In the last century, only Michigan has won more football games than Ohio State and Alabama, and a single victory separates the Buckeyes and the Crimson Tide.
Ohio State won 929 games; Alabama won 928. The Crimson Tide has 15 national championships, while the Buckeyes have won eight.
On January 11, Ohio and Alabama will meet for the fifth time in their history – this time at the National College Football Playoff Championship (8 pm ET, ESPN / ESPN App) presented by AT&T at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Crimson Tide, ranked 1st, defeated Notre Dame, number 4, 31-14, in a PCP semifinal at the Rose Bowl game presented by Capital One. Nr. 3, Ohio State then stunned No. 2 Clemson 49-28 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The Buckeyes won their last game against the Crimson Tide, a 42-35 Sugar Bowl victory in 2015.
Here’s everything you need to know about the CFP 2021 National Championship.
How Alabama got here: Playing a conference-only program due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Crimson Tide became the first team in SEC history to take a 10-0 win over conference enemies during the regular season. It was Tide’s fifth undefeated regular season under Nick Saban. Alabama won each of the 10 games of the regular season with 15 points or more (seven with four touchdowns or more), including a 28-point run since then. 13 Texas A&M, 17 points over number 3 Georgia and 29 points over number 22 Auburn. The most difficult test in Alabama was a 52-46 victory over Florida no. 7 in the SEC championship game, in which the Gators scored 29 points in the second half and accumulated 462 meters of offense to almost overcome an 18-point deficit. Tide improved to 5-1 in the CFP semifinal games, with their victory over Notre Dame on Friday.
Alabama offensive lineman to watch: WR DeVonta Smith. The senior is a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and this week became the first recipient to win the AP footballer of the year since the award was established in 1998. In the six games before the PCP semifinal, Smith had 53 catches for 955 yards with 13 touchdowns, in while totaling 199 yards, with an eight-point touchdown. In the first 11 games, Smith represented 768 of his receiving 1,511 yards after the yacht.
Alabama defensive player to watch: CB Patrick Surtain II. The junior was the corner defender of Pro Football Focus in FBS, who was heading to Rose Bowl and defensive player no. 10 overall with a score of 87.0 in the first 11 games. According to PFF, Smith had an 86.3 coverage rating, ranking sixth in FBS and second in Power 5. Before facing Fighting Irish, Surtain allowed just 18 additions on 43 targets, over 460 total catches. He allowed a one-time finish to 24.2 Snapshots, which ranked third among FBS players.
Matchup that favors the Crimson Sea: Alabama wide receivers compared to Ohio State secondary. Even without Jaylen Waddle injured, Tide’s receiver group is a nightmare for any team. The Buckeys held up well against the slender body of Clemson’s receivers, but finished last in the Big Ten in defense of passes in the first six games, allowing 261.3 meters per game. The Buckeyes did a good job of getting Amari Rodgers out of Clemson out of the game, but the Sea has more weapons.
Individual matchup to watch: Pete Golding, Alabama Vs. Ohio State QB, Justin Fields. Fields set up a life game against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, throwing for 385 yards with six touchdowns on the Buckeyes’ stunning route. Fields looked confused in previous games against Indiana and Northwestern, when he combined to throw five interceptions and was fired eight times. He was kind of impeccable in all the other games. Golding has been criticized for his inconsistent defense game in Alabama and will have to come up with a solid game plan to put pressure on Fields.
The Alabama X Factor: K Will Reichard. In the past, Alabama fans held their collective breath when Tide’s kicker entered the field in the postseason. Not this season. Reichard, a two-year-old student from Hoover, Alabama, was a perfect 12-for-12 on field goals, including a 52-yarder against Georgia and a 73-for-73 with extra points in the first 11 games. He is a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Alabama will win if: Tide’s offensive line protects Mac Jones. The Alabama offensive line is very good, led by striker Alex Leatherwood and guard Deonte Brown. If the Sea can protect Jones and give him time in his pocket, he will probably do what he did all season. The 3,739-yard pass was the most by a Alabama defender in the first 11 games and he completed 75.6% of his attempts with 32 touchdowns and four interceptions.
What’s at stake for Alabama: Alabama is aiming for its 16th national championship, the most in the era of AP polls and the second in the history of college football. Yale won 18 national titles from 1874 to 1927. Saban will win his seventh national title in 16 years, including six in Alabama. His seven national titles (he won one at LSU in 2003) would take him out of a tie with legendary Tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant for more than one coach in college football history.
How the state of Ohio got here: Buckeyes did not start until Oct. 24 after the Big Ten delayed the start of the season due to concerns about COVID-19. Ohio State defeated two ranked teