Crimson Tide practiced in full pads inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama football team returned to practice on Monday afternoon after a day off, working two hours in full pads inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.
It was the third of seven practices before the Tide breaks for the holiday and No. 3 of 12 practices overall prior to the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Clemson in the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The No. 4 Crimson Tide will face off with the top-ranked Tigers on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, with kickoff scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CT on ESPN. The tandem of Joe Tessitore and Todd Blackledge will call the Semifinal pairing from the booth, while Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge will work each team’s sideline.
The 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference champions, Clemson enters the New Year’s Day game with a 12-1 overall record, including an 8-1 mark in ACC play. The Tigers remained atop the CFP rankings following a 38-3 victory over then-No. 7 Miami in the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 3. Clemson is led by head coach Dabo Swinney, who holds a 101-29 record in his ninth season with the program.
The Semifinal contest will mark the 18th pairing between Alabama and Clemson in the history of the two schools, with the Crimson Tide owning a 13-4 series advantage. The two most recent matchups came in the 2016 and 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Games. Alabama rallied to defeat the No. 1 Tigers, 45-40, to capture the Tide’s 16th national championship in the 2016 game in Glendale, Ariz. The Tigers then returned the favor with a come-from-behind, 35-31, win in the 2017 championship in Tampa, Fla.
