The College Football Playoff National Championship is a week away, but Alabama already has an advantage over Clemson: its academic schedule.
You see, Alabama’s spring semester doesn’t begin until Jan. 13, which is two days after the title game. Clemson’s spring semester begins this Wednesday, Jan. 6. Why does this matter?
Well, once class is in session, teams are limited to four hours of practice/meetings per day, according to NCAA rules.
So that means while Clemson can practice a full 48 hours if it wants to from Monday to Tuesday, once Wednesday hits, its time will be restricted. Alabama, meanwhile, will have no such restrictions and can meet and practice an unlimited amount of hours.
The same thing occurred last year when Oregon classes were in session before the title game, while Ohio State’s semester didn’t begin until the day after the game. That limited Oregon’s practice time.
Ohio State beat Oregon 42-20 to become the first CFP champion.
Was the extra practice time the reason for this? Of course not, but it probably doesn’t hurt the team getting it.