American Football: Domination

Todd Blackledge, a former professional quarterback, had played for Penn State before moving on to the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers. Though his career as a quarterback wasn't particularly stellar, he found great success as a commentator after retiring. Having worked for ABC and CBS, he gained a loyal following and, in 2006, signed with ESPN, where he had remained for the past decade.

Today, Blackledge was paired with Pasch to commentate on the highly anticipated warm-up game, bringing his quarterback's expertise to the analysis.

"The situation is somewhat surprising but not entirely unexpected," Blackledge began.

"Clemson's game plan today has been highly targeted, and thanks to Watson's outstanding performance, they've taken control, thoroughly suppressing Alabama's offense."

"Of course, Alabama still has a chance in the second half, but it's clear they're struggling without the dominant ground game Derrick Henry provided last season. Their offensive shortcomings are becoming more pronounced."

"Alabama will begin the second half with possession, so perhaps we'll see what adjustments Saban makes."

In football, the game starts with a coin toss, and the winner can choose to either start on offense or select the field side. Most teams opt for field side, allowing the opponent to take the ball first, so they can start the second half on offense and have the chance to seize momentum.

Today, Alabama won the coin toss and chose the field, allowing Clemson to start on offense in the first half. Now, it was Alabama's turn to lead off in the second half.

As Blackledge scanned the roster, his eyes landed on a name.

It wasn't because it was unfamiliar—warm-up games often feature players not well-known, and even professional commentators aren't expected to know everyone. It was the combination of sounds in the name that caught his attention.

"Li Wei?" Blackledge hesitated for a moment. "Is he... a Chinese player?"

On the football field, from the NFL to the NCAA, Asian faces were still a rarity.

Pasch noticed Blackledge's puzzled expression and smiled, like someone whose hidden treasure was finally being discovered.

On one hand, Pasch felt excited that the secret was about to be revealed. On the other hand, he was a bit reluctant to share—his hidden gem was about to shine in the spotlight for everyone to see.

Pasch also harbored some curiosity. After all, the last warm-up was just an internal scrimmage, and he was eager to see what number 23 would bring to the table today.

"Yes, he's Chinese," Pasch replied.

"And believe it or not, he's only been playing football for three weeks."

Blackledge was stunned, blurting out, "You've got to be kidding me."

An Asian player—already unusual.

An unknown rookie? That doubled the shock.

A complete novice, who had only been playing football for three weeks?

Blackledge realized how his comment sounded and quickly composed himself. But even after collecting his thoughts, his mind was still reeling, and he could only repeat, "You've got to be kidding me."

Pasch: ...

Watching Blackledge's incredulous expression, Pasch shrugged. "Only Nick Saban knows for sure."

Blackledge paused. He could sense there was more to this than met the eye. And Pasch was right—Saban wasn't the kind of coach to make foolish decisions. But how could this all make sense? He looked at the field, still full of questions.

The second half began.

Lance felt a bit disappointed.

The star defenders—the so-called "Black-Faced Judges"—weren't on the field. Like Alabama, Clemson had switched to a different lineup for the second half.

And with Clemson holding a commanding lead, Swinney had unleashed a batch of young, inexperienced players, likely high schoolers who hadn't even graduated, much like Jacobs and Hurts.

Lance had been looking forward to a showdown with those intimidating defenders. But then he realized that if Alabama managed to rack up first downs and touchdowns, Swinney might be forced to adjust his strategy.

Fine, then. Let's stretch our legs and have some fun.

When Bateman glanced over at Lance, he caught him loosening up, licking his lips. The "0:21" score didn't seem to faze him in the least. This calm demeanor helped ease Bateman's own nerves—he could always trust Lance, right?

"Clap!"

Bateman clapped his hands, gathering the offense together. This was the same group that had toppled the starting defense in the scrimmage. They might not be starters yet, but who knows what could happen after this warm-up?

With just a few words, Bateman relayed the coaches' game plan to his teammates. But before they broke the huddle, he couldn't help glancing at Lance for confirmation. Seeing Lance's reassuring nod, Bateman felt a bit more settled.

Unlike the internal scrimmage, the coaches were calling the plays today. And with Lance's ability to adapt on the field, Bateman felt a bit more confident.

For the first play, Alabama stuck to their traditional game plan—starting with a ground attack. That's why Bateman had looked to Lance.

And by the looks of it, Lance was ready.

Indeed, Lance was fully focused. The louder the cheers and chants in Bryant-Denny Stadium, the more focused he became. The more intense the pressure, the more it sharpened his concentration. He could almost hear the adrenaline pulsing in his ears.

He was ready.

In the first half, Lance had watched carefully. He wasn't just observing—he was analyzing Clemson's defensive strategy, diagnosing where Alabama's offense had gone wrong, much like a chess master studying a game. Just because he hadn't spoken didn't mean his mind was empty.

Now it was time to put theory into practice.

Clelin Ferrell, wearing number 99, could hardly contain his excitement. The moment he had been waiting for was finally here.

The college football field.

Though he wouldn't officially enroll until September, Ferrell was more than ready to prove himself. He had enjoyed a stellar high school career and was confident in his talent and ability.

Ranked 101st overall and 7th among high school defensive ends nationwide, Ferrell believed these rankings didn't do his talent justice.

But that didn't matter. He was ready to prove himself.

Ferrell was determined to become an NFL first-round pick, one of the greatest defensive ends in history. At 6'4" and 265 pounds, he saw J.J. Watt, the NFL's top defensive player, as his benchmark. Ferrell believed he could match, or even surpass, Watt's dominance.

And this game against Alabama would be his first step toward that goal.

Sorry, number 18 (Bateman) and number 23 (Lance)—you're about to become my stepping stones. Ferrell was going to use them as a springboard to secure a starting position as a defensive end.

He was getting more and more excited.

Thump.

Thump.

Ferrell was ready. He heard the quarterback's cadence, and as soon as the ball was snapped, he exploded off the line like an arrow from a bow.

Pressure.

Pressure.

Pressure!

This was the core of Clemson's defensive strategy. It had worked in the first half, and now Ferrell was determined to take it up a notch. He sprinted forward, immediately recognizing the play—Alabama was running the ball.

Number 23—target locked!