Carson - agreed that Ohio State being bad (in that one game) doesn't mean Clemson isn't a good team. I just feel like it's in important to distinction between whether it was more of Ohio State being bad or Clemson being that good because if we just watched the semi-final games and not any of the regular season, I feel this line would have to be a good bit lower. Obviously that's not how we cap games, but it is how some Joes in the public do, so it influences the market. The reason the Ohio State being bad vs Clemson being good distinction matters is because if it's Ohio State being bad, we're likely getting value on Bama now, but if it's Clemson being good, it makes them a bargain in the final. More likely than not the answer is probably somewhere in the middle. Regarding your question on Bama, undoubtedly offense has been down in the SEC for a few years now, but watching Bama, their overall speed, tackling ability, depth, and coaching make them one of the best defenses college football has every seen.
Spartan - Agreed that these are the two best teams (although USC may have something to say about that). As I mentioned above I feel like analyzing the Clemson/Ohio State game and why/how it happened is crucial to handicapping the final.
Quasimodo - I feel like Bama's defense is more equipped to stop Clemson this year as well, mostly because they have more speed than last year. However, Mike Williams is a game changer and teams have had success against Bama with big athletic WRs that have a QB that can make throws in tight windows do the field.
All thoughts are appreciated.