The one player with the most at stake in the College Football Playoff title game

All eyes will be on Clemson and Alabama on Monday night.

As the two college football powers meet for the second straight season in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at 8:30 p.m., there will be – and already have been – several story lines in the spotlight.

However, the big lights will burn the hottest on one player: Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson.

So much is on the line for the junior from Gainesville, Ga., and how he handles the pressure will play the biggest role in how Clemson measures up to almighty Alabama, which topped the Tigers 45-40 in last year’s championship game.

Watson has the most to win – and the most to lose.

For one, the dual-threat signal caller is already considered by many to be the greatest quarterback in school history. Winning a championship would only further that argument, especially if he is lights out en route to hoisting the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy.

On the flip side, a loss could damage his image, relegating him to 0-for-2 in the national title game. Having already let his plans to enter the NFL draft be known, his college career would end with yet another loss in which he couldn’t lead his team to the promised land.

Secondly, Watson’s performance could have an impact on his draft prospects.

In its most recent mock draft, Sports Illustrated has the San Francisco 49ers taking him with the second pick. However, it notes that “The debate over this draft’s QB1 is going to be a ceaseless conversation for the next four months. You’ll see Watson anywhere from the top of the draft to Round 2.”

Showing the leadership skills to lead his team to a title over an Alabama team loaded with future NFL players would only help his cause, displaying the kind of poise that can’t be measured at the NFL Scouting Combine.

A loss, however, would only create even more question marks.

While a favorite both years, Watson has come up short of winning a Heisman Trophy the last two seasons. In fact, some of his numbers have dropped each year.

His quarterback rating in 2014 (albeit while playing only a partial season) was 188.6 before falling to 156.3 last year and 151.8 in 2016-17.

Watson’s touchdown-to-interception ratio has narrowed each year, going from 14-to-2 to 35-13 to 38-17.

His completion percentage (between 67 and 68) has been consistent all three years and his passing yards were up 69 yards this season.

While across the board he has been pretty consistent, the most potentially troubling number is the rise in turnovers. If he turns the ball over against Alabama – which has 15 non-offensive touchdowns this season – it could be a long night.

Against Ohio State a little over a week ago, Watson threw a pick on the Tigers’ first possession in Clemson territory. Ohio State went on to miss a field goal and nothing came of it.

But rarely do quarterbacks get away with such mistake so easily. And you can expect the ever-opportunistic Crimson Tide to cash in should similar mishaps occur Monday night.

And remember, Watson provided the lone turnover in last year’s championship game, a second-quarter interception that led to Alabama tying the game at 14 on the ensuing possession.

Nonetheless, the Tigers are back and once again on the doorstep of earning their second national title and first since 1981.

And again Watson has the keys. Will he prove to be the one to burst Clemson through the door to college football royalty or will Alabama once again slam that door shut?

Picking the final

My brain tells me that Alabama – a near-touchdown favorite – is the superior team. However, my gut tells me that for some reason this is Clemson’s year.

Earlier this season when the Tigers narrowly escaped against North Carolina State, I said that Clemson could be this year’s team of destiny.

Then, I doubted the Tigers would beat Ohio State, which they routed 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl (a semifinal of the College Football Playoff).

After doubting and questioning Clemson all season, I will no more. I’m taking the Tigers, 37-34.

On tap

The Coastal Carolina men’s basketball team has a pair of home contests this week as it hosts Little Rock on Monday (7 p.m.) and Appalachian State on Saturday (4:30 p.m.). … The CCU women’s basketball team has just one contest this week as it hosts Appalachian State at 1 p.m. Saturday. … The Clemson men’s basketball team will play at Georgia Tech on Thursday (7 p.m.) and play at Virginia on Saturday (noon). … The South Carolina men’s basketball team will play at Tennessee on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.) and host Mississippi on Saturday (6:30 p.m.). … Local high school basketball teams will begin region play en masse this week. … The NFL Divisional Round of the playoffs will take place over the weekend, with the Atlanta Falcons hosting the Seattle Seahawks (4:35 p.m., Fox) and New England Patriots hosting the Houston Texans (8:15 p.m., CBS) on Saturday, and the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers (1:05 p.m., NBC) and the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Green Bay Packers (4:40 p.m., Fox) on Sunday. … The College Football National Championship game – featuring Clemson vs. Alabama – will be played at 8:30 p.m. Monday (ESPN). … The PGA Tour will stage its second event of the 2017 calendar season, the Sony Open, from Thursday through Sunday in Honolulu. … In tennis, the WTA Hobart International is scheduled for Monday through Sunday, as are the ATP ASB Classic and ATP & WTA Apia International Sydney.

This story was originally published January 9, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "The one player with the most at stake in the College Football Playoff title game."