College Football Playoff National Champioship Preview

The stage is set and #1 Clemson is ready to face off #2  Alabama for all the marbles. The National Championship is finally here. We are all hoping that this will be a great game, unlike most of the bowl games.
Clemson is the only undefeated team and has been #1 week after week, but once again they are underdogs. This is puzzling because Clemson has been the best team in football 635850100243740361-ACC-Championship-Football-bboatwri-greenvillenews.com-56this year. Alabama is favored seven points, which means the Tigers have them right were they want the. No one has given this team any respect, and this will be a benefit for Clemson. Deshaun Watson has been awesome this year. He is the best quarterback in the country and is already writing his legacy in college football history as a sophomore. In the first half of the Orange Bowl, Watson had to do everything for Clemson. It is remarkable they were in the game at half time, but he is that great. In the second half Wayne Gallman and the other Tiger running backs decided to show up and they ran all over the Sooners. Watson and Gallman need to get the running game going and be creative with their play calls to keep this massive Bama defensive line on their toes.
This may have been Nick Saban’s best coaching job of his career. Many people including me thought this was going to be more of a transition year after loosing a lot of talent to the NFL, but as Alabama does time and time again, they prove me wrong. During their blowout www.usnewsCotton Bowl victory over the Spartans, quarterback Jake Coker had a coming out party. Coker played the best game of his career in the bright lights, and proved all of the doubters wrong. I believe Alabama will go back to what they do best in the Championship, which is to run the ball. Coker had a great game in all, but when you have a 6’3 beast in the back field, who is also the Heisman Trophy winner… feed the ball to him. Derrick Henry is going to have to get a lot of carries and keep Clemson’s high powered offense off the field.
This will be a great game and a Championship to remember. Alabama’s kryptonite has always been dual-threat quarterbacks. Guess what, they are facing the best running quarterback and just the best quarterback in the country. Deshaun Watson will give Alabama’s defense fits and Clemson will win the College Playoff National Championship.
Prediction: Clemson 35, Alabama 34
Deshaun Watson

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws oranges to the crowd after his team won the Orange Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game against Oklahoma, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Clemson defeated Oklahoma 37-17. (AP Photo/Joe Skipper)

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Cotton Bowl Preview

The second Playoff matchup of the day, number two Alabama vs number three Michigan State, is a tough old school game. These two teams are going to run the ball and play great defense. This is the formula both programs have used to thrive this past decade. After Alabama’s loss to Ole Miss early this year, Bama made a  lot of changes, but the biggest difference they made was that they started to hand the ball to Heisman winning running back, Derrick Henry. He has been a complete beast this year, breaking the SEC’s single season rushing record. Alabama is going to have to continue pounding defenses with the run game.derrick-henry-ncaa-football-cowboys-classic-wisconsin-vs-alabama-850x560
Michigan State has been a team of destiny, or it may be that they are just lucky. I am not taking anything away from Michigan State because it is really good to have luck on your side. It is just mind boggling how MSU has pulled out some of their wins. Connor Cook is finally healthy, and I think that is going to he a huge difference in the game. Madre London and LJ Scott, Michigan State’s two running backs are going to have to find some space against Alabama’s huge front seven. Michigan State will need to control the ball, run the ball, and keep the defense honest for them to have a chance in this game. dfp0908cook
This game will be full and drama and excitement. Reggie Ragland and the Crimson Tide defense will force Connor Cook into some trouble, but I do not think Jake Coker will be able to make enough plays against the Spartans veteran defense, and he will turn the ball over too many times like he did against Ole Miss.
Prediction: Michigan State 28, Alabama 24