What To Look For: Ohio State vs Alabama

Breaking down what to look for early on to know that Ohio State is ready to take it to the Alabama Crimson Tide

We are just hours away from kickoff of the national championship game, and Ohio State will look to knock off the nation’s No. 1 ranked squad, the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Ohio State needs to be on top of its game on both sides of the ball, and it needs to start fast. We’ll know early on if Ohio State is able to not only hang with Alabama, but outplay the Tide, which is what the Buckeyes must do to win this game. 

Here is what I’ll be looking for on both sides of the ball, and how the Buckeyes are playing in these three areas will tell me Ohio State is ready to get the job done.

OFFENSE

1. Offensive line is getting a push and establishing balance — Alabama has been vulnerable against good running teams this season, and Ohio State is at its best when it establishes the ground attack. The Buckeye line is big enough and strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Alabama, who is led by 6-5, 310-pound monster Christian Barmore.

Getting movement up front and opening up run lanes is the key to success against Alabama because it impacts every part of the game. Success in the run game on early downs keeps the chains moving, and it forces the Tide linebackers and safeties to be more active inserting into the box, which then opens up big play opportunities in the pass game.

Establishing the ground game also helps control the clock, which means fewer possessions for the explosive Alabama offense, and makes it harder for the Tide offense to get into an early rhythm.

2. Ryan Day and Justin Fields are being aggressive — Notre Dame ran the ball effectively on Alabama, topping 100 yards in the first half. The problem for the Irish, however, is their pass game was non-existent. Notre Dame played conservative football against the Tide, which is what you do when your goal is to not get blown out. Ohio State’s goal is to win, and to do that the Buckeyes need to be just as aggressive attacking the Alabama secondary as it was attacking Clemson’s.

Isolating the Alabama safeties and linebackers in the pass game is certainly one avenue to success, but if Day can dial up some big play opportunities, and if Fields can make the big throws the Buckeyes should be able to move the ball and score at will against the Tide defense.

3. Answer — Alabama overwhelms opponents early, outscoring its first 12 opponents 347-119 in the first half, including 146-37 in the first quarter. Ohio State has started slow at times this season, something it cannot do against the Tide. If the defense is giving up ground early the offense must match Alabama score for score.

This would give Kerry Coombs and the defense time to make adjustments, and when the defense starts making stops the offense can then go out and win the game. Getting behind Alabama early would be devastating, as Alabama’s ability to run the ball and move the chains with the quick game allows it to run clock off if it needs to do so.

If Ohio State matches Alabama score for score in the early going it will go into the second half with a great chance to win the game by putting in Alabama in a situation it has rarely found itself in the 2020 season.

DEFENSE

1. Front seven is making Alabama one-dimensional — When Alabama is its most dangerous is when it is beating opponents with a balanced attack. In the five games where Alabama was held under 150 rushing yards it averaged 39.8 offensive points per game. In the seven games where Alabama rushed for more than 150 yards it averaged 49.4 offensive points per game.

It’s a simple strategy that is hard to execute. Ohio State must be able to keep the run game in check and force Alabama to be as one-dimensional as possible. Doing so will allow the secondary players to focus more on defending the screen game and perimeter throws. It would also make the safeties less vulnerable to getting caught peeking into the backfield on play-action throws.

2. Defense is playing fast and sound — If Alabama is forced to go on sustained drives the odds of making stops dramatically increase. This means either forcing a punt or turning the Tide over. Even forcing Alabama into field goals instead of touchdowns should be considered a big win when playing against this Alabama offense.

Playing smart and limiting big plays is a must. Ohio State’s linebackers and secondary players must fly to the football and wrap up. Alabama had 234 passing yards after the catch against Notre Dame and it had 106 rushing yards after contact against the Irish. The Buckeyes cannot allow Alabama to have this level of production after the catch or after contact.

If the defense can be fast and sound it will go a long way towards getting enough stops to win the game.

One key to making this happen is a game plan that forces Alabama to the perimeter. Notre Dame gave up far too many inside throws, with Alabama having well over 100 yards receiving on slants and crossing routes. As good as Mac Jones is, the reality is he doesn’t have the kind of arm strength that Fields possesses, and when he’s forced to throw the ball to the outside he’s less accurate and less effective. If Ohio State can slow down the screen game and limit the throws inside the numbers the Buckeyes can get to Jones.

3. Early stops are a must — Notre Dame and Georgia both made enough stops in the first two quarters to keep Alabama somewhat in check. The Tide had just 20 points at halftime against Georgia and 21 against Notre Dame. Neither of those squads were good enough on offense to keep up with Alabama despite their defense making multiple stops. Ohio State does have an offense good enough to out-pace Alabama if the defense is making early stops.

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