During the past century, only Michigan has won more football games than the state of Ohio and Alabama, and only one win separates the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide.
The state of Ohio has won 929 games; Alabama won 928. The Crimson Tide has 15 national championships, while the Buckeyes claimed eight.
On January 11, Ohio State and Alabama will meet for the fifth time in their history – this time in the College Football Playoff National Championship (20:00, ESPN / ESPN App) hosted by AT&T at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Gardens, Florida.
The Crimson Tide on the no. 1 defeated Notre Dame 31-14 in a CFP semifinal at The Rose Bowl Game hosted by Capital One. Nr. 3 in the state of Ohio, then surprised No. 2 Clemson 49-28 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The Buckeyes won their last event 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 came here: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, he only played a conference scheme and the Crimson Tide became the first team in SEC history to be 10-0 against the enemies of the conference during the regular season. It was the Tide’s fifth unbeaten regular season under Nick Saban. Alabama has won each of its ten games in the regular season by 15 points or more (seven by four touchdowns or more), including a 28-point of the then No. 13 Texas A&M, 17 points over number 3 Georgia and 29 points over number 22 Auburn. Alabama’s toughest Test was a 52-46 victory at No. 7 in Florida in the SEC Championship game, in which the Gators scored 29 points in the second half and piled up 462 yards of offense to nearly overcome an 18-point deficit. . The Tide improved to 5-1 in the CFP semi-final on Friday with their win over Notre Dame.
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 Soccer Player of the Year since the 1998 award. In the six games before the CFP semifinals, Smith had 53 catches for 955 yards with 13 touchdowns, while a total of 199 yards with a touchdown yielded eight points. In the first 11 games, Smith made up 768 of his 1,511 receiving yards on yards after the catch.
Alabama Defensive Player to Watch: CB Patrick Surtain II. The junior was Pro Football Focus’ leading cornerback from FBS, which was on the Rose Bowl and overall the number 10 defensive player with an 87.0 grade in the first 11 games. According to PFF, Smith had a coverage of 86.3, finishing sixth in FBS and second in Power 5. Before confronting Surtain before the Fighting Irish, he allowed only 18 rounds on 43 targets, more than 460 total snaps. He allowed once every 24.2 snaps, finishing third among the FBS players.
Match that favors the Crimson Tide: Alabama’s wide receivers versus the secondary Ohio State. Even without the injured Jaylen Waddle, the Tide group of receivers is a nightmare for any team. The Buckeyes maintained well against Clemson’s thin receiver corps, but they finished last in the Big Ten in the pass defense in the first six games, making 261.3 yards per game possible. The Buckeyes did a good job of getting Clemson’s Amari Rodgers out of the game, but the Tide has more weapons.
Individual match to watch: Alabama defense coordinator Pete Golding against QB Justin Fields, Ohio State. Fields put together the game of a lifetime against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl and threw for 385 yards with six touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ splendor route. Fields looked confused in previous games against Indiana and Northwestern, when together he intercepted five and was fired eight times. He was pretty flawless in every other game. Golding has been criticized for the defensive play of the defense in Alabama, and he will have to put together a thorough game plan to put pressure on Fields.
Alabama X Factor: K Will Reichard. In the past, Alabama fans held their breath as the Tide kicker took the field in the off-season. Not this season. Reichard, a sophomore from Hoover, Alabama, was a perfect 12-for-12 on field goals, including a 52-year-old against Georgia, and 73-for-73 on extra points in the first 11 games. He is a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Alabama will win if: The 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 Jones can protect and give time in the bag, he will probably do what he has been doing all season. His 3,739 passing yards were the most by a quarter in Alabama through the first 11 games, and he completed 75.6% of his efforts with 32 hits and four interceptions.
What’s at stake for Alabama: Alabama is aiming for its 16th national championship, the most in the AP poll, and the second most in the football history of universities. Yale won 18 national titles from 1874 to 1927. Saban would win his seventh national title in 16 years, six of them in Alabama. His seven national titles (he won one at LSU in 2003) would get him out of the tie with legendary tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most part by a coach in football history.
How the State of Ohio Came Here: The Buckeyes only kicked off on October 24 after the Big Ten delayed the start of the season due to COVID-19 concerns. The state of Ohio defeated two ranked teams during the regular season: then no. 18 Penn State 38-25 en route on Oct. 31 and then-no. 9 Indiana 42-35 at home on November 21st. Three of the Ohio State’s regular season games have been canceled due to coronavirus problems. The Big Ten voted on December 9 to change its policy that teams must play six games to be eligible for the conference game. Despite not having 22 players, including leading scorer Chris Olave and starting lineup Baron Browning, the Buckeyes have the no. 14 Northwest 22-10 in the Big Ten Championship game to win their fourth league title.
Ohio State Offensive Player to Watch: While full-back Justin Fields is the transfer that gets the most attention for the Buckeyes, the setback Trey Sermon, who has played for Oklahoma the previous three seasons, is just as important. The graduation ceremony of Marietta, Georgia, has borne the brunt for the past three games. He ran for 112 yards with one power play in a 52-12 win over Michigan State in the Buckeyes’ last game of the regular season, and he holds a school record of 331 yards with two scores on 29 runs against Northwestern in the Big Had Ten Championship match. . He broke the 314-meter OSU singles record set by Eddie George against Illinois in 1995, and his fastest total was the most ever in a conference title game. Sermon had 112 yards on 17 runs in the first half, with Master Teague on the sidelines. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Sermon has had 524 running yards in the past two games, the most in a two-game series by an OSU player in history.
Ohio State Defensive Player to Watch: Ohio State LB Pete Werner. He was the Buckeyes’ leading packer on his way to the semi-finals of the GVP and closed out Travis Etienne’s Tigers full-back. Werner moved in from outside fullback this season and had 37 tackles, 2½ tackles for loss and one bag in the first six games. He is very good in coverage against tight end and backs, and he will be important in delaying Alabama’s Najee Harris.
Match 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 senior was only medically selected four days before the opening to play this season. In the first six games he emerged as one of the best inline in the country with 17 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 1 interception. According to Pro Football Focus, Garrett was the defensive linebacker in the FBS with a grade of 92.1 ahead of the CFP semifinals. Owens was pushed 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 vs. Alabama WR DeVonta Smith. Wade chose the season to prepare for the NFL draft, but changed his mind and was the leader of OSU’s secondary. Mel Kiper Jr. considers him the fourth best forward for the NFL Series in 2021. WPN has been named an All-American by ESPN and The Associated Press and he is OSU’s first winner of the Big Ten’s Tatum-Woodson Defense Award.
Ohio State X Factor: Fields took a fierce shot in the second quarter with 5:57 left by senior lineout player James Skalski of Clemson. Skalski was sent off for targeting, and Fields was slow to stand up and appeared to be in pain. He missed one play before returning to lead wide receiver Chris Olave 28-14 over the Tigers. He carried extra padding on his left side for the rest of the match. Fields suffered a thumb injury, but he looks ready to go. Will the rib injury linger for the next ten days before facing the Crimson Tide? It did not look like that because he beat Clemson six times.
The state of Ohio will win if: The Buckeyes play like they played against Clemson. They completely defeated the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl and led 35-14 at halftime. Fields was in full control and used his backs and tight ends to capitalize on Clemson’s defense. Defense coordinator Kerry Coombs has put together a great game plan to put pressure on Clemson’s fullback Trevor Lawrence, a Heisman Trophy finalist, and the Buckeyes will also have to put pressure on Jones.
What’s at stake for the state of Ohio: The Buckeyes are 23-1 in the second season of coach Ryan Day. After waiting 34 years to win a national title, the state of Ohio can win its third since 2002. He defeated Miami 31-24 in two overtimes to win the Fiesta Bowl in 2003 under Jim Tressel, then beat Oregon 42-20 to win the first CFP. under Urban Meyer in 2015.