When going back and looking at last year’s national championship game between Clemson and Alabama, there was one thing that stood out more than anything else – the Crimson Tide’s offense could not stay on the field.
Alabama was just 2-for-15 on third down that night in Tamp, Fla., which ultimately led to its defense giving up three touchdowns in the last 20 plays, including the game-winner with one second left in Clemson’s 35-31 victory.
So if the Tide (11-1) hopes to turn things around on New Year’s Day when it meets Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, it has to improve in this area.
“I think tempo will be a big part of it. One of the things in college football, you can go tempo. It tends to try and wear down a defensive front,” said ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit prior to the College Football Awards Show last Thursday. “A lot of those guys are 290 pounds, 300 pounds and so a lot of times you will see that kind of approach.”
Clemson (12-1) wore down the Crimson Tide last year with that approach and it is shore to have the same game plan this time around. The Tigers ran 99 plays for 511 total yards in winning the program its first national championship in 35 years.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban brought in former New England Patriots coach Brian Daboll to run the offense and coach his quarterbacks this year, but the results have been mixed so far.
The Tide is averaging 465.4 yards per game and 6.9 yards per play, but 265.3 of those yards have come on the ground. They are averaging just 200.1 yards through the air and quarterback Jalen Hurts has completed 60.5 of his passes for 1,940 yards.
“I am still trying to figure out if Alabama’s offense can compete and push it to the limits in this game right here,” former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd said to the First Team as a guest on ESPNU Radio last week. “They have taken the air out of the ball a lot this season.
“Jalen Hurts has thrown the ball a 100 times less than he did last season at this point. It’s going to be a tough matchup.”
The Crimson Tide rank 55th nationally on third down, converting just 41.5 percent of the time. Those are not bad numbers, but they are numbers that definitely need to improve when they play a Clemson defense that prides itself on getting off the field.
The Tigers rank fifth nationally in third down defense, allowing a conversion rate of 27.8 percent.
“I think Jalen Hurts is going to have to be involved in not just running the football. I think he is going to have to have some big plays throwing,” Herbstreit said.
But that is not an easy task against a Clemson defense that ranks seventh in passing pass defense and leads the country in sacks.
“Clemson some times, and I have been around their team a lot, people talk about their defensive line as if, but their secondary and linebackers are really good too,” Herbstreit said. “I think it is an overall defense that is very challenging.
“The cool thing is Hurts has experience playing against them, although it is a new scheme.”
The big playmaker for Alabama is wide receiver Calvin Ridley. He has 55 receptions for 896 yards and three touchdowns. No one else on the team has more than 14 receptions.
“A receiver besides Calvin Ridley is going to have to step up,” Herbstreit said. “If you know Brent Venables at all, he’s going to come up with a plan to try to take away Ridley, and I want to see who that other guy can be for Alabama.”