Alabama Football: 3 key matchups for the National Championship
By Dakota Cox
Key matchups for Alabama football vs. Ohio State
2. Trey Sermon vs. Dylan Moses
Trey Sermon is coming off of a career game against the Clemson Tigers, and he will be looking to repeat his success against the Crimson Tide. While his ability to run between the tackles will fall on the offensive line, the real battle will be how he impacts the passing game.
Against Clemson, Sermon had 61 receiving yards on just 4 catches. That helped extend drives in crucial situations, and it will be an even more important piece of the game plan this week.
Alabama has a history of struggling against running backs. The best chance to beat the Tide is to get a linebacker on a running back and use this connection to march down the field. This is partially due to Alabama’s scheme, but it also falls on Dylan Moses. After coming off of an injury, he has seemed to have lost a step all season. His coverage skills are lacking, and he will need to step up against the Buckeyes.
There is a chance that Alabama will instead use Christian Harris to stop Sermon. Harris is better in coverage thanks to his experience as a defensive back in high school. Either way, Sermon will likely have some success in the National Championship. Fans just have to hope that it’s not enough to turn the tide of this game.