and appeared to have Alabama’s betting supporters poised to cash tickets. However, Watson’s aforementioned TD pass to Leggett changed that.
Henry rushed for 158 yards and three TDs on 36 carries. Jake Coker completed 16-of-25 passes for 335 yards and two TDs without an interception. O.J. Howard had five receptions for 208 yards, including a pair of TD catches that covered 51 and 53 yards. Stewart had a pair of catches for 63 yards, but Ridley was limited to 14 receiving yards on six receptions.
Totals have been an overall wash (7-7) for Clemson, but it has seen the ‘over’ hit at a 7-3 clip in its last 10 contests. The Tigers have seen their games average combined scores of 56.6 PPG.
The ‘under’ is 8-6 overall for Alabama, cashing in five of its last seven games. The Tide has played three games on neutral field with the ‘over’ going 2-1 in those contests. Their 14 games have averaged combined scores of 50.8 PPG.
Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is scheduled for Monday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
-- Clemson is seeking its first national title since 1981.
-- There are a slew of proposition bets available for the Alabama-Clemson game. For instance, gamblers can wager on the player to score the first touchdown of the game. Hurts is the +600 ‘chalk’ (risk $100 to win $600), while other attractive options include Scarbrough (+650), Watson (+700), Stewart (+750), Williams (+750), Gallman (+750), Ridley (+800) and Howard (+1200).
-- Watson’s total for completions is 24.5 (‘under’ -130, ‘over’ -110), while his passing yards are at 275.5 (-120 both ways).
-- Hurts’s totals look like this: completions: 16 (‘under’ -140, ‘over’ +100), passing yards: 186.5 (-120 both ways) and TD passes: 1.5 (‘over’ -140, ‘under’ +100).
-- Najee Harris flew into Birmingham on Sunday en route to Tuscaloosa to start classes this week. Harris, who is the No. 1 RB and overall player in the 2017 class, is enrolling early and will participate in spring practice for the Crimson Tide. Harris has been an Alabama commit for a long time, but Michigan was believed to be in the mix in recent weeks. He is the sixth five-star RB Alabama has signed since 2009.
-- FOX’s Bruce Feldman reported early Sunday afternoon that California had fired Sonny Dykes, who had a 19-30 overall record and a 10-26 mark in Pac-12 play during his four-year tenure. The Golden Bears limped to a 5-7 record this season after losing No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Jared Goff.
