Dominate the Super Bowl

Spotlight, hot debate, the center of attention—

Originally, the annual NCAA nationwide championship's final battle is a definite hot ticket, with average viewership reaching up to fifty million or even more; this year, due to the opposing teams, the popularity has skyrocketed even further.

The University of Alabama and Clemson University meet in the finals for the second year in a row, clashing at the Summit of the Forbidden, where old grudges and new enmities will play out once again.

Moreover,

The two teams are ranked first and second in this season's NCAA and have both shown astonishing form in the semifinals, crushing their opponents to defend their reputation and status as the season's strongest.

Without a doubt, this is the pinnacle of competition.

No one wants to miss it, nor should they.

So, who will reach the top?

To tell it straight, the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm truly displayed absolute dominance, maintaining an unbeaten record for the season, showing convincing strength and stability throughout, and demonstrating top-tier skills on both offense and defense. Many people consider it to be Saban's most perfect team to date.

So, is the University of Alabama perfect?

No, of course not.

Avid fans will notice that the University of Alabama's sole weakness this season has been that they have never faced a true top-tier quarterback.

Without Jackson, without Watson, without Mayfield, and so on—despite the University of Alabama also facing some traditionally strong offensive teams, they have never directly clashed with a powerful passing team; Allen's defensive group hasn't faced the stern test of a formidable quarterback.

Until now.

Regardless of whether people like Watson or approve of what Watson says, the undeniable fact before us is that Watson indeed presents the University of Alabama's most serious and most difficult ultimate challenge this season.

If one were to choose a team from this season's college teams that's most likely to defeat the University of Alabama, Watson's Clemson Tigers would undoubtedly be the best choice—perhaps even more suitable than Jackson's Louisville Cardinals.

Last year, the Clemson Tigers came close to doing it—oh, so close.

This year, the fully upgraded and developed Clemson Tigers will challenge the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm once again.

From the games at the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, we can glean some indications.

Indeed, Alabama performed excellently, but they still exposed some vulnerabilities; Clemson, on the other hand, played perfectly, showing high spirits and an active approach. They put themselves in the position to challenge for the championship, which will become an important variable in this year's NCAA pinnacle showdown.

In contrast, Saban also realized the immense pressure on Alabama and early on imposed a ban on all forms of media interviews. This indirectly shows his lack of confidence in the young players' ability to handle pressure and his hope to maintain focus as much as possible.

As one steps forward and the other steps back, a subtle shift occurs between the two teams' standings.

After all, in a confrontation between experts, mindset and form are the key to performance on the field.

Perhaps the Clemson Tigers could indeed break the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm's Undefeated Golden Body?

It's for this reason that pre-game professional predictions have veered slightly off course, favoring the view that Clemson Tigers are likely to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm and win the championship.

The odds in Las Vegas express the same opinion.

Of course, opinions are not one-sided, and the supporters of the two teams are almost equal in number; whether supporting the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm or the Clemson Tigers, at least they agree on one point:

The game is expected to be extremely tense, with the final victory margin likely within just a single touchdown. A moment's, a misstep's, or a decision's difference could be what decides heaven or hell, in an ever-changing battle.

However, before the ultimate showdown of the nationwide championship takes the stage, a series of games will unfold one after another: the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Rose Bowl, and so on, shining bright from December 31st to January 6th, culminating the season in a perfect finale.

And then, the ultimate battle finally took the stage—

On January 9, the Richmond-James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida, welcomed the two teams competing in the ultimate college football showdown at the Summit of the Forbidden, to a packed house.

Just a week ago, the NFL regular season's final games were still being played here, with the Buccaneers triumphing over their division rivals, the Carolina Panthers; however, the victory was bittersweet as it wasn't enough to advance the Buccaneers to the playoffs, bringing both teams' seasons to a close.

Now, this field was set for the NCAA season's final showdown, with fans from every corner of the North American continent swarming to join in the celebration, marking college football's ultimate festival.

The treatment was second only to the Super Bowl.

The air was ablaze.

Not just the fans and the players, but the coaching staff of both teams were fired up as well.

Saban and Sweeney, Sweeney and Saban, the gaze of the two men collided through the air.

Standing now in the Richmond-James Stadium, looking back at the April spring training camp game, one had to admit that the foresight and strategizing of both coaches had finally come true, their preparations and strategies all validated, leading both teams to Tampa to vie for the ultimate championship.

Clemson Tigers' young head coach, Sweeney, took a deep breath, clenched his fists in the dark, and regained his composure.

He hadn't forgotten that scrimmage, or, to be more precise, constantly reviewing the game footage reminded him never to forget the humiliation.

In that game, not only did they lose, but they also squandered a twenty-one-point lead, and even bringing on the starting players in the fourth quarter was to no avail.

He had always been waiting for a chance at revenge, and an opportunity to defeat Saban in an official game. Watson's thought had lingered in his mind:

He hoped that Alabama wouldn't lose. If anyone was to beat them, it had to be Clemson; he had been praying for this day and night.

Now, his wish had finally come true.

He wouldn't let the nightmare happen again; he was going to defeat them, and in a convincing manner. They had been preparing for this day all season long.

He looked up. He puffed out his chest.

Sweeney clenched his fists in determination, his eyes sparking with the bright light of belief.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the referee officially blew the whistle, announcing the start of the game.

In the coin toss, Clemson Tigers, who had correctly guessed heads, did not hesitate to choose their side of the field, giving the first chance to attack in the first half to the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm, meaning that Watson and the Tigers would commence the offense in the second half.

The gambit had begun.

Zhang Yang!

Intense!

Overwhelming!Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The atmosphere at the Richmond-James Stadium erupted with unbelievable energy. The championship game was indeed a battle; the whole mood and feeling were utterly different, allowing one to sense the tension and urgency of the finals even before taking the field.

Then, amidst deafening cheers and the roar of opposition, Hertz led the offensive group onto the field.

Li Wei was among them, looking up at the stands, the dazzling surge sending waves of burning echoes against his eardrum. He knew he was ready.

The battle horn had sounded.