In immediate aftermath of Clemson’s 35–31 win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff final this January, few would have objected to the prospect of a Tigers-Crimson Tide threematch. The teams had just wrapped up a four-hour thriller capped by a last-second game-winning touchdown pass from a future first-round draft pick quarterback (Deshaun Watson) to a former walk-on wide receiver (Hunter Renfrow). One year earlier, a surprise onside kick swung the matchup the other way, and arguably the greatest coach the sport has ever seen (Nick Saban) walked away with his fourth championship in seven years, and his fifth overall.
Once Improbable, an Alabama-Clemson Title Game Three-Peat Feels Inevitable
