When the topic is beating Alabama, one man in college football stands out as the closest thing we have to an expert.

That man is Hugh Freeze, coach at Mississippi. He’s the last man to beat the Crimson Tide, some 26 games ago. He’s also handed Nick Saban two of his last three losses, having shocked his team in 2014. And he has come the closest this year to taking down the Tide, losing 48-43 in September after taking a 24-3 lead – Alabama’s smallest victory margin and largest deficit of the season.

With the Red Elephants stampeding toward a national title defense and its fifth championship in the last eight years, I called Freeze and asked him to share some wisdom about what it takes to beat ‘Bama. He obliged, while issuing this disclaimer: We can talk about it all we want, but he doesn’t expect any of the College Football Playoff teams to actually beat ‘Bama.

“I think Alabama is the best team in the country,” Freeze said. “But this is a one-game shot – I think the Ohio State and Clemson teams have the talent to do it. I never get to see Washington play, so I don’t know for sure about them.

“But if I had to put something on it, it would be on Alabama.”

Freeze then outlined what he believes a team needs to dethrone the Tide. He started with the offensive side of the ball, outlining three key areas.

“Even to have a chance, you have to have a good quarterback,” Freeze said. “I don’t believe you can beat them without that guy. If you don’t have that guy, you might oughta just not show up.”

Freeze had that guy this season and last season in Chad Kelly. He lit up Alabama in September for 421 passing yards, 464 total yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Kelly’s 178 pass efficiency rating in that game was the highest the Tide allowed on the year by 48 points.

The previous season, in a 43-37 upset victory in Tuscaloosa, Kelly threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns. His efficiency rating of 171 also was the highest Alabama allowed on the season.

And in 2014, famously inconsistent Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace had a Good Bo game against ‘Bama: 18 of 31 for 251 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions.

In those three games against the Tide, the Rebels have completed 60 percent of their passes for 1,013 yards, with nine touchdowns and no interceptions. (You know it grinds Saban’s gears that his defense doesn’t have a single interception against Ole Miss since 2013.) Also important: Alabama’s overwhelming pass rush has registered only seven sacks the past three games against Mississippi, for a total of just 42 yards in losses, which indicates the added value of an elusive QB.

View photos Nick Saban may have his most dominant team yet, but another title isn’t a foregone conclusion. (Getty) More

Does Washington have that kind of quarterback? Yes – with reservations. Jake Browning has had a huge sophomore season, throwing for 3,280 yards and 42 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He can make big plays with his arm, and coach Chris Petersen undoubtedly will arm him with a smart gameplan. The question is whether he can also avoid bad plays with his feet. Browning was only sacked 21 times on the season – but against the most physical defense Washington faced, USC’s, he was dropped for 36 yards of losses, including a safety.

Clemson is the best-equipped of any playoff team to challenge the Tide at quarterback. Deshaun Watson nearly beat them last year in the championship game, passing and running for 478 yards and leading the Tigers to 40 points.

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has dual-threat capability, plus the clutch characteristic of making big plays when he absolutely has to by any means necessary. But his passing has been erratic this season, and the big plays have not been there with a young receiving corps. Barrett is highly unlikely to have a Chad Kelly-like, 300-yard passing game if he gets a shot at Alabama in the championship game.

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