TV Schedule: 8:30 p.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 11 (ESPN)

Location: University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz.

Line: Alabama -7

With the 2015 college football season drawing to a close, it’s time to take a look at the two teams that stand alone in the national title game. The No. 1 Clemson Tigers ran through the Big 12 champion Oklahoma Sooners 37-17 in the Capital One Orange Bowl to punch their ticket, while the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide completely destroyed the Big Ten champion Michigan State Spartans 38-0 in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. This looks like another solid matchup on paper on both sides of the ball.

Alabama comes into this game with a record of 13-1, and they are led by Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. He dominated the SEC this season and became the conference’s all-time single-season rushing leader with 2,061 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. Of course, Alabama is not just a one-dimensional team as QB Jacob Coker showed against Michigan State. Although he didn’t post impressive numbers during the regular season (2,775 yards and 19 touchdowns), he completed 25-of-30 passes for 286 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the semifinal. Coker has a solid complement of receivers to get the ball to in super freshman Calvin Ridley (who caught both two touchdowns against the Spartans), Ardarius Stewart and big tight end O.J. Howard.

Prior to this season, Clemson was a good team that was always in contention, but they became famous, or infamous, for “Clemsoning” by giving away games or giving disappointing performances in big stages. This year, however, there was no Clemsoning for the Tigers. Sophomore dual-threat QB Deshuan Watson finished third in the Heisman Trophy race, and his leadership skills and playmaking ability guided Clemson through a tough schedule with wins over Notre Dame and Florida State, a team that was a thorn in the Tigers’ side in recent years. Watson is the best dual-threat QB in the game today, and he accounted for over 4,700 all-purpose yards and 43 total touchdowns up to this game, including a 322-yard, two touchdown performance against Oklahoma. Supporting Watson in the backfield is fellow sophomore Wayne Gallman, who has rushed for 1,469 yards and 12 touchdowns, including a 150-yard, two touchdown performance against the Sooners.

Defensively, both teams have excellent units and plenty of good individual playmakers. Alabama is the second-ranked total defense in college football and ranks No. 1 in run defense, averaging just 70.8 yards per game. Their front is led by four future NFL players in A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed, Jonathan Allen and Reggie Ragland, all of whom are first-round caliber players. Alabama gave up only one 100-yard rushing game all season to Georgia‘s Nick Chubb, but 83 of his 146 yards came on one play with just 10 seconds left in the game.

Clemson is the No. 6 total defense in the country and the No. 9 pass defense. The Tigers had to be replace their entire starting defensive line, including 2015 No. 8 overall pick Vic Beasley and their middle linebacker Stephone Anthony, who also was a first-round pick in 2015. Clemson has playmakers on each level, starting up front with Shaq Lawson. He is a future first-round pick who has 10.5 sacks. Ben Boulware is the playmaker of the linebacking corps, and he made a crucial interception against the Sooners that clinched the game for the Tigers. The secondary is the strength of this unit with three future first-round picks in Cordrea Tankersley, Mackensie Alexander and Jayron Kearse.

Both teams deserve to be here and they match up so well on both sides of the ball. This game will come down to the wire, but the Crimson Tide have the advantage in terms of big-game experience with Nick Saban patrolling the sidelines. Let’s hope this game isn’t a blowout like every other major game this bowl season.

Prediction: Alabama 28, Clemson 24