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SEC Football: Previewing the New Year’s Day SEC bowl games

By Abbey Giese

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide talks with head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers after the Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide 35-31 in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 09: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide talks with head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers after the Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide 35-31 in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Sugar Bowl

The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 SEC) will play the No. 1 Clemson Tigers (12-1, 8-1 ACC) in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. This is the other College Football Playoff semifinal game. The winner of the Sugar Bowl will play the winner of the Rose Bowl for the national championship.

The Crimson Tide and the Tigers have become very familiar with one another during the playoff era. This is the third straight year that Alabama will play Clemson in a postseason game. The Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide in last season’s national championship game. However, Alabama won the national title over Clemson for the 2015 season.

The Crimson Tide is the favorite to win the Sugar Bowl. Alabama’s strong point is definitely their defense. The Crimson Tide is No. 1 in the FBS for opponent points per game with an average of 11.5 points allowed. Alabama has held five opponents to less than two scores, but they have also held every team they have played to under 30 points. Only three teams have scored more than 20 points on the Crimson Tide this season.

However, Alabama has a lot of defensive players that are injured. Some will miss or may be limited for the Sugar Bowl game.

But injuries are not the only challenge that the Crimson Tide will have to face. Tennessee hired Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt as head coach earlier this month. Pruitt is going to stay with Alabama through the playoff, but he is splitting his time between Tuscaloosa and Knoxville as he prepares the Crimson Tide defense for the playoff while also hitting the recruiting trail for Tennessee.

However, Alabama has enough depth to avoid being phased by injuries too much. Their head coach, Nick Saban, is also a defensive minded coach, so Pruitt’s time away from the team should not really affect the defense with the rest of the staff fully committed to playoff preparation.

Related Story: SEC December Bowl Games

Alabama vs. Clemson Part Three will likely be every bit as exciting as the first two meetings.

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