{"id":5277,"date":"2017-01-06T13:11:02","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T18:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordoncollegefootball.com\/?p=5277"},"modified":"2017-01-06T13:11:02","modified_gmt":"2017-01-06T18:11:02","slug":"2017-national-championship-game-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2017\/01\/06\/2017-national-championship-game-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"2017 National Championship Game Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It is hard to believe another college football season is almost over, and there is only one game left to play. It is time for the 2017 National Title Game Preview here at Last Word on College Football.<\/p>\n<p>Since the title game came into existence in 1998 with the BCS, the same\u00a0two teams have never met in successive years for the championship. When Alabama and Clemson meet\u00a0on Monday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, they will try to live up to last year&#8217;s Instant Classic.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Alabama vs  Clemson - CFP National Championship 01.11.2016\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RySXCog-n7M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Crimson Tide rallied from a 24-20 third quarter deficit to claim their fourth national title in nine seasons winning 45-40. This despite a record setting performance from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/deshaun-watson-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Deshaun Watson<\/strong><\/a>. The Tiger quarterback threw for four touchdowns and had 478 yards of total offense, breaking the title game\u00a0record of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/vince-young-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vince Young<\/a><\/strong> set in the 2006 Rose Bowl.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Going For History<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>With the 24-7 win over Washington in the Peach Bowl, Alabama will be trying for a fifth National title under <strong>Nick Saban.<\/strong> They are attempting to become the first FBS\u00a0team in history to go 15-0 in a season.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/bo-scarbrough-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Bo Scarbrough<\/strong><\/a> led the way for the Crimson Tide with 180 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Quarterback <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/jalen-hurts-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jalen Hurts<\/strong><\/a> threw for only 47 yards as they struggled to move the ball against a good Washington defense.<\/p>\n<p>A win will give Saban his sixth National Championship, tying him with another Alabama legend Bear Bryant at number one on the list.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Lane Kiffin Situation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>On Monday, the school announced that <strong>Lane Kiffin<\/strong> had been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator. He\u00a0was named the head coach at\u00a0Florida Atlantic on December 12th and has been splitting duties ever since.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Lane&#39;s done at Bama. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tegdPOU0tS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/tegdPOU0tS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Andy_Staples\/status\/815969702816219137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 2, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Tide had trouble on offense this year and did once again against Washington. Only amassing\u00a0326 total yards, Alabama got help with\u00a010 points off turnovers, something they have done all season.\u00a0Through 14 games, the nation&#8217;s best defense and special teams units\u00a0have been responsible for a remarkable\u00a015 touchdowns.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Alabama has turned defense into offense all season long. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CFBPlayoff?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CFBPlayoff<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qYmxAY2pmZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/qYmxAY2pmZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SportsCenter\/status\/815311770093023236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 31, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/steve-sarkisian-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Steve Sarkisian<\/strong><\/a> will handle the offensive coordinator duties for the title game. The former USC coach has been an offensive analyst for the club all season long. He will be coordinator in 2017, so he is getting a head start on next year.<\/p>\n<p>The national title game gives Sarkisian the most scrutinized tryout in history. It is a bold move by\u00a0Saban, but\u00a0you don&#8217;t win five national championships by playing it safe.<\/p>\n<p>Dumping Kiffin was the right thing to do; in his three years in Tuscaloosa, Kiffin had become more of a distraction, especially recently. Furthermore, if you look at Kiffin&#8217;s history, three years seems to be about as long as he stays anywhere.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Real Heisman Winner?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Had the Heisman Trophy voting taken place in January, then <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/deshaun-watson-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Deshaun Watson<\/strong><\/a> would have won going away. Given the way Watson played down the stretch in comparison to winner <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=lamar-jackson-2,lamar-jackson-1&amp;search=Lamar+Jackson&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lamar Jackson<\/a><\/strong>, it would have been a landslide.<\/p>\n<p>In the 31-0 rout of Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, Watson threw for 259 yards and one touchdown. He found the end zone two more times via the run. Over the last six games, Watson has thrown for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has another 249 yards on the ground with five more scores.