Link: Minkah Fitzpatrick Wants Clemson To See The Real Bama Defense

BamaBoySince89 said:

Of course Clemson is capable, but our defense is too...Fitz's comments sounds like more of a challenge to the defense than it is locker room material for the media and Clemson

I expect containment of Watson, and that's not to say he won't get a play or two go his way. But our defense is definitely the difference this time around. If the offense can give us 14-21 points, I say that's enough to win. Where's your confidence???

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Go Bama said:

I think Alabama wins but this is a matchup nightmare for Bama. Clemson is clearly better at QB and wide receiver. At every other position, Bama is either better or it's a wash. Minkah got schooled last year that Renfrow kid. I don't think Renfrow even starts this year. Williams reminds me of that big receiver Johnny Manziel used to throw to.

The only way Bama wins is to contain and pressure DW. The defense absolutely has to play better. I really expect our offense to play MUCH better than against Washington, but Bama is not going to win another shoot out IMO. The good news is I think Bama can and will contain and pressure DW.

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crimsonaudio said:

Watson's stats disagree...

(bold is better)

2015 (through 14 games):
3,699 passing yards (.681), 31 TDs passing, 1,032 rushing yards, 12 TDs rushing (43 total TDs), 4,731 total yards

2016 (through 14 games):
4,173 passing yards (.673), 38 TDs passing, 586 rushing yards, 8 TDs rushing (46 total TDs), 4,759 total yards

More total yards and more total TD's this year.

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deliveryman35 said:

What inspires a lot of confidence in this game for me is what other teams were able to accomplish against Clemson this past year and the fact that Deshaun Watson has underperformed compared to last season. I'm not saying Clemson cannot beat us, but there is no reason to be all doom and gloom about this game.

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runtheoption22 said:

we have learned Smart's best performances were not against this type of team. Pruitt has a track record that tends to hurt this type of team. We shall see.......

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bamacon said:

Clemson has a cult-like mentality about that game last year. I talked with several of their fans afterwards and to a person they NEVER said, "Congrats! or Y'all beat us that night, Great game!" or really anything like that. No, if I heard this once I heard it a 1000 times, "We didn't lose, we ran out of time." I know Dabo said it and it is like it has become their slogan.

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bamacon said:

Clemson has a cult-like mentality about that game last year. I talked with several of their fans afterwards and to a person they NEVER said, "Congrats! or Y'all beat us that night, Great game!" or really anything like that. No, if I heard this once I heard it a 1000 times, "We didn't lose, we ran out of time." I know Dabo said it and it is like it has become their slogan.

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selmaborntidefan said:

I think there's a subconscious thing going on here. I saw this with the Atlanta Braves of the early 1990s. Clemson has been humming along and they're back in the game a second straight year and ready to win it all. But the problem is this: they were very successful last year at scoring points and accumulating yards even though they came up short. In the back of their minds, the only reason they 'really' lost that game was because of 'lucky breaks' - like the onsides kick. They figure that one extra possession was the five-point difference.

The problem for Clemson, though, is that since Alabama won and the mentality is different, Clemson arrives figuring they just have to play the same game they did last year but execute one more play; Alabama won but is approaching it like a team that lost while Clemson lost it and is approaching it like a team that won. And that's why I don't think it's going to be as close as most folks think it will.

Clemson played their peak game against Ohio State. The problem is this: Urban Meyer, for all his successes, has notoriously had teams - GOOD TEAMS - just not show up for games or flop when they got there. How did Florida lose to Auburn in 2006 or Ole Miss in 2008? Well, they lost the Auburn game on turnovers and only netting 279 yards of offense. They lost to Ole Miss on turnovers, too (do you realize that Ole Miss in 2008 only had ten first downs, gave up 443 yards while only getting 325, and got flagged for twice as many penalties for twice as many yards.....but won the game? Three turnovers killed a great Gators team). I'm not trying to rip Meyer, who's the second best coach out there right now, but many times his teams have shown up and just crashed (2005 Alabama). But Clemson still played their peak.

Alabama, meanwhile, plodded and mailed it in against Washington on offense....but it was still enough.

And I think the approach is what is going to do the Tigers in on Monday night. It's not the same team, and Alabama will have spent the entire week correcting what was done wrong last year.

This game is going to show how good of an in-game coach Dabo Swinney really is. And you never bet against Saban on that contest.

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92tide said:

that was richt and uga's slogan after the 2012 seccg too. it was the wind beneath their wings.

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CajunCrimson said:

They were also 2-3 plays from losing by 20

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bamacon said:

Clemson has a cult-like mentality about that game last year. I talked with several of their fans afterwards and to a person they NEVER said, "Congrats! or Y'all beat us that night, Great game!" or really anything like that. No, if I heard this once I heard it a 1000 times, "We didn't lose, we ran out of time." I know Dabo said it and it is like it has become their slogan.

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selmaborntidefan said:

I think there's a subconscious thing going on here. I saw this with the Atlanta Braves of the early 1990s. Clemson has been humming along and they're back in the game a second straight year and ready to win it all. But the problem is this: they were very successful last year at scoring points and accumulating yards even though they came up short. In the back of their minds, the only reason they 'really' lost that game was because of 'lucky breaks' - like the onsides kick. They figure that one extra possession was the five-point difference.

The problem for Clemson, though, is that since Alabama won and the mentality is different, Clemson arrives figuring they just have to play the same game they did last year but execute one more play; Alabama won but is approaching it like a team that lost while Clemson lost it and is approaching it like a team that won. And that's why I don't think it's going to be as close as most folks think it will.

Clemson played their peak game against Ohio State. The problem is this: Urban Meyer, for all his successes, has notoriously had teams - GOOD TEAMS - just not show up for games or flop when they got there. How did Florida lose to Auburn in 2006 or Ole Miss in 2008? Well, they lost the Auburn game on turnovers and only netting 279 yards of offense. They lost to Ole Miss on turnovers, too (do you realize that Ole Miss in 2008 only had ten first downs, gave up 443 yards while only getting 325, and got flagged for twice as many penalties for twice as many yards.....but won the game? Three turnovers killed a great Gators team). I'm not trying to rip Meyer, who's the second best coach out there right now, but many times his teams have shown up and just crashed (2005 Alabama). But Clemson still played their peak.

Alabama, meanwhile, plodded and mailed it in against Washington on offense....but it was still enough.

And I think the approach is what is going to do the Tigers in on Monday night. It's not the same team, and Alabama will have spent the entire week correcting what was done wrong last year.

This game is going to show how good of an in-game coach Dabo Swinney really is. And you never bet against Saban on that contest.

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