The state’s defense is going to have its hands full with Alabama’s explosive offense led by the Crimson Tide’s three-headed Heisman monster.
The Tide’s defense is also not exactly going to go to the park on Monday night’s national championship game.
Led by future top-five NFL draft pick Justin Fields, perhaps the best receiving duo in America in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, and an offensive line that opened big holes for red-hot Trey Sermon, the offense of the Buckeyes his own serious threat in Miami.
One day after speaking with an Alabama offense led by players, saying the Buckeyes’ defense ‘is the best we’ve played this year’, the defense took the podium on Thursday and the Ryan Day crew a given some dazzling reviews.
Can ‘Bama make the state of Ohio one-dimensional?
Early in the 2020 season, so much of the offense in the state of Ohio revolved around Justin Fields getting the ball from Olave and Wilson in the field. With the way Trey Sermon has been running the ball recently, Alabama wants to put the Buckeyes back in the spot where they need to throw the ball more than they want to.
“As far as we are concerned, I feel that one of the most important things we need to worry about is to make Ohio State one-dimensional and stop their running game, because that is something that is really important only in terms of success,” he said. lineout player Dylan Moses said.
He ran behind what Moses called a “really big offensive line,” and Sermon hit 331 yards with twice in the Big Ten title game before picking up 193 yards and hitting the Sugar Bowl. Those rugby achievements resulted in him running 344 meters together in the first five games.
So, what type of sermon does Alabama think it will see?
“I think we’ll get his best,” Golding said. ‘We usually get everyone’s best, and I think he plays at a very high level. I think he runs the ball effectively, he runs after his booklets. I think he’s explosive. I think he does a good job of understanding their blocking structure and follows blockers and has patience if he needs it. But he’s one of those guys where you give him the seam, he can take it. ‘
” A Young Cam Newton ‘
Golding spent his first season in Tuscaloosa as coordinator of the Tide’s co-defense in 2018. While there, Golding and co. just once reunited with Justin Fields during the first five-star first-year season in Georgia.
Fields was barely used in the December 2018 match, which resulted in an unfinished effort and ended with three runs for six yards. So it’s not as if Golding had a fantastic or complete look at Fields as a quarterback, but he was still able to calibrate the growth that Fields made from his first college season to his third in which he made it to the top five. increased. NFL draft pick.
“Obviously I think he looks very veteran,” Golding said. ‘I think he’s doing a great job of getting them in and out of plays. Clearly, they are a big test-by-my-team, and based on the shell and the front, he can control the run and the passing game. So I think he has come a long way in understanding the cover and fronts and how they fit together. He does a very good job of getting them in and out of plays. Obviously I think he has a very good arm, a very strong arm, another arm. He threw 68 yards on his hind foot last week for the attack, but I think his accuracy has improved. ”
One of the key areas in which Golding was impressed to see Fields on tape is his ability to make checks on the point of scratches, his understanding of coverage and his agility in the pocket to avoid passages and move around fluently to time for its recipients to find openings in the field.
He also looked at how Fields hurt the defense by his ability to get out of the bag and scramble for big wins, saying it all contributes to Fields ”
Golding’s evaluation of Fields was reflected by linebackers Christian Harris and Dylan Moses, with Harris referring to some of Fields’ big scuffles in the semifinals of Clemson and his bombs to Chris Olave and Jameson Williams.
Moses, on the other hand, compared Fields to a player that many people (including Fields himself) have compared him to in the past – and for those who somehow do not realize, Moses has the comparison on ‘ made in a positive way.
‘I’ve been watching Justin Fields since he came to high school. I always had great praise for him, “said Moses. “He kind of reminded me of a young Cam Newton or something. The man has very great talent. He can deliver the ball to his receivers, has a strong arm, athletic. He’s all you want in a quarter. Like I said, we respect him, and like I said, we’re going to be confident in the game and know it’s going to be a big challenge. ”
Impressions of Ryan Day, the caller
Nick Saban does not know Ryan Day very well. The closest they met on the field was when their schools drafted a home-and-home series for 2027 and 2028, and so far have not established a close relationship. Maybe it’s happening at some point.
But from now on, Saban knows Day as a coach largely based on second-hand information and what he got to watch the Buckeyes on film from afar.
“He’s doing an excellent job of coaching,” Saban said. “He’s a very good offensive player. He has a wonderful plan on the offense. It is definitely an excellent task to coach his players to execute the scheme. They are very well trained in every phase, and their team plays with a lot of intangible things, discipline, toughness, playing hard. They seem to have a good togetherness in their team. So I think these are all good indicators of what a great job Ryan Day is doing as head coach and as leader of his organization. I think he took advantage of a wonderful opportunity and definitely did an excellent job with it.
“They have one of the best teams in the country, there is no doubt about that.”
As an attacking coach and playmaker, Day forced his teammates – including Saban and defense coordinator Pete Golding – to take notice. Ohio State’s offense has been steadily improving since Urban Meyer brought him as a co-offensive in 2017 after his team put up a goosebumps in the College Football Playoffs. Now, with Justin Fields on quarterback and a fast-paced game that ranks third nationally with six yards per carry, he has things buzzing in Columbus.
What Golding – a 36-year-old in his third season coordinating Saban’s defense – saw about Day’s offense impressed him greatly.
He pointed out how Day manipulates the defense with formations and moves guys to isolate themselves in games where the state of Ohio thinks it has individual advantages. Golding noted that Day’s check-by-me system was under investigation and said how the head coach sometimes lapses it.
“I think he did a very good job of complementing the two things and staying fairly balanced with it,” Golding said. ‘And then mix in the tempo game on top of that where they’ll create an explosive play, then they’ll hurry up, and then they’ve hurry up and then they’ll snap and go. And then they’ll go: ‘Hurry, kill, kill, where are you in, let’s name the right play. Here’s two-out, here’s a quarterback, let’s run double poles and take the chance. ‘Obviously I think a lot of things complement each other in appearance and running play and passing play, and based on who you are, they have the best play for the front in the running play or for the coverage in the passing game. So I think you have to do really nice work to change that. ”
‘I just had to make the best decision for myself’
Even if Jordan Battle had not flown to Alabama on the early signing day two years ago, he would still be able to play in this season’s national championship game.
The No. 2 safety in the 2019 recruiting class initially committed Battle to the state of Ohio in June 2018. However, after continuing to visit other schools, Battle finally decided to sign with Alabama in December, shortly after Urban Meyer announced his retirement from Ohio. State’s head coach.
Given the inconsistent game that Ohio State has had in its secondary series this year, Battle would likely have played a significant role in the Buckeyes’ defensive backfield this season. That said, second safety plays an important role at the back of Alabama’s defense, starting all but Crimson Tide’s twelve games. He recorded 63 total tackles, four pass breakups and three tackles for loss, and he received a 45-yard interception for an offense against Kentucky.
Battle has no regrets about the decision he made to join the Crimson Tide over the Buckeyes.
“I had to make the best decision for myself,” Battle said. “You see, of course, I made the best decision for myself, and that’s all it takes.”
Battle said he does not remember much about the recruitment process now that he has been in Alabama for two years. But he still holds respect for the state of Ohio, even though he will try to defeat the Buckeyes on Monday.
“I give all praise to the state of Ohio,” Battle said. ‘Good coaching staff, good players. I just had to make the best decision to get to Alabama by the end. I also give all the praise and all the excitement and joy in the state of Ohio. ”