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Over the past century, only Michigan has won more football games than Ohio State and Alabama, and only one victory separates the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide.
Ohio State won 929 games; Alabama won 928. The Crimson Tide has 15 national championships, while the Buckeyes have won eight.
On January 11, the state of Ohio and Alabama will only meet for the fifth time in their history – this time in the National College Football Playoff Championship (8 p.m. ET, ESPN / ESPN app) presented by AT&T at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Gardens, Florida.
The No.1-ranked Crimson Tide defeated No.4 Notre Dame, 31-14, in a CFP semi-final at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One. No.3 Ohio State then knocked out No.2 Clemson 49-28 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The Buckeyes won their last meeting against the Crimson Tide, a 42-35 Sugar Bowl victory in 2015.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2021 CFP National Championship.
How Alabama got here: Playing a conference schedule purely due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Crimson Tide became the first team in SEC history to go 10-0 against conference enemies during the regular season. It was the Tide’s fifth unbeaten regular season under Nick Saban. Alabama have won each of their 10 regular season games by 15 or more points (seven by four or more touchdowns), including a 28-point rout from then-No. 13 Texas A&M, 17 points on 3rd Georgia and 29 points on 22nd Auburn. Alabama’s toughest test was a 52-46 victory over No.7 Florida in the SEC Championship game, in which the Gators scored 29 points in the second half and stacked 462 yards of attack. to almost overcome an 18-point deficit. The Tide improved to 5-1 in the CFP semifinals with their victory over Notre-Dame on Friday.
Alabama offensive player to watch: WR DeVonta Smith. The senior is a Heisman Trophy finalist and this week became the first wide receiver to win the AP College Football Player of the Year since the award was created in 1998. In the six games leading up to the semi-final of the CFP, Smith had 53 catches for 955 yards with 13 touchdowns, while totaling 199 yards with one touchdown on eight punt returns. In the first 11 games, Smith accounted for 768 of his 1,511 receiving yards after the catch.
Alabama defensive player to watch: CB Patrick Surtain II. The junior was Pro Football Focus’s top cornerback in the FBS before the Rose Bowl and the 10th overall defensive player with a rating of 87.0 in the opening 11 games. According to PFF, Smith had a cover rating of 86.3, which ranked sixth in the FBS and second in the Power 5. Before facing the Fighting Irish, Surtain had allowed just 18 wins on 43 targets out of 460 shots. in total. He had allowed completion once every 24.2 shots, which ranked third among FBS players.
Match that favors the Crimson Tide: The Alabama wide receivers versus the Ohio state secondary. Even without an injured Jaylen Waddle, Tide’s receiving line is a nightmare for any team. The Buckeyes held up well against Clemson’s slim receiving body, but they placed last in the Big Ten in passing defense in the first six games, allowing for 261.3 yards per game. The Buckeyes have done a good job removing Clemson’s Amari Rodgers from the game, but the Tides have more weapons.
Individual match to watch: Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding against Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Fields put together the game of his life against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, totaling 385 yards with six touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ superb rout. Fields had looked confused in previous games against Indiana and Northwestern, when he combined to throw five interceptions and was sacked eight times. He was pretty much perfect in every other game. Golding has been criticized for the inconsistent play of the Alabama defense, and he will need to come up with a solid game plan to put pressure on Fields.
Alabama X Factor: K Will Reichard. In the past, Alabama fans have held their collective breath when the Tide kicker has taken over in the playoffs. Not this season. Reichard, a sophomore from Hoover, Ala, was a perfect 12 for 12 on field goals, including 52 yards against Georgia and 73 for 73 on extra points in the first 11 games. He is a finalist for the Lou Groza Prize.
Alabama will win if: Tide’s offensive line protects Mac Jones. Alabama’s offensive line is very good, led by tackle Alex Leatherwood and guard Deonte Brown. If the Tide can protect Jones and give him some time in his pocket, he’ll likely do what he’s been doing all season. His 3,739 passing yards were the most scored by an Alabama quarterback in the first 11 games, and he completed 75.6% of his attempts with 32 touchdowns and four interceptions.
What are the challenges for Alabama: Alabama are aiming for their 16th national championship, the largest in the days of the AP polls, and the second in college football history. Yale won 18 national titles from 1874 to 1927. Saban would win his seventh national title in the past 16 years, including six in Alabama. His seven national titles (he won one at LSU in 2003) would pull him out of a tie with legendary Tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most part by a coach in college football history.
