For Clemson, a sense of urgency as it prepares to take on Alabama
The lights dimmed and trumpets blared. Strains of “Fanfare for the Common Man” filled Amalie Arena as the Alabama players arrived to meet with reporters.
In those first few moments, Saturday’s media day at the College Football Playoff championship did the unthinkable — it got a rise out of the normally unflappable Nick Saban.
“Who was responsible for that?” the Crimson Tide coach asked as he stepped onto a podium to face a throng of cameras and notebooks.
It took only a moment for Saban to grin.
“That’s a pretty dramatic opening,” he said. “Kind of enjoyable.”
Two days before No. 1 Alabama meets No. 2 Clemson at nearby Raymond James Stadium, CFP officials did their best to transform a traditionally mundane affair — hours upon hours of the same questions asked over and over — into something resembling a rock concert or maybe the Ice Capades.
Highlight videos flashed across the scoreboard as pop songs thumped from the public address system. Fans, invited to watch from the stands for free, broke into occasional chants.
Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney was reminded of professional wrestling.
“It kind of felt like WWE walking in here,” he said. “It was like Saturday Night Raw, right? Or is it Friday Night Raw?”
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When these two teams met in the CFP championship last year, Clemson players were thrilled to be playing on college football’s biggest stage. Maybe too thrilled.
“We were just enjoying the moment,” defensive lineman Carlos Watkins said. “I’m not going to say we weren’t focusing on the game, but I think we were enjoying ourselves a little too much.”
Alabama won, 45-40, to take the 2016 title. This time around, there is more sense of urgency among the Tigers, perhaps because much of the team figures to be gone by next season.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Wayne Gallman and receivers Mike Williams and Artavis Scott are expected to turn pro.
Watkins, linebacker Ben Boulware, center Jay Guillermo and tight end Jordan Leggett are all seniors, as is cornerback Cordrea Tankersley.
So there wasn’t much celebrating when Clemson arrived in Tampa and were given some free time on Friday evening.
“We went to the mall … for like 30 minutes,” Boulware said. “I was in bed by nine o’clock.”
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With a victory on Monday night, Saban would win his sixth national championship and equal the longstanding record for career titles established by Bear Bryant.
Still, Saban continues to champion Bryant as the greatest coach in college football history, pointing in particular to the adaptability Bryant displayed over his 25-year reign as coach of the Crimson Tide.
“The environment of college football changed dramatically during his time,” Saban said. “He won championships running the wishbone, he won championships passing the ball. He effectively changed with whatever his players could do and with whatever was required at the time.”
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Clemson allowed Scott, a native of Clearwater, Fla., to take a brief leave of absence on Saturday to attend a family funeral not far from Tampa.
With 73 catches for 608 yards and five touchdowns, he ranks as the Tigers’ second-leading receiver this season.
“His granddad passed away and he’s actually a pall bearer in the funeral,” Swinney said. “So he’ll hopefully be back for the team picture this afternoon.”
Follow David Wharton on Twitter @LATimesWharton
Follow Dylan Hernandez on Twitter @dylanohernandez
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