1. A former Cardinals coach had an unhappy homecoming.
The last and only time the Crimson Tide played a football game in Arizona was Jan. 1, 1991, when they lost to the Louisville Cardinals 34-7 in the Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium.
Here's the interesting part: Alabama's head coach at the time was Gene Stallings, who took the job after being fired as then-Phoenix Cardinals head coach one season earlier. So, just 14 months after the Cardinals fired him, Stallings returned to Sun Devil Stadium, which was the Cards' home field at the time. The now-80-year-old guided the Tide to a national championship two years later.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney played for Stallings at Alabama and began his coaching career under Stallings as a graduate assistant at Alabama from 1993-95.
2. Samantha Ponder is a Phoenix native.
ESPN college football reporter Samantha Ponder is feeling right at home this weekend: The former Ms. Samantha Steele (she married former NFL quarterback Christian Ponder in 2012) is a native of the Valley.
Clemson & Bama fans/media...I was born/raised in Central Phx & live there now so here are my recommendations: pic.twitter.com/hcx377Hrb4
— Sam Steele Ponder (@sam_ponder) January 5, 2016
3. A former Alabama QB is a Valley high school coach.
Jeff Rutledge was the starting quarterback on the Alabama team that won the 1978 national championship. He played in 14 NFL seasons and was a member of three Super Bowl teams before making multiple stops in the coaching ranks, including a stop as Cardinals quarterbacks coach from 2007-08.
Today, Rutledge is the head football coach at Valley Christian High School in Chandler -- a role he began in 2013.
Congrats to Coach Saban and @AlabamaFTBL on their big win last night. Tide coming here to AZ to play for another national title! #RollTide
— Jeff Rutledge (@JeffRutledge11) January 1, 2016
4. Just one player hails from Arizona.
As one might imagine, the majority of the players who comprise Alabama and Clemson's roster are from the southeastern United States. Just one player from either school, Alabama's Levi Wallace, is an Arizona native.
A sophomore defensive back, Wallace is from Tucson and starred at Tucson High School. The 6-foot, 172-pounder has not seen any action this season for the Crimson Tide.
5. Lane Kiffin makes his return to AZ.
Lane Kiffin may not have had a lot of warm and fuzzy memories as he stepped off the plane in Arizona on Friday. The Alabama offensive coordinator was fired as USC head coach midway through the 2013 season -- right after the Trojans were embarrassed 62-41 at ASU in Tempe.
The 40-year-old Kiffin, who also serves as Alabama's quarterbacks coach, lasted just three and a half seasons at the Trojans' helm.
Kiffin on Phoenix: "Last time I was here I got fired. Time before that was for the (USC) NCAA hearing. So, yeah, a lot of great memories."
— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) January 9, 2016
