For the third straight year, Alabama and Clemson meet in the College Football Playoff. This time, their showdown comes in the semifinal at the Sugar Bowl.
It almost feels inevitable. Players come and players go, but Alabama-Clemson has become an annual staple of the postseason calendar. The past two seasons, the Crimson Tide faced off against the Tigers for the College Football Playoff national championship. This year, the stakes are almost higher as they must play through one another to even get a title shot.
Alabama was at one the most conservative and the most controversial pick for the College Football Playoff field. Their spot at the Sugar Bowl has felt essentially locked in all season. Even after they lost the Iron Bowl and the SEC West to rival Auburn, the Tide were right on the cusp of sneaking into the four-team field.
Wisconsin lost in the Big Ten championship, neither Ohio State nor Pac-12 champion USC did enough to impress the selection committee, and the Tide were four out of four in reaching the CFP semifinals. They play a different and yet familiar Clemson team. The Tigers won the ACC for a third straight season after their only loss came with starting quarterback Kelly Bryant nursing an injury.
No. 1 faces No. 4 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on New Year’s Day in the 84th edition of the Sugar Bowl. What is going to happen this time around in the third edition of Clemson-Alabama in the Playoff? Keep reading for five bold predictions about the semifinal clash in New Orleans.