Alabama Football: 3 takeaways from Sugar Bowl win over Clemson

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NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 01: Mack Wilson #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide returns an interception for a touchdown in the second half of the AllState Sugar Bowl against the Clemson Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

2. Alabama’s defense is more legit than we thought

Although everyone knows just how good Alabama’s defense has been over the past decade since Nick Saban took over, the Crimson Tide have been wildly overlooked this season. Yes, the Tide have been dubbed a “defensive team” but everyone assumed that the Clemson Tigers would be more dominant on that side of the ball in the Sugar Bowl.

That wasn’t the case as the Tide proved everyone wrong yet again, winning the game with that defense, 24-6. Jalen Hurts only had 120 yards passing and the Tide rushed for only 141 yards with three different players, but they won the game because the defense allowed less than 200 total yards to the No. 1 team in college football.

It wasn’t just the fact that the Tide allowed a minimal amount of yards, but also that they forced a number of turnovers and made a usually-good Kelly Bryant look mediocre, at best. He was just 18-of-36 for 124 yards and two interceptions.

Clemson’s strong running game usually boasts 200-plus yards per contest, but was only able ti muster 64 yards on 33 carries against Alabama. This Alabama defense is the best in the country, and it’s not all that close.

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