Alabama coach Nick Saban, right, walks up to linebackers Jamey Mosley (16), Mack Wilson (30), Dylan Moses (32) and Anfernee Jennings (33) during Saturday’s final practice at Stanford University for tonight’s College Football Playoff championship game.College football fans had to wait four weeks to watch a pair of playoff semifinals that wound up offering little intrigue.
Nine days later, Alabama and Clemson will vie in a championship game that may best be characterized to this point as underappreciated. The No. 1 Crimson Tide (14-0) and No. 2 Tigers (14-0) collide tonight at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with the winner attaining the first 15-0 record in Football Bowl Subdivision history.
“These are two really good teams, and I think some people are making a big deal out of the ticket prices dropping due to the location and that it’s getting really expensive for the fan bases of these teams following them in the playoffs,” former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. “We haven’t had two 14-0 teams before, and both of these teams are in the top five in the nation in scoring offense and in scoring defense. I don’t know if that’s ever happened, either, but I think it really signifies just how good these teams really are.
“This is a very special game that I think, to some extent, has been sold a little short.”
A slew of impressive statistics can be applied to tonight’s showdown at the home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, with none reflecting the dominance of both teams more than this: Alabama’s undefeated record has transpired by an average victory margin of 31.5 points, while Clemson’s average victory margin is 31.4 points.