For the third year in a row, Clemson will meet Alabama in the College Football Playoff, only this time it will be in the Sugar Bowl semifinal rather than the national championship game.
They'll be hard-pressed to match the drama and excitement of the last two meetings: Alabama's 45-40 victory that featured 40 points in the final 10 1-2 minutes , followed by Clemson's 35-31 triumph on a touchdown pass with one second remaining .
"We haven't competed against each other a lot," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Sunday on the eve of the New Year's night game.