What can Ohio State do to beat Alabama football?
We are less than a week away from the National Championship, and Alabama football is ready to square off against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Tide remain favored, but this will certainly be a close game.
Alabama has not faced a true test all season. While some games have felt close, they were in control from start to finish. This will likely be a knockout game with each team throwing devastating haymakers.
With that in mind, this is what Ohio State can do that scares me.
Use Trey Sermon as a receiver
Trey Sermon might not be the best running back Alabama has faced all year, but he is close. He is also coming off of a career game against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. He will likely have a strong performance against the Crimson Tide.
While Sermon is great, what really worries me is his ability to catch the football out of the backfield. Alabama has struggled all season with receiving backs, and quality offenses have been able to use this to their advantage. The main issue is using Dylan Moses to cover running backs out of the backfield. He struggles to stay in stride with them and is often beat in coverage. If Ohio State can give Sermon the ball in space, he can torch Alabama football‘s defense.
Use Justin Fields as a scrambler
Justin Fields had what looked like a major rib injury against the Clemson Tigers, but he still managed to finish the game. Assuming he is ready to go, he will be able to use his legs to extend drives. This puts even more stress on the defense without adding in his cannon for an arm.
Thankfully Alabama has gotten faster on the defensive line. Christian Barmore can cause chaos on the interior, and Will Anderson can chase Fields down from the edge. Still, Fields has the ability to make a play when things break down. If he leaves the pocket and runs the ball, Alabama must be ready to stop him for a minimal gain.
Ohio State is fresher
The debate about whether or not Ohio State deserves to be in the CFP is a moot point. They are in the title game and have earned their way there. However, it does hurt Alabama that they have significantly more games under their belt. They have faced a grueling regular-season schedule, and things haven’t gotten easier in the postseason. Juxtapose that with Ohio State’s many bye weeks and shortened schedule, and things seem pretty unfair.
The good news is that play has slowed down in recent weeks. Both teams got some time to rest before the CFP semifinal, and they will have time to prepare for the National Championship. Still, this is a distinct advantage.
All of this being said, there is a reason that Alabama football is still favored. If they lose this game, however, these will be the reasons why.