Alabama Football Begins Training for National Championship Matchup with Clemson

The Alabama football team returned to the practice field on Sunday night, working for one hour in shorts and helmets inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility.

It was the first time the Tide has seen the field since defeating Michigan State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic to secure the school’s fourth national championship game appearance in the last seven seasons. This marks the first of six practices prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship against Clemson at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Monday, Jan. 11. The final game of the college football season will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT and air on ESPN with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Heather Cox and Tom Rinaldi calling the game.

Alabama and Clemson will meet for the 16th time and the first since the 2008 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. In that game, the Crimson Tide came away with a convincing 34-10 victory over then-No. 9 Clemson to give head coach Nick Saban his first win against a top-10 opponent at Alabama. The Tigers claimed wins in each of the first three meetings against the Crimson Tide, but then fell in each matchup since as Alabama carries a 12-game winning streak into Monday’s game.