The Alabama Crimson Tide return to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game with perfection in mind. The Clemson Tigers hit the big stage with the intent to accomplish two goals in one swipe—avenge last year’s single loss and win their second national title in school history.  The two programs will field a combined 16 players who received first- to fourth-round draft grades, per CBS Sports rankings. Safety Eddie Jackson received a mid-round rank, but he’ll sit ...

TAMPA, Fla. — It goes against everything they believe and preach and fight for, day after day. At Clemson, football is all about the team, not the individual. It's all about earning it, not deserving it. Yet there's room for one sweet exception of selfishness and entitlement to those rules when it comes to Deshaun Watson. "If anyone deserves anything," offensive coordinator Tony Elliott says, "I think Deshaun deserves to win it all." The irony of that feel-good sentiment ...

College football is back in no-man's land when it comes to the national championship. Five years ago, Alabama's rematch with LSU in the BCS title game helped spark the change to the four-team College Football Playoff, in part to make it tougher for such a thing to occur. LSU won the regular-season game 9-6 in overtime, but Alabama took the contest that mattered most, 21-0. This season we're getting a different kind of rematch—one that most prefer, ...

A rematch for the ages will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Monday night between top-ranked Alabama and No. 2 Clemson—one year after the Tide topped the Tigers for the national title in Glendale, Arizona. Will history repeat itself, or will Clemson get the revenge it has wanted for a full season? Analysts Adam Kramer, Barrett Sallee, Christopher Walsh, Greg Couch and Michael Felder break down the College Football Playoff National Championship in ...

There is plenty to say about a rematch—and one with a championship at stake, no less—before the Clemson Tigers collide on Monday with the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Rest assured that the players and coaches have done most of the talking in the buildup to the game. Given its status as a rematch, much of Clemson's discourse has centered on revenge. For Alabama, it is focused on the lessons learned ...

For the second time in as many years, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers will meet to determine a national champion. Both teams cruised in their College Football Playoff semifinals. Alabama allowed 194 yards in a 24-7 Peach Bowl victory over the Washington Huskies, while Clemson shut out the Ohio State Buckeyes 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl. The Tigers will be looking to avenge last season's 45-40 defeat to the Crimson Tide in the title game.   When: ...

More than a month after completing his third losing season in four years, Sonny Dykes is out at Cal. Cal confirmed the move Sunday after Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports first reported the decision. The Bears went 5-7 in 2016 but closed their season with an impressive 36-10 win over UCLA, and Dykes finished his Cal tenure with a 19-30 record. Cal also announced that offensive coordinator Jake Spavital will serve as interim head coach. Cal athletic ...

It's time for Round 2 between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers. A year after the Tide trumped the Tigers in a College Football Playoff National Championship showdown, Clemson has its eyes on revenge as the two sides get ready to clash at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. On the flip side, the Crimson Tide will be looking to secure their fifth national championship 2009. With kickoff quickly approaching, there's plenty to break down on both ...

After another season of college football we are right back to where we were a year ago: The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers squaring off for a national championship.  It pretty much looked like Alabama was destined to be back in this spot all season. The team marched through the season undefeated with its 10-0 win against LSU representing the closest game. It's been trademark Alabama domination and it'll be looking to go post-to-post ...

The Alabama Crimson Tide will attempt to accomplish what the Clemson Tigers failed to do last year—complete a perfect 15-0 season. Though it’s a College Football Playoff National Championship rematch in a different venue, we must acknowledge major differences for Round 2 between the Crimson Tide and the Tigers. For starters, wide receiver Mike Williams will suit up against Alabama for this matchup. He missed all but one game during his junior year with a neck ...