How the state of Ohio got here: The Buckeyes didn’t start until October 24 after the Big Ten delayed the start of the season due to COVID-19 concerns. Ohio State beat two ranked teams in the regular season: So-No. 18 Penn State 38-25 on the road Oct. 31, then-No. 9 Indiana 42-35 at home on November 21. Three of Ohio State’s regular season games have been called off due to coronavirus concerns. The Big Ten voted on Dec. 9 to change their policy that teams had to play six games to be eligible for the conference championship game. Although they don’t have 22 players, including wide receiver Chris Olave and starting linebacker Baron Browning, the Buckeyes beat No-No. 14 Northwestern 22-10 in the Big Ten Championship game to win their fourth consecutive league title.
Ohio State offensive player to watch: While quarterback Justin Fields is the most attention-grabbing transfer for the Buckeyes, just as important is running back Trey Sermon, who has played for Oklahoma the previous three seasons. The graduate transfer from Marietta, Ga. Has carried the load in Ohio State’s last three games. He ran for 112 yards with a touchdown in a 52-12 victory over Michigan State in the Buckeyes’ final regular season game, then had a school record of 331 yards with two scores in 29 carries against Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship game. . He broke Eddie George’s single-game single-game record for 314 yards against Illinois in 1995, and his rushing total was the highest in a conference title game. Sermon had 112 yards on 17 carries in the first half with Master Teague sidelined. According to research from ESPN Stats & Information, Sermon has totaled 524 rushing yards in the last two games, the most in two games by an OSU player in history.
Ohio State defensive player to watch: Pete Werner, Ohio State LB. He was the Buckeyes’ main tackle heading into the CFP semi-finals and was instrumental in stopping Tigers tailback Travis Etienne. Werner has moved up from an outside linebacker to the inside this season and has 37 tackles, 2½ tackles for a loss and a sack in the first six games. He’s very good at covering tight ends and running backs and will be important in trying to slow down Alabama’s Najee Harris.
Matchup that favors the Buckeyes: Ohio State DT Haskell Garrett vs. Alabama C Chris Owens. Garrett was shot in the face and spent two days in hospital in early September. The Las Vegas elder was only medically cleared to play this season four days before the opener. He went on to become one of the nation’s top indoor linemen with 17 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks and 1 interception in the first six games. According to Pro Football Focus, Garrett was the highest ranked defensive lineman in the FBS with a score of 92.1 going into the PSC semi-finals. Owens was incorporated into the starting lineup when starter Landon Dickerson tore his ACL against Florida in the SEC Championship game.
Individual match to watch: Ohio State CB Shaun Wade v Alabama WR DeVonta Smith. Wade opted out of the season to prepare for the NFL Draft, but changed his mind and served as OSU’s high school chief. Kiper Jr. ranks him as the fourth-best corner prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft. Wade has been named All-American by ESPN and the Associated Press, and he is the OSU’s first-ever winner of the award. Big Ten Defensive Back Tatum-Woodson of the Year.
Ohio State X Factor: Fields took a vicious shot to the ribs by Clemson senior linebacker James Skalski with 5:57 left in the second quarter. Skalski was sent off for targeting, and Fields took a long time to get up and appeared to be in pain. He missed a game before coming back to throw a touchdown to wide receiver Chris Olave for a 28-14 lead over the Tigers. He wore extra padding on his left side for the rest of the game. Fields had treated a thumb injury, but he looked ready to go. Will the rib injury persist over the next 10 days before facing the Crimson Tide? It didn’t sound like throwing six touchdowns against Clemson.
The state of Ohio will win if: They play like they played against Clemson. They completely dismantled the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl, taking a 35-14 lead at halftime. Fields was in complete control and used his running backs and tight ends to exploit Clemson’s defense. Defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs has crafted a great game plan to put pressure on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Heisman Trophy finalist, and the Buckeyes will have to put pressure on Jones as well.
What’s at stake for the state of Ohio: The Buckeyes are 23-1 in coach Ryan Day’s second season. After waiting 34 years to win a national title, Ohio State can win their third since 2002. He beat Miami 31-24 in two overtime to win the 2003 Fiesta Bowl under Jim Tressel, then beat Oregon 42-20 for win the first CFP under Urban Meyer in 2015.
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