The Clemson Tigers are underdogs, yet you can’t help but root for this team. QB Deshaun Watson is intelligent, capable and by all accounts a genuine leader of his team. Coach Dabo Swinney is a true gentleman, and he is a Bobby Bowden-style coach who can inspire his players. His droll Southern speech and “aw-shucks”, wide-eyed, enthusiastic Mayberry personality make him a media darling. You can’t even get annoyed at him for spouting Christian ethics at every turn, because the guy is so darn earnest and humble. So I would love to see Clemson win that national title next week. Unfortunately, I just don’t think it’s going to happen.

Alabama was terrifying in their College Football Playoff game against one of the best teams in the country. The Michigan State Spartans have not been shut out in over a decade, so this says a great deal about the quality of this Alabama team. The Spartans managed to stop Heisman winner Derrick Henry, but that is about all they accomplished. Alabama QB Jake Coker has been hit-or-miss all season, but this game he was throwing like a house afire. He was 24-of-29 passing in Saturday’s game with 280 yards by the end of the third quarter and the Tide were leading the Spartans 31-0. So despite the Alabama defensive front, the CFP game last weekend was all about the offense. This means that Alabama has more talent and depth than anyone suspected. That spells trouble for any team that goes against them.

I am not disparaging Clemson. Clemson didn’t make it this far without having an inordinate amount of talent on both sides of the ball. Watson has an outstanding running game as well as one of the best passing games in the country. The past few quarterbacks that beat Alabama — Johnny Manziel and Chad Kelly — had a similar style. Clemson also has a great defense, and if they can shut down Henry they can at least make it a game. However, Bama’s unparalleled red-zone defense and Clemson’s shaky special teams might be the deciding factor in Monday’s matchup. The fact that Alabama will get an additional week of practice time can’t help the Tigers, either.

I would dearly love to see Clemson triumph here — it’s just that Bama keeps destroying their competition. So yes, I think that the Tide will have another national title this season.