CFP National Championship X-factors to watch

Last season's matchup between Clemson and Alabama served as a showcase for O.J. Howard. The seldom utilized tight end broke the national championship game wide open in the second half and accounted for 208 yards and two touchdowns against the Tigers. He also represented a common phenomenon in pressure-packed title games: the presence of a wild card.

The Tide and Tigers will likely send close to a dozen of their collective starters to the NFL in the coming years, but some of their less heralded players may end up swaying Monday night's colossal rematch in their program's favor.

Here's a look at who those X-factors may be in the title tilt in Tampa:

ArDarius Stewart

Stewart is a prime example of a player who would be a star on nearly every other team in the country except his own. The supremely athletic wideout has six career games in which he's caught seven or more passes and after he was shut out in the Peach Bowl, the junior is primed to surprise in Tampa. Calvin Ridley rightfully will demand attention from Clemson's secondary and you can bet Brent Venables will look to take away Howard this time around.

Those defensive assignments, combined with the Tigers' desire to stop the run, will afford Stewart one-on-one coverage for most of the night. If he's able to capitalize on that opportunity, he could well be lifting an MVP trophy by midnight.

Anthony Averett

The Alabama defense has lived up to its nickname this fall, washing over opponents for the first 14 games of 2016 with the relentlessness of a driving tide. That's what makes it difficult to pinpoint a darkhorse MVP candidate from their starting 11. Ryan Anderson, a hybrid pass-rush/linebacker for Jeremy Pruitt's defense, was a candidate for this role until he took it upon himself to blow up the Peach Bowl with a pick-6 against the Huskies.

Now that Anderson has established himself as a known quantity, attention turns to Averett. The junior corner will be tested early and often Monday night and has the opportunity to contribute against the run as well. Averett finished with eight tackles and a sack against Washington and may draw occasional assignments against Mike Williams. If he plays his best game of the season against the Tigers, Deshaun Watson and company will be hard pressed to score in the 30s against Alabama.

Jordan Leggett

It's hard to blame media members and the college football public at large for having high hopes in regards to Clemson's offense in 2016. Clemson returned a Heisman finalist at quarterback, a 1,500-yard rusher, and two pro-caliber wide receivers. The lone knock on the Tigers was a relatively inexperienced offensive line that had just 46 career starts under their belts.

Whether it was the front five's lack of experience or a lack of focus out of the gate, the Tigers struggled in September. After setting the world on fire offensively in 2015, they averaged just 25 points per game against FBS opponents in September. As the season progressed, however, the offense found its groove as did their veteran tight end Leggett. The senior had just one catch in his first three games, but closed 2016 with 10 receptions for 157 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers' final three regular-season games. It would be fitting for the Clemson to use its own tight end against the Tide in the title game after Nick Saban's bunch gouged the Tigers with the very same position last January.

Clelin Ferrell

Experts point to Clemson's defensive line when lobbying for the Tigers in Monday's game. If they can jump out to an early lead, Dabo Swinney's bunch will be able to cut their pass-rushers loose against a Crimson Tide offense light on experience of playing from behind.

Carlos Watkins and Christian Wilkins received most of the attention this season, and rightfully so, but Clelin Ferrell was equally disruptive at times for the Tigers. Ferrell registered double-digit tackles for loss numbers in 2016 and did almost all of his damage in big games. Don't be surprised if he's able to rattle fellow freshman Jalen Hurts all night long.

Artavis Scott

Kenyan Drake and a savvy surprise onside kick from Adam Griffith helped Saban capture his fifth national championship 12 months ago. This time around don't be shocked to see Clemson's special teams unit making the larger impact on college football's biggest stage.

Scott has been a solid kick returner for the Tigers the past two seasons and the Crimson Tide ranked 50th nationally in special teams efficiency this season. With an iron clad run defense and an opportunistic pass defense, sparking a big play on special teams may be the Tigers' only way to swing the game in their favor.