Dominate the Super Bowl

"Yo! Yo! Yo!"

Throughout Bryant Denny Stadium, boos rose up like a surging crimson tide that roared towards the end zone with fangs and claws bared, the sound waves rolling. Yet DeShaun Watson was completely unaffected, standing in the end zone dancing—

Literally.

Moving to the rhythm of the boos, Watson imitated Drake’s latest hit "Hotline Bling" with sultry dance moves, twisting his hips within a small range. Although his facial expression couldn’t be seen because of the helmet, the mocking dance was highly provocative.

The louder the boos, the more spirited Watson became.

For the visiting Clemson, this was the best kind of encouragement.

In fact, Clemson had come prepared for today’s warm-up match. Although it was just a warm-up, both coaches, Saban and Sweeney, had their own plans and were firmly executing them.

In the first half, Clemson Tigers fielded their main players, going all out to open up the game; the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm, however, held back a little, taking the field with the main offensive group and backup defensive group, forming the opposition.

Saban had his considerations—

For one, in the team’s internal practice game, the backup defensive group had performed exceptionally well, only allowing eight first downs throughout the game, leaving Hertz’s main offensive group disoriented. Saban had more expectations for the backup players.

Secondly, the strategy was to focus on offense in the first half and then switch tactics in the second half to polish the defense; so in the first half, Saban almost lured Sweeney into offense while he continuously observed Clemson’s offensive tactics.

The strategy was sound, even clever.

But Saban had underestimated the resolve of everyone at Clemson, from Sweeney to Watson. They were all sharpening their weapons for revenge after their defeat in the nationwide championship game last January, starting very aggressively from the onset.

Watson, truly an NCAA star, was not only the main contender for the upcoming Heisman Trophy but also a leading candidate for next year’s NFL draft top pick.

Watson hadn’t forgotten that this warm-up match was being broadcast nationwide, a perfect opportunity—

NFL teams usually don’t have the time to watch NCAA games. All teams are the same; they rely on professional scouts to gather information. So what lands on the desk of the head coach and team manager is just a bunch of scouting reports. Unless they are interested, they won’t bother to look up game footage.

But today was different.

It was still spring training camp, and the NFL had just finished drafting. Training camp hadn’t started yet, and players and coaches were on vacation. To pass the time, they might occasionally watch a game, and this ESPN broadcast could come into their view. There was no doubt it was the perfect stage to boost one’s profile.

The warm-up matches have their unique significance.

Watson was ready to seize the opportunity.

So, as soon as he hit the field, Watson quickly got into the groove, showing great versatility in both passing and running, unleashing a dazzling offense that caught the Crimson Tide Storm by surprise.

"14:0".

It seemed before they could catch their breath, the visiting Clemson already had a two-touchdown lead. Watson’s shining performance even overshadowed the excellent play of the Tigers’ defense squad, one pass for a touchdown and one run for another, leading to the scene of him dancing in the Crimson Tide Storm’s end zone.

Today, Bryant Denny Stadium was packed. Facing last season’s national championship loser and a deeply rooted archrival, the town’s residents poured out of their homes. Even though it was just a warm-up match, it showcased the fervor of a national championship, with the mighty Crimson Tide captivating the audience.

However, Watson was extremely bold and unrestrained from the first offensive drive, showing top-level performance that completely made everyone forget Hertz’s presence.

The Crimson Tide Storm was somewhat sluggish in the first quarter of the game.

Saban was not panicked.

Firstly, it must be admitted that Clemson had indeed performed exceptionally from the start; but on the other hand, was Clemson really that remarkable?

Starting with the offensive side of the Crimson Tide Storm, the fundamental issue was still the ground attack. Saban’s team wasn’t skilled at passing offense, so the ground attack was crucial to breaking through.

Sweeney knew that without Derrick Henry, the Crimson Tide Storm was struggling at the running back position, so he seized the opportunity to set up targeted formations, completely choking the life out of the Crimson Tide Storm.

The Tigers Defense Squad’s four defensive linemen had top-notch abilities. In fact, Sweeney’s defensive tactics were rather repetitive, but the combat ability of the defensive line when fighting solo was truly outstanding, and they weren’t just any strong players.

Among the four players, at least three were first-class, and even with limited tactical variations, they could still create a collective advantage.

Carlos Watkins, a junior in September, played as a Defensive Tackle.

Christian Wilkins, a sophomore in September, played as a Defensive End.

Dexter Lawrence, a freshman in September, played as a Defensive Tackle.

Saban was familiar with Watkins as they had clashed the year before. Here was a blue-collar player, hardworking and diligent; although lacking some explosiveness, he rarely missed tackles and completed each defensive task with reliability and stability, like a linchpin.

The real highlights, however, were the two youngsters, Wilkins and Lawrence, strong enough and ferocious enough to have the qualifications of a first-round pick in terms of talent and ability.

Football is different from other sports, mainly because of the sheer number of players, so those who make it to the first round of the draft are all freaks of nature, not to mention first-rounders— all prospects in the top three rounds are exceptional talents.

"First-round pick," that is the highest praise.

Furthermore, since there are many positions on a football field, during the draft, teams often won’t choose the most talented but will select what they need the most, which makes it even more remarkable for players at certain positions to make it into the first round.

This was the case with defensive linemen.

In Saban’s view, Wilkins and Lawrence indeed had the potential to be first-round picks.

The two of them, one responsible for the inside and the other for the outside, were like Black-faced Yamas, completely strangling the running game. Jacobs and Clark couldn’t make any headway with their rushing.

As a result, when Hertz tried to pass, his intentions were repeatedly anticipated in advance, leading to severe fluctuations in his passing accuracy, and the offense was thus cornered.

Pressure formed a vicious cycle.

To Saban, it was still a matter of momentum.

Jacobs, as well as Clark, they were both aware of Derrick Henry’s deterrence from the previous season. With Henry on the field, the opponent’s defensive group could be intimidated, and deep down, they knew they couldn’t match Henry, yet subconsciously they tried to prove that they could fill his shoes—

That was contradictory.

And because of such a contradictory mindset, when it came to pushing forward on the ground, they lacked observation and lacked thought, hitting the wall over and over in frustration.

Jacobs was somewhat irritable. Still young.

The current situation had reasons stemming from the opposition as well as from themselves. Saban was very calm, always observing the big picture.

Now, let’s talk about the defense of the Crimson Tide Storm.

The core issue was still Watson’s growth; the Crimson Tide Storm’s defensive group could never decipher Watson’s tactical choices, and this athletically gifted quarterback single-handedly carried the Tigers’ offensive flag.