After watching the Clemson Tiger defense dismantle what many thought to be a pretty prolific Ohio State attack in the first round of the College Football Playoffs, a cold chill ran through the collective Alabama fan base. The Tigers were everywhere: they swarmed the usually potent Buckeye zone read option, they held quarterback J.T. Barrett’s middling arm largely in check, and they held the number two team in the nation scoreless through four quarters. Scary stuff, indeed.
The Clemson defense has not always looked so imposing. After all, they gave up 43 points and 464 yards to a Pitt team that finished the season with five losses.