NCAAF teams
Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Clemson vs. Alabama: CFP National Championship tale of the tape

College Football, College Football Bowls, Alabama Crimson Tide, Clemson Tigers

No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Alabama will play in the Jan. 11 College Football Playoff National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

How do they match up? Here's a look at the similarities and differences between the Crimson Tide and Tigers:

LOCATION

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Clemson, South Carolina


FOUNDED

1831

1889


FIRST YEAR OF FOOTBALL

1892

1896


COLORS

Crimson and White

Clemson Orange and Regalia


ALL-TIME RECORD

848-309-41

683-448-44


NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN POLL ERA (Since 1936)

10

1


MOST RECENT NATIONAL TITLE

2012

1981


NO. 1 SONG AT TIME OF LAST TITLE

"I'm Sexy And I Know It," LMFAO

"Physical," Olivia Newton-John


CURRENT WINNING STREAK

11

17


HEAD COACH

Nick Saban

Dabo Swinney


HEAD COACH SALARY

$7.1 million

$3.3 million


DON'T MENTION

Ole Miss

"Clemsoning"


NIGHTMARE SCENARIO

Saban leaves for the NFL

Swinney leaves for Alabama


ENROLLMENT

37,100

21,957


CITY POPULATION (2014 Census estimate)

96,122

15,072


STADIUM CAPACITY

101,821

81,500


MOST RECENT FOOTBALL GRADUATION RATE

86 percent

84 percent


NUMBER OF TIMES ON NCAA PROBATION

3

3


SEASON'S SNACK STORYLINE

Talk to the Coke bottle (Watch)

Pizza party (Watch)


CITY BEST KNOWN FOR ITS...

Football

Lake


BEST PREGAME TRADITION

Walk of Champions

Running down the hill


BEST POSTGAME TRADITION

Singing "Rammer Jammer"

Dabo dancing


BEST POSTGAME SPOT

Dreamland

The Esso Club


CAMPUS LANDMARK

Denny Chimes

"Old Green Tom"


MOST FAMOUS FOOTBALL LANDMARK

Bear Bryant statue

Howard's Rock


MOST FAMOUS ALUMNUS (Hollywood)

Jim Nabors, "The Andy Griffith Show"

Nancy O'Dell, "Entertainment Tonight"


MOST FAMOUS ALUMNUS (vocals)

Mel Allen, New York Yankees

Lee Brice


MOST FAMOUS ALUMNUS (literary)

Winston Groom, "Forrest Gump"

James Dickey, "Deliverance" (Attended for one year, played football, before serving in WWII)


GREATEST COACH

Paul "Bear" Bryant

Danny Ford


GREATEST PLAYER

John Hannah

Terry Kinard


HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS

2

0


COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMERS

23

6


BOWL APPEARANCES

62

38


BOWL RECORD

35-24-3

20-18


APPEARANCES IN AP POLL

742

386


SENIOR CLASS FOUR-YEAR RECORD

49-6

46-7


NFL FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICKS (Common draft era, since 1967)

42

23


BEST NFL PROSPECT

DT A'Shawn Robinson

DE Shaq Lawson


MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER

RB Derrick Henry

QB Deshaun Watson


BEST FRESHMAN

WR Calvin Ridley

OT Mitch Hyatt


BEST NICKNAME

"El Tractorcito" (Henry)

"Wayne Train" (RB Wayne Gallman)


POINTS PER GAME

34.1

38.5


POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME

14.4

20.2


RUSHING YARDS PER GAME

204.4

228.6


PASSING YARDS PER GAME

219.4

283.4


SCORING DEFENSE RANKING

1

16


SCORING OFFENSE RANKING

33

16


PLAY THEY'LL NEVER FORGET

 Henry's TD run vs. Tennessee

 Goal-line stand vs. Notre Dame


UGLIEST GAME

43-37 loss to Ole Miss

20-17 win at Louisville


MOST IMPRESSIVE GAME

38-0 over Michigan State

37-17 over Oklahoma

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