5 things to know about the National Championship Game

GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 11: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Clemson Tigers runs the ball in the third quarter against Da'Shawn Hand #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 11, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Credit: Christian Petersen

Credit: Christian Petersen

GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 11: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Clemson Tigers runs the ball in the third quarter against Da'Shawn Hand #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 11, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Sports
By
Jan 9, 2017
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Alabama and Clemson are set to play Monday night for the championship of the College Football Playoff.

Here are five things to know about the matchup:

  1. No. 1 Alabama is looking for its second straight national championship while Clemson is looking for its second ever.  The Tigers won it all in 1981 while the Crimson Tide have won four in the last seven seasons.
  2. The Crimson Tide prevailed 45-40 over the Tigers in last year's championship game. This is the first rematch a year later since the BCS began guaranteeing No. 1 vs. 2 matchups with the 1998 season.
  3. Clemson has beaten Alabama before… but not in over 100 years. The Tigers took down the tide in the first three matchups between the schools, outscoring Alabama by a combined score of 78-0 in 1900, '04 and '05.
  4. Alabama can become the first team in 119 years to go 15-0. Pennsylvania is the most recent team to do that – in 1897. William McKinley was President of the United States (of which there were only 45).
  5. Styles make fights?
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Marcus Hartman has been a digital sports columnist and reporter at Cox's Ohio newspapers the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News since 2016.