Clemson Tigers look to defeat the seemingly unstoppable Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers meet Monday night in Tampa, Florida, to face off in the College Football Playoff championship game. The natural question is if the No. 2 Tigers will be able to upset the seemingly unstoppable No. 1 Crimson Tide, who have lost only one game in the past two seasons and have 16 championships to their name, including four under current coach Nick Saban. If Alabama indeed wins on Monday, they will boast a 27-game victory streak, the 10th longest since World War II, The New York Times reports.
The championship is a rematch of last year's nail-biter, in which Clemson fell to Alabama 45-40 after an undefeated 2015 season. "We're close," said Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. "We've done so much together. But the king is still the king until someone knocks him off his throne. What they have done is what we all want to do. It's the last thing left that we haven't done together. Win the national championship."
Clemson has only claimed one national championship, back in 1981, and has not won against Alabama since 1905 (they've lost to the Tide 13 straight times). But "Clemson might be the only team in college football that can beat Alabama," CBS college football commentator Gary Danielson told The New York Times, although he admitted "I don't think they will."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Not everyone predicts the Tide's cakewalk to victory: Four of SB Nation's staff writers picked a Clemson win, as did five of seven CBS Sports writers and five of seven at Sports Illustrated.
"The two best teams are here," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told ESPN. "I don't think there's any question about that."
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, and can be streamed live at WatchESPN.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published