What goes around comes around, the
old saying
semifinal loss to the Tigers last year. Earlier in the day, Alabama won the Rose Bowl, 31-14, over Notre Dame. The Crimson Tide now seeks to
avenge an embarrassing defeat in the finals two years ago.
Ohio State’s stunning shellacking of an uncharacteristically
out-of-sorts Clemson team prevented a fifth episode of the Clemson-Alabama
playoff series. The teams had met in four of the last five playoffs, with Clemson winning twice (after
the 2016 and 2018 seasons) and Alabama twice (after the 2015 and 2017 seasons).
The 2015 and 2016 games went to the wire. Each team had a convincing win in the
other two games. Many looked forward to a rubber match this year, but now it
won’t happen.
The Tide rolls
No doubt ever existed about the
outcome of the
Alabama-Notre Dame semifinal, technically the Rose Bowl. Because
of
COVID restrictions, playoff officials moved the game
from Pasadena, California to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (a/k/a Jerry World).Alabama
scored on its first three possessions, then kept Notre Dame at bay. Though
Notre Dame has improved its lines of scrimmage from earlier post season games
when Alabama simply manhandled the Irish, the Tide’s superior speed and
playmaking ability made this game no contest.
Alabama may have had better defensive teams, but its 2020 offense is probably coach Nick Saban’s
best ever. Two players, receiver DeVonta Smith and
quarterback Mac Jones, made the
Heisman Trophy final four list and a third, running back Nanjee Harris
finished fifth. A team with that kind of fire power presents a multitude of
problems for
any defense and Notre Dame was no exception. Alabama methodically
destroyed Notre Dame’s hopes, rolling up 437 yards of total offense in the
process.
Ohio State shocks Clemson
After Clemson easily defeated Notre Dame in
the
Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, many college
football observers believed Clemson had sent a message that the Tigers were
ready to claim their third national championship in five years. Instead, Ohio
State played with a monster-sized chip on its shoulder and destroyed the proud
Tigers from South Carolina. No team ever gave an opponent more motivation.To begin with, Ohio State felt it was robbed in last year’s 29-23
semifinal loss. Several critical officiating calls went against the Buckeyes,
especially a fumble recovered and returned for a touchdown that was then called
an
incomplete
pass. Second, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney voted Ohio State 11th on his coaches’ poll
ballot. Swinney contended the vote wasn’t about Ohio State, but only reflected
his view that teams that didn’t play a full schedule didn’t deserve a top ten
ranking (Ohio State played only six games because of COVID issues).
Nevertheless, it’s difficult to imagine any better bulletin board material, especially
for a team already nursing a grudge. Ohio State’s anger fueled a 21-unanswered-
points outburst in the second quarter. Clemson never really threatened again.
Whenever the Tigers crept closer, Ohio State torched the Clemson defense in
return.
Ohio State – Alabama
Alabama opened as a seven-point favorite for the championship
game. Whether Ohio State can threaten Alabama likely depends on intangibles that
may not emerge until game time. Ohio State has weapons, especially
quarterback
Justin Fields who regained his touch in the Clemson game. He’d been a
strong pre-season Heisman candidate, but had an ordinary year and dropped out
of the conversation. Mistake plagued outings againstIndiana and in the Big 10 championship game against Northwestern drew criticism. Against Clemson,
however, he passed for 385 yards and six touchdowns, and demonstrated complete
command of the Buckeye offense.
Ohio State controlled Clemson’s
superstar
quarterback,
Trevor Lawrence, the dead cinch number one pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Lawrence threw for 400 yards, but
never seemed in rhythm. Some will blame that on the absence of
play-caller/offensive coordinator Tony Elliot, who missed the game because of
COVID protocols. When a team loses by three touchdowns, blaming it on the
absence of one assistant coach seems a bit much, especially when its defense
never stopped the opposition. Can the Buckeyes similarly handle the
multi-faceted Alabama offense? Maybe, but nobody else has this year.Ohio State has nothing to avenge against Alabama. Few expect
Ohio State will win, so the Buckeyes could be playing with house money. Except
for the mere fact they’re on the national championship stage, no reason exists for
the appearance of anything other than a loose, relaxed Ohio State team on
January 11.
Alabama, however, has some unfinished business. The Tide hasn’t won a national
championship since the 2017 season (Alabama beat Clemson, 24-6, in the
semifinals that year). The
next year, Clemson humiliated Alabama in the title game, 44-16. As for
the 2019 season, for the first time Alabama didn’t even make the four-team playoff.
All that seems motivation enough for Alabama to take care of Ohio State this
time around.
