Clemson 44, Alabama 16: A Few Very Quick Thoughts
- I thought Alabama would win this one, 42-34. A blowout victory by Clemson was not what I saw coming at all.
- Clemson out-coached Alabama. Nick Saban made some dumb decisions. It seemed like Alabama was more in desperation mode. Maybe they knew behind closed doors that they were the underdog in this one.
- Also, Clemson’s dudes just happened to show up in this game, and Alabama’s didn’t. There’s a universe where Alabama wins this game handily, but when Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins are making ridiculous plays on the outside, when Tua’s having an off game, etc., it’s just really tough to stop that avalanche once it gets going.
- The biggest surprise to me was Alabama’s inability to punch the ball in after long drives. Alabama was gashing Clemson with the run. The top three running backs had 31 carries for 163 yards . . . and zero touchdowns. I think Alabama got too cute with the RPO stuff when the outside and inside zone were working.
- Tee Higgins was my #1 wide receiver in the 2017 class, ahead of Donovan Peoples-Jones. Both are very good players, but Higgins is a touch ahead, and he’s in a system that is going to take advantage (3 catches for 81 yards tonight). Maybe Jerry Jeudy should have been up there somewhere, too, I guess.
- If I’m an elite wide receiver, I’m going to Clemson. In my opinion, there’s no other school in the country that develops receivers better than Clemson. Yes, they recruit elite talent (Higgins, Justyn Ross, etc.), but they actually get a chance to showcase their talents. And even when they’re not putting up eye-popping numbers, they’re making big plays and playing in big games.
- Trevor Lawrence is another guy I really liked coming out of high school. I said during the 2018 recruiting cycle that he reminded me of Peyton Manning with his ability to understand the game and anticipate defensive coverages. Lawrence is a better athlete and they have different personalities, so they’re not spitting images, but you can see how well Lawrence reacts to what defenses are giving him.
- It was interesting to me to watch those two offenses play. I’ve been studying spread offenses more and more since my high school season ended, and as I continue to get a better grasp on what teams like Alabama and Clemson are doing in their run game, pass game, RPO stuff, etc., it’s fun to make calls in my living room and see whether those respective offensive coordinators/quarterbacks see what I’m seeing. I was doing pretty well early in the game when both teams were in shootout mode, but once Tua lost his mojo and Clemson took their foot off the gas, my guess accuracy started to fizzle, too.
- Damien Harris and Najee Harris get all the hype for being 5-star recruits, but the guy in Alabama’s backfield who impresses me most is Josh Jacobs. He can run, catch, block, play wildcat QB, etc. Perhaps a bit like Kenyan Drake, Jacobs might be the unheralded guy at Alabama who doesn’t really show what he can do until he gets to the NFL.
- We’ve known this for a while, but Michigan would have been smashed by both of these teams if the Wolverines would have sneaked into the playoff at #4 with a win over Ohio State and then Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship. The line of scrimmage would have been dominated by Alabama/Clemson, and they would have made mincemeat of Michigan’s safeties. I’d rather lose in a playoff blowout than in a Peach Bowl blowout to Florida, but Michigan would have ended the season with an embarrassing loss either way.