Minkah Fitzpatrick: Clemson didn't see the real Bama last year

Alabama defeated Clemson in last year's national championship game, but the win was an eye-opener for the Crimson Tide.

The Tigers scored 40 points and posted 550 yards in the contest, something that Minkah Fitzpatrick and the rest of the defense hasn't forgotten.

"We're going into it like we almost lost because of how bad we played in that game," Fitzpatrick told Edward Aschoff of ESPN on Wednesday. "We're working probably harder than what they are because they are saying, 'Oh, we just want to beat them.' We want to dominate them because of how we played last year."

The defensive back noted that Alabama needs to do a better job of getting to Deshaun Watson, as the Clemson pivot was able to avoid pressure and had "10 seconds" to throw, according to Fitzpatrick.

"That's almost impossible, no matter who you are ... to cover for that long," Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick is hoping this year's unit - led by himself, Jonathan Allen, and Reuben Foster - makes up for the performance with a game the college football world won't soon forget.

"The whole defense really didn't play that well (against Clemson last year)," Fitzpatrick said. "They didn't really see the real Bama last year, they just saw a little flash of it. I hope this year, we are gonna play right and they're gonna get a little taste of the real Bama - the whole taste."