No. 1 Alabama plays No. 2 Clemson in a national title game rematch on Monday at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. It’s the final of the College Football Playoff and follows Alabama’s 45-40 triumph over the Tigers in Arizona a year ago.
WatchESPN has all the live online streams starting at 8 p.m. ET, including ESPN’s alternate telecasts that are online-only and on the SEC Network.
The Crimson Tide are seeking an outrageous fifth national title in eight seasons, while the Tigers want to win their second title all-time and the first since 1981. Bama got here by way of a 24-7 Peach Bowl semifinal win against Washington, while Clemson won, 31-0, against Ohio State at the Fiesta Bowl. Both looked dominant.
Alabama is the clear favorite here, for no other reason than Alabama is Alabama. The Tide are the obvious best team in the country, at 14-0 and only really challenged once or twice all season. They’ve devoured everything in their path. Clemson’s road has been more arduous, with no fewer than five narrow escapes en route to a 13-1 record: against Auburn, Troy, Louisville, NC State, and Florida State. But they’ve won all the same, and they’ve earned the right to take on the Tide with everything at stake.
Clemson, from its attempt a year ago, knows it can at least compete with Alabama. The Tigers should have some kind of chance to win, and that’s the best you can hope for when you’re going up against a practically unprecedented juggernaut. If they play their cards right, Dabo Swinney’s players could have a lot more than a chance.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN. The announcers on the call are ESPN’s top team: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Samantha Ponder, and Tom Rinaldi. Kickoff will come at 8:17 p.m. ET.
Online streaming: WatchESPN has everything, including ESPN’s alternate telecasts that are online-only and on the SEC Network.
Spread: Alabama by 6.
Make friends: SB Nation’s Roll Bama Roll covers Bama, and Shakin The Southland covers Clemson. They’ll have passionate conversations going on all game.
Three big things to know
1. Welcome to the biggest stage, Jalen Hurts. He wasn’t especially good in the Peach Bowl, but Hurts has been remarkable as a true freshman signal-caller in Bama’s offense. He’s played defenses roughly on par with (or maybe even better) than Clemson’s and handled himself well. He won’t need to do all the work for Bama to win this game, but if the Clemson offense behind Deshaun Watson can score a few touchdowns, Hurts might need to do more than rip off some good runs and make smart reads. We’ll see what kind of night he has.
2. That young Clemson front has another huge challenge. The Tigers kept Ohio State below four yards per carry at the Fiesta, and they’ve got a lot of talent. But there are only two seniors in this group, and slowing down Bama’s powerful brigade of runners is a lot to ask of a somewhat inexperienced unit. Bo Scarbrough, who’s a backup, ran for a cool 184 yards on 19 carries against Washington. We’ll see if he’s the featured back again, and if Bama tries to run Hurts a bunch after Clemson did so well against OSU’s J.T. Barrett. Alabama’s play callers have decisions to make.
3. Splash plays could decide it. Remember last year, when Alabama turned the game with a surprise onside kick that Clemson never saw coming? It doesn’t have to be exactly like that. But if this turns out to be a one-score game late, a missed assignment or a bad kick could decide the title. Get ready for some suspense.