Clemson Football: Tiger OL was dominant against Bama DL

One of the biggest questions coming into the National Championship for Clemson football was how the offensive line would hold up against the dominant Bama defensive front.

You’ve got to give credit where credit is due.

We’ve spent a lot of time these past couple of days talking about the performance of the skill position players of that Clemson football offense.

Justyn Ross had a dominant game. Tee Higgins was great. Trevor Lawrence was phenomenal. Travis Etienne continued to work hard and came away with three total touchdowns in the game.

All of those guys were great and deserve a ton of credit.

But, none of it happens without the performance of the offensive line and those big boys up front.

It all starts with the OL…

The offensive line didn’t just run over the Alabama defensive line. It was a war. The Crimson Tide used exotic blitzes and pressures to confuse the line and on some occasions, they got in the backfield.

Alabama was able to control the Clemson rushing attack early on in the game, but the Tigers never gave up on it.

But, the offensive line held up. They didn’t break and they got better as the game went on. The pass protection was about as good as you could’ve asked for. Clemson had no sacks.

Trevor Lawrence did a great job getting the ball out quick, but you have to credit those offensive linemen for giving him time for the routes to develop and for the plays to open up.

Justin Falcinelli is one of the unsung heroes of the National Championship. His leadership at the center position was off-the-charts. Mitch Hyatt did a great job protecting Trevor Lawrence’s blindside.

Tremayne Anchrum played an excellent game at that right tackle spot. The interior linemen continued to battle and wore down that Bama front-seven as the game went on.

We all love the big plays and the fireworks, but it all started with the performance of those offensive linemen up-front.