<\/p>\n<p>This time against Alabama, Watson will have his favorite target <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=mike-williams-8,mike-williams-3,mike-williams-4,mike-williams-17&amp;search=Mike+Williams&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Mike Williams<\/strong><\/a> to throw to. Against the Huskies, Williams had a team high six catches for\u00a096 yards. On the season, Williams has 90 receptions for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns. He missed last season due to a neck injury suffered\u00a0in the first game.<\/p>\n<p>As good as Watson has been the Tiger defense, was just as good against the Buckeyes. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/dabo-swinney-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Dabo Swinney<\/strong><\/a>&#8216;s club held the Buckeyes to 215 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers. As a matter of fact, it was the first time ever an <strong>Urban Meyer<\/strong> coached team has been shut out, a streak of 194 games.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/OhioState?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#OhioState<\/a> gets SHUTOUT:<br \/>First time since: 1993<br \/>First time in a bowl since: 1920<br \/>First time for Urban Meyer since: EVER<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcf7: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/darrenrovell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@darrenrovell<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DlUsK0fEhp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/DlUsK0fEhp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Good Morning America (@GMA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GMA\/status\/815401170088947712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 1, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Who Wins the Rematch?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In what is likely be his last game in college, Watson will look to lead Clemson to their first national championship since 1981 and second overall. Having Williams to throw to will be huge, as they will look to exploit his size against the Alabama secondary.<\/p>\n<p>If there is a knock on Watson, it is his tendency to throw interceptions. He has 30 in 29 games over the last two seasons. The opportunistic Tide defense will look to force turnovers and take advantage as they have done all season.<\/p>\n<p>On the other side of the ball, the key for Clemson will be to try to pressure\u00a0Hurts. The Tigers have 49 sacks in 2016, and stats show Hurts has not done nearly as well when pressured.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jalen Hurts was 0-4 under pressure vs Washington. He&#39;s now completed just 30.3% of his pass attempts under pressure this season.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CFBFilmRoom\/status\/816374520458006528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 3, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>More than likely, this will mean a healthy dose of Scarbrough and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/damien-harris-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Damien Harris<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> Hurts can also do damage running the ball. In their only loss of the season, the Tigers gave up 132 yards to Pittsburgh&#8217;s <strong>James<\/strong> <strong>Connor.<\/strong> Florida State&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/dalvin-cook-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Dalvin Cook<\/strong><\/a> rang up 169 yards on the Clemson defense so they can be beat by the run.<\/p>\n<p>If Alabama wins, Hurts will become only the second true freshman quarterback to win a national title. The other was <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/jamelle-holieway-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jamelle Holieway<\/strong><\/a> of Oklahoma in 1985. Hurts has handled the pressure all season, but this game of\u00a0this magnitude\u00a0could be different.<\/p>\n<p>In the entertainment industry, the toughest thing to do is make a good sequel. For every &#8220;Godfather Part 2&#8221; or &#8220;Empire Strikes Back&#8221;, there are a million &#8220;Caddyshack 2&#8217;s&#8221; or &#8220;The Phantom Menace.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The first ever college football playoff sequel will be just as good as the first and will feature a familiar result. In games like this, the team with the better defense usually ends up winning. No one has a better defense than Alabama, and they will hoist the trophy again.<\/p>\n<p>Alabama 34 Clemson 28<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5375 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosoncfb.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS.jpg\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS-768x528.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS-100x70.jpg 100w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS-218x150.jpg 218w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS-696x479.jpg 696w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS-1068x734.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/01\/CFP-2017-ODDS-611x420.jpg 611w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is hard to believe another college football season is almost over, and there is only one game left to play. It is time for the 2017 National Title Game Preview here at Last Word on College Football. Since the title game came into existence in 1998 with the BCS, the same\u00a0two teams have never [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":877,"featured_media":5375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2,3],"tags":[35,184,36,680,87,613,903,126,41],"class_list":["post-5277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acc","category-featured","category-sec","tag-alabama-crimson-tide","tag-cfb","tag-clemson-tigers","tag-dabo-swinney","tag-deshaun-watson","tag-jalen-hurts","tag-national-championship","tag-ncaa","tag-nick-saban"],"modified_by":"Lauren Beasley","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/877"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}