Championship Recap: Alabama Overwhelms Ohio State

Alabama pulled away from Ohio State for a convincing 52 – 24 win in the National Championship Game on Monday night. The teams traded scores early, but Alabama pulled away late in the second quarter and never looked back. Alabama held Ohio State to a field goal deep in Alabama territory to create a gap at 21 – 17, then wedged that gap further apart and pulled away.

Alabama was dominant on offense and Ohio State lost their balance without Trey Sermon and was unable to keep pace. The Buckeyes were shorthanded on the defensive line but did not have the personnel in the secondary to get stops against the Crimson Tide. Alabama finished a dominant season in dominant fashion earning the National Championship in the strangest of seasons.

No Answers for Smith

Alabama’s DeVonta Smith was the best player in college football this year. He took home every major award and in the first half made his stamp on this game. Ohio State didn’t have the personnel to guard Smith anyway, but they did little to discourage Alabama from getting him the ball. The only defender who had any success was Shaun Wade and even that was for about two plays. Smith left the game with a hand injury early in the second half, but he had already done the damage he needed to.

Alabama made it clear that they were going to get the ball to their best player early and often. Ohio State for their part, did little to disrupt him at the line of scrimmage and had some curious match-ups in the secondary. Smith even got matched up deep with linebacker Tuf Borland for an easy touchdown. Mac Jones had time to get him the ball and Smith was able to get open and make big plays.

Smith did whatever he wanted on Monday night. He was able to catch the ball in the flats and make yards after the catch. He found space in the middle of the field and made big plays in the intermediate passing game. When the Buckeyes had a miscue downfield (like a linebacker chasing Smith down the seam) Smith got open deep and made big plays there too. He caught 12 passes for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns, while only playing the first half and part of the first series in the second half.

The Heisman Trophy winner proved again that he was the best player in college football. DeVonta Smith had a magical season and turned in a half for the ages in the championship game. The best player in the country saved his best for the biggest game.

Alabama’s Offensive Line Dominates

The Alabama offensive line was equally dominant in this game. On all but one play they kept Mac Jones clean and gave him plenty of time to throw the ball. Jones was able to scan the field and find his receivers with ease. They weren’t facing the same defensive line Clemson did in the semifinal, but they kept Ohio State’s defensive line away from the quarterback and allowed the Alabama offense to pay on schedule all game long.

Alabama was solid in the running game, especially on fourth down plays and late in the game. The offensive line got the push they needed on fourth down early in the game to punch in a touchdown. This group set the tone for Alabama’s success on Monday night and played a complete game for four quarters. Ohio State’s secondary was a weakness this year, but the Buckeyes were hoping their defensive line could create problems for the Alabama offense. That plan came up short, as Alabama’s offensive line was up to the challenge.

Alex Leatherwood and company were able to keep the Buckeyes away from Mac Jones and give him time to find his receivers. They didn’t dominate in the run game, but they got the yards when they needed to on third and short and fourth and short situations. Sure, Ohio State wasn’t at 100 percent on the defensive line, but that’s not Alabama’s fault. They dominated who the Buckeyes put on the field and led the way for a strong offensive performance.

About Ohio State

The Buckeyes earned their way into the championship game with an impressive win over Clemson, but they were not nearly as sharp last night as they were in that game. Justin Fields missed throws he normally makes, like the one in the second quarter when he had Garrett Wilson wide open in the end zone. It also didn’t help that Ohio State lost Trey Sermon on the first play of the game. Ohio State battled early, but they were shorthanded coming in and didn’t play their best game either, that’s not going to cut it against Alabama.

Ryan Day is a bright young coach who has proven he can recruit and create an explosive offense, but his inexperience showed against Nick Saban. Day out-thought himself at times, rather than allowing his team to do what they are good at. Where Saban got the balls in DeVonta Smith’s hand whenever he could, Ohio State didn’t target their top receivers enough. Rather than doing what worked they kept trying to trick the Tide when they didn’t need to. For example, Ohio State hit a pass up the seam to the tight end early in the game and never tried it again. Worst of all, on third and three and fourth and one in the third quarter, Day took the ball out of Justin Fields hands on both plays. The Buckeyes failed to convert and the game was over.

Tommy Togiai and Tyreke Smith not being able to play because of Covid was a big deal, but that doesn’t excuse the defensive scheme in this game. Ohio State did little to discourage Alabama from getting the ball to their best player and let Smith, whose one weakness is his slender frame, have a clean release off the line all game long. Alabama did little that they had not done all season and Ohio State could do nothing to stop it. The Tide ran simple plays and Ohio State was often out of position before the ball was even snapped. Kerry Coombs is a first year defensive coordinator and the third defensive coordinator in three years for Ohio State. That turnover has effected recruiting and the talent on that side of the ball was not where it needed to be in this game. Coombs will need to get better but it was clear he didn’t believe he had the players to cover Alabama in this game.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, this Ohio State team wasn’t on the level Alabama was this year. The Buckeyes had a good season, but Alabama was clearly the best team in college football. Nick Saban has built a dynasty at Alabama and the machine shows no signs of slowing down. Alabama will lose plenty of talent to the NFL Draft, but Saban has proven he just keeps reloading and running out great teams year in and year out.

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Coach Nick Saban Statue — University of Alabama Football Stadium (Gate 1) Tuscaloosa (AL) February 2019 image taken by Ron Cogswell is licensed under CC BY 2.0.