Clemson vs. Alabama: The names to know

Arguably the greatest head coach in college football history, Saban is attempting to win his fifth national title and fourth at Alabama. The Crimson Tide lost in the semifinals of the inaugural College Football Playoff last season, but Alabama had no problem getting by Michigan State in the semifinal this season. Saban was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins before arriving to Tuscaloosa in 2007, and he's also head coached LSU, Michigan State and Toledo. He's 190-60-1 for his college head coaching career and 9-8 in bowl games.

Now in his eighth season as the head coach at Clemson, Swinney finally got over the hump this year with Florida State's fall in the ACC. Swinney is facing his alma mater in the title game, and he also coached at 'Bama before coming to Clemson in 2003 as an assistant head coach/wide receivers coach. Swinney has an impressive 75-26 record at Clemson, and he's 5-3 in bowl games.

The former head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Volunteers and USC Trojans, Kiffin leads Alabama as offensive coordinator. The son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Lane is a polarizing figure who has mostly alienated the fan bases of his former schools. Still, he's a widely respected offensive mind who has been in this same role before, leading USC's powerful offenses in 2005-2006.

Smart was named the new head coach at Georgia, succeeded Mark Richt, but he's coordinating the Alabama defense through the College Football Playoff before he leaves. A Georgia alumnus, Smart is respected as one of the top coordinators in college football and has been in that position at Alabama since 2008.

Venables is in his fourth season as Clemson's defensive coordinator after serving in the same position at Oklahoma since 1999. He's been an annual candidate in the college head coaching carousel.

Coker has had a tumultuous college career, which began at Florida State. The senior sat behind future NFL first-round picks EJ Manuel and Jameis Winston before transferring to Alabama for the start of 2014. The front-runner for Alabama's quarterback job last season, he lost out to Blake Sims but has made up for lost time this year. He has 19 touchdown passes and had arguably the best game of his career in the College Football Playoff Semifinal vs. Michigan State.

Watson finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting and had quite a year in his sophomore season for Clemson. He had 3,704 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns, and also added 1,032 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground. Clemson's offense centers around Watson, and he'll need to have a great day for the Tigers to have a chance at pulling off the upset vs. Alabama.

Henry claimed the Heisman Trophy in his junior season and has surpassed 2,000 rushing yards after putting up 75 vs. Michigan State. While he's not much of a threat as a pass-catcher, Henry's powerful running style has made him tougher to stop as the game rolls on, and he's a pure workhorse with 359 carries this season. He had 172 carries behind T.J. Yeldon last season.

Gallman had a strong year as Clemson's lead runner, with 1,469 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. The speedy sophomore had at least 100 rushing yards in nine of the 13 games he played this season.

Despite his status as Derrick Henry's backup, Drake is a legitimate NFL prospect in his senior season. He's a change of pace to Henry's power and has averaged 5.4 yards per carry and added 27 receptions this season. He's also been used on 14 kick returns.

Clemson's second leading rusher, Brooks has averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his senior season and has a total of five touchdowns.

Ridley has emerged as a star in his freshman season, leading the Crimson Tide with 83 receptions for 1,031 yards and seven scores. He has two 100-yard games, including the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff Semifinal.

Scott has played a key role for the Tigers, leading the team with 89 catches for 868 yards and also working as a returner. The sophomore wide receiver has been a ball hog for the team, more than doubling the receptions of the next closest receiver.

Stewart has made a solid contribution in his sophomore season, with 61 receptions for 637 yards and four scores. The sophomore wideout has been a great complement to Calvin Ridley.

Peake has 44 catches for 617 yards and five scores for Clemson this season. The senior has good size at 6-3, making him a formidable target in the Red Zone.

A senior transfer who formerly attended Oregon State, Mullaney has been a great addition to the Alabama offense with 37 receptions for 361 yards and five scores this year. He had 52 catches for 788 yards as a sophomore for Oregon State in 2013.

Cain was suspended for the College Football Playoff Semifinal, and his status is in question for the title game. The freshman wideout had 34 catches for 582 yards and five scores during the regular season.

Alabama's powerful tight end has a career-high 33 receptions for 394 yards this season. Despite his 6-6 frame, the junior has yet to find the end zone this year.

A sizable tight end at 6-5, Leggett led the Tigers in touchdown receptions this season with seven. He also had 35 receptions.

Griffith has had a serviceable year in his junior season, connecting on 22/30 field goals for the Crimson Tide. He's also made two kicks from beyond 50 yards and has been perfect on extra points.

Huegel was relatively accurate in his freshman season, going 25/29 on field goals this season. He also made 53-of-58 extra point attempts for Clemson.

A vicious pass rusher for the Crimson Tide this season, Allen had 12 sacks in his junior season. That topped his 12 sacks from 2014.

Lawson missed much of Clemson's semifinal game vs. Oklahoma, but the star defensive end is expected to play in the title game. He had one sack during that game and has 10.5 for the season. The junior has already declared for the NFL draft.

Williams was second on the Crimson Tide with 9.5 sacks this season, and he really came on late in the year with six sacks over his last five games. The junior linebacker could make make it a long day for Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Dodd is the other side of Clemson's dynamic pass-rushing duo, along with Shaq Lawson. The senior defensive end has 9.5 sacks this season and 55 total tackles.

Jones' speed and playmaking ability jumped out during the College Football Playoff Semifinal with a key interception at the end of the second quarter and a great punt return for a touchdown in the second half. The junior had two picks and four touchdowns as a punt returner this season for Alabama.

Alexander has a decision to make after the title game, as the Clemson redshirt sophomore could be headed for green. The cornerback could go in the first round of the NFL draft this year as a pure shutdown cornerback.

Anderon is a key player at linebacker for Alabama with six sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2015. The junior doubled his sacks from his sophomore campaign.

Boulware is Clemson's third leading tackler this season and has been a pure playmaker with two picks, three sacks and one fumble recovery. The junior linebacker has nearly doubled his tackle total from last season.

The do-everything Ragland led Alabama with 97 tackles this season and added 2.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. The senior linebacker had 93 tackles and 10.5 sacks during his junior season.

Tankersley easily leads the Tigers defense with five interceptions this season, and the defensive back had five tackles vs. Oklahoma. He could need to get another pick for Clemson to have a shot.

Jackson led Alabama with five interceptions this season, and the junior also had two touchdowns.

The Clemson junior safety hasn't piled up the stats, but Kearse is considered a legit first-round NFL talent, tallying 60 tackles for the second consecutive season. He also has seven picks over his three-year career.

Goodson leads Clemson with 98 tackles and also has 5.5 sacks and two picks in his senior season. It's been a breakout year for the senior linebacker after only accumulating 26 tackles in 2014.

The leader of Alabama's offensive line, Kelly enters his final game at center for the Crimson Tide. He's arguably the top NFL prospect at the position entering 2016.

Green is Clemson's second leading tackler with 84, and he also has one sack. The safety has played significantly more in his junior season.