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A22 sports
Monday 7 January 2019

Alabama-Clemson IV: Can Saban’s dynasty reach new heights?

By RALPH D. RUSSO college football coach.
AP College Football Writer He might be better com-
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Al- pared to coaches in oth-
abama coach Nick Saban er sports such as UCLA’s
and Clemson coach Dabo John Wooden, who won
Swinney went through the 10 NCAA men’s basketball
familiar routine Sunday. championships; Pat Sum-
Joint news conference, mitt, who won eight NCAA
during which Swinney does women’s basketball titles
most of the talking. Saban with Tennessee; Geno Au-
compliments Swinney’s Ti- riemma, who has 11 wom-
gers. Swinney compliments en’s basketball champi-
Saban’s unprecedented onships at Connecticut;
run with the Crimson Tide. and Dan Gable, who led
Handshake. Pose for a pic- Iowa wrestling to 17 NCAA
ture with a trophy. They championships.
have done this drill four Alabama’s dominance has
straight seasons in the Col- been defined by almost
lege Football Playoff. monotonous excellence.
Alabama-Clemson IV, the None of Saban’s teams
third meeting with the na- stand out. They are simi-
tional championship on the larly stellar, machine-like in
line, will be played Mon- Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney pose with the trophy their efficiency. This team
day night at Levi’s Stadium at a news conference for the NCAA college football playoff championship game Sunday, Jan. 6, has a chance to separate
in Santa Clara, California. 2019, in Santa Clara, Calif. from the rest. Alabama can
Tide vs. Tigers might be get- Associated Press become just the third wire-
ting old for some fans, but college football history, help this team to be the el of consistency is a model to-wire No. 1 in the AP poll,
the latest chapter is a fea- with five national champi- best possible — and to put and an aspiration for every joining 1999 Florida State
ture not a bug in the five- onships since 2009. If not them in the best possible program,” said Swinney, and 2004 Southern Califor-
year-old playoff to Swin- for a last-second loss to position to have a chance who was a walk-on receiv- nia.
ney. Clemson in the 2016 cham- to be successful.” er for Alabama’s 1992 na- The biggest difference in
“I think the objective is to pionship game, the Tide A case can be made that tional title team coached this Tide team is Tua Tago-
get the two best teams,” would be shooting for three Saban has already sur- by Gene Stallings. vailoa, who came off the
Swinney said. “If that’s not straight playoff titles. Ala- passed Bryant, who was Swinney and Clemson have bench as a freshman to
best for college football, bama won a thriller against at Alabama for 25 years. come closest to reaching beat Georgia in last sea-
then why did we even do Clemson for the 2015 title. The current Alabama dy- the Alabama standard. son’s championship game.
it?” Saban has six national nasty is stacking up cham- A second national cham- For the first time, Saban has
For the first time the College championships total, in- pionships despite the con- pionship in three seasons a star quarterback. Ala-
Football Playoff champion- cluding a BCS crown he straints of scholarship limits would give Clemson three bama has rolled through its
ship game features two won with LSU in 2003. One and against competition overall (1981, 2016) and opponents by an average
unbeaten teams. The top- more breaks a tie with Ala- bolstered by a deeper tal- put Swinney in prestigious of 31 points.
ranked Tide (14-0) or No. bama great Bear Bryant for ent pool and more national company. Among the Hall “His accuracy, his athletic
2 Tigers (14-0) will become the most by any coach. exposure. of Fame coaches with two ability, his ability to impro-
the first 15-0 FBS champion “I don’t ever even think “You’re talking about a national championships vise,” Clemson defensive
in college football’s poll about that at all,” said Sa- program that I have a are Bobby Bowden of Flor- coordinator Brent Venables
era, dating back to the first ban, who is in his 12th sea- deep love and respect for, ida State and Joe Paterno said of Tagovailoa. “He’s
AP rankings in 1936. son at Alabama and 23rd always have, always will, of Penn State. got the best players on the
Saban and Alabama are overall as a college head and a coach that’s — I Saban’s accomplishments planet around him at every
already in the midst of the coach. “I do think a lot mean, he’s won six national have pretty much settled position, and they’re two
most impressive run in the about trying to make and championships and the lev- the question of greatest and three deep.”q

Sheriff: Soccer star Rooney charged with public intoxication

Associated Press released a mugshot from tagram account on Dec. series of European stars to
LOUDON COUNTY, Va. his booking that showed 14 in an airplane seat and play for U.S.-based Major
(AP) — Soccer star Wayne Rooney in what appeared said he was traveling to an League Soccer late in their
Rooney was arrested last to be an orange jail jump- auto race in Saudi Arabia. careers. He helped the
month at a Washington- suit. Before coming to play in team reach the playoffs
area airport on a charge of The sheriff’s office referred the U.S. this year, Rooney, last year.
public intoxication, authori- further questions to air- 33, starred for Manchester The Washington-based
ties said Sunday. port authorities. An airport United in the English Pre- team said in a statement
The Loudon County Sher- spokesman said he was mier League. His 208 ca- that it was aware of news
iff’s Office in Virginia said looking into what hap- reer goals make him the reports of the arrest, but
Rooney was jailed Dec. 16 pened. league’s second all-time declined further comment.
after his arrest on the misde- It wasn’t immediately clear scorer. He was also the all- “We understand the me-
meanor charge by police what led to the arrest, but time leading scorer for Eng- dia’s interest in this mat-
This undated photo provided at the Dulles International Rooney appeared to have land’s national team. ter but we believe this is a
by the Loudoun County Airport in Virginia and then been traveling in the days When he joined Washing- private matter for Wayne
Sheriff’s Office shows Wayne
Rooney. released on his own recog- beforehand. He posted a ton-based D.C. United, that D.C. United will handle
Associated Press nizance. The sheriff’s office picture on his verified Ins- he became the latest in a internally,” the team said.q