Alabama Football: 3 key matchups for the National Championship
By Dakota Cox
Key matchups for Alabama football vs. Ohio State
1. DeVonta Smith vs. Shaun Wade and others
We will see DeVonta Smith in one final Alabama football game, and we should expect his best. After coming off of a Heisman Trophy speech, he will be a key to tearing apart the Ohio State defense.
The Buckeyes have a history of quality defensive backs. This season, their best corner is Shaun Wade. Wade thrived in the slot last year, but he came back to prove that he could play on the outside. While Wade was still a Thorpe Award semifinalist, he has not been as solid on the perimeter. Clemson was able to take advantage of this.
You would expect that Ohio State would put their best man on DeVonta Smith, but that might not happen. LSU tried using their best defender to stop the second option since they knew that they would have to double Smith anyway. This strategy led to Smitty’s Heisman moment.
The complexity of this is exacerbated by the unknown of Jaylen Waddle. While Alabama football hopes to see Waddle in the National Championship, that is not a guarantee. If he is available, Wade might go back to the slot to cover Waddle.
Either way, I don’t see Ohio State having consistent success against DeVonta Smith. He has faced tougher competition this season, and Ohio State has more pressing matters. They will need to commit numbers to stopping the running game, and we haven’t even mentioned Jahleel Billingsley and John Metchie.
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There is a lot that can be thrown at Ohio State, but most of it banks on the belief that they will struggle with stopping Smith. His presence will impact every player on defense, and he will win any matchup in single coverage.