Alabama’s defense has been effective and sometimes dominant in most of the games he has played this season. In two games, however, it was porous.
In 10 of its 12 games this season, Alabama has kept its opponents at 24 points or less. In seven of its last eight games, Alabama has held its opponents to 17 points or less, including two games in which they allowed just three points (Kentucky and Arkansas) and one in which they allowed zero (Mississippi State).
None of the ten opponents nationwide is in the top 25 in the score or the total attack.
Alabama has played two teams that are ranked in the top 10 nationwide and in the top 14 nationally in total offense, and the games went very differently for the Crimson Tide, which is 48 points against Ole Miss and 46 points against Florida.
That’s reason enough to be optimistic that Ohio State’s offense is ranked in the top five at the national level in both points (43.4 points per game) and overall offense (544.9 yards per game) and a performance of 49 points, 639 yards against Clemson. , could have a big day against Alabama’s defense.
That will likely be necessary, given Alabama’s offense – led by four healthy superstars in wide receiver DeVonta Smith, quarterback Mac Jones, the run-up to Naee Harris and left-tackle Alex Leatherwood who all won national individual awards Thursday night – everyone scored.
The Crimson Tide averaged 48.2 points and 535 yards per game this season, and they have already faced three opponents (Notre Dame, Georgia and Texas A&M) with statistically better defense than the state of Ohio. Even when their defense was at its worst, their offense still dropped them to the top, with 62 points against Ole Miss and 52 points against Florida.
However, the state’s defense in Ohio is better than the teams’ defense, and if it can even resist the Crimson Tide attack, it could be enough for the Buckeyes to win the national championship if their offense can click, did it in College Football. Playoff semifinals and hold a kind of day like the Rebels and Gators did.
Alabama’s defense recognizes the possibility, and the Crimson Tide is not excusing their fight against top competition as they prepare for the title game Monday night in Miami.
‘Consistency in performance is at the end of the day that determines how well you play, and we’ve played well in some games this year. Other games are not as good as we would like. And as coaches, we need to do a better job of putting our players in a better position so that they have a chance to be successful, ” Alabama coach Nick Saban said this week. “I think we need to continue as a defensive team to focus on things we can improve on so that we can play in and out with a little more consistency.”
When Alabama defense coordinator Pete Golding reflects on why the Crimson Tide sometimes struggled on defense, he thinks they’ve been hurt by mental errors and inconsistent fundamental execution. And he does not think that these issues were exclusive to the games where they gave up a lot of points.
“I think there were several games where we kept them low but still didn’t execute, but just took advantage of it,” Golding said. “So I think the biggest thing is to evaluate ourselves and the things we have to be able to tidy up and execute the individual work within all 11, and then get together on the same page.”
Since many of Alabama’s worst defensive games, especially the Ole Miss game in which he conceded 647 yards, took place early in the season, there are indications that the Crimson Tide on the side of the ball got better as the season progressed has. . This is what Ohio State Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson thinks after watching the movie.
‘They are an excellent defense with talent and length. They are going to make it incredibly challenging. “I think just as they played, they got better and better,” said Wilson. “Great teams do what they need to win every week, and that’s what their defense does and that’s what coach Saban did, as well as anyone who has ever led the football game.”
Alabama’s defense held Notre Dame to just 14 points in the College Football Playoff semifinals in the Rose Bowl. (Photo: Tim Heitman – USA TODAY Sports)
That said, the 46-point game in Florida against Alabama’s defense took place just three weeks ago in the SEC Championship game, indicating that the Crimson Tide remains fairly vulnerable to offenses good enough to exploit their weaknesses. And they know that perhaps there is no one with more potential to do this than the state of Ohio, which ranks third at national level per rabbit per attempt (6.04) and seventh at national level per attempt (9.9).
“You look at their offense, they can do literally anything,” Alabama linebacker Christian Harris said. ‘They can run the ball at any point. They can throw it at any point. ”
Alabama is reaching one of its best defensive games of the season against Notre Dame, in which the Crimson Tide scored a season-low 31 points, but kept the Fighting Irish at just 375 yards to 14 points to comfortably on to win the Rose Bowl. It gives the Crimson Tide confidence in themselves to go into the game with the Buckeyes.
“We have learned from experience what to do,” said Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. “I just felt like we were preparing better every week. We got better every week at flying around to the ball, making adjustments and learning from previous games where we struggled, and correcting and correcting what we had to do. ‘
“They can do literally anything.”Alabama linebacker Christian Harris over Ohio State offense
Although Florida and Ole Miss prove that Alabama’s defense is very beatable, the Ohio State offense does not expect it to be easy on Monday.
“They’re really talented, really talented across the board,” said Josh Myers, Ohio center. ‘They have good, big, strong, athletic guys across the board, and they know their plan really well. You can see how it comes through film. They are extremely disciplined and very good with their technique. ”
The Crimson Tide will feel on Monday that their defense has something to prove.
“I think every week we try to make a statement,” Harris said. “We know we have a very big offense. We know we have times that we were a little shaky on defense. But you’re just as good as your last game. ”
But since the Buckeyes are capable of playing great plays on offense, even if Alabama does not make it easy, the Crimson Tide will have to play their best defensive football of the season to prevent the Ohio State from putting up a large number the scoreboard.
“They’re going to produce enough controversial plays because they have really good players in a lot of places where you have to dispute everything,” Golding said. “We have to be healthy in the game. We must try to stay ahead of the chains and let it pass clearly, because it is really balanced.
‘If you look at the state of Ohio, they average 43 (points per game), and if they do not, it’s because they turned the ball over. It’s not because people stopped them. This is because they made a mistake. People made a mistake and got paid for it, and they came off the field, whether it was a turnover or a third discount. So I think that’s the critical part of this game. ”