The University of Alabama football team held its final practice in advance of the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Saturday afternoon, practicing for two hours in helmets at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Saturday’s session was fourth for the Tide in the Crescent City and the 12th of 12 bowl practices prior to the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Clemson in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The No. 4 Crimson Tide will face off with the top-ranked Tigers on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, with kickoff scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CT on ESPN. The tandem of Joe Tessitore and Todd Blackledge will call the Semifinal pairing from the booth, while Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge will work each team’s sideline.
Saturday began with Alabama head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide coaching staff and players participating in a 45-minute media day session on the field at the Superdome before returning to the team hotel for meetings to round out the morning.
This evening, the Crimson Tide Sports Network will air the Crimson Tide Sugar Bowl Preview Radio Show beginning at 6 p.m. CT on the Crimson Tide Sports Radio Network. The show will air live from the team hotel in New Orleans and will feature head coach Nick Saban, who will go on at approximately 6:30 p.m. CT.
Monday’s Semifinal matchup will mark the 18th pairing between Alabama and Clemson in the history of the two schools, with the Crimson Tide owning a 13-4 series advantage. The two most recent matchups came in the 2016 and 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Games. Alabama rallied to defeat the No. 1 Tigers, 45-40, to capture the Tide’s 16th national championship in the 2016 game in Glendale, Ariz. The Tigers then returned the favor with a come-from-behind, 35-31, win in the 2017 championship in Tampa, Fla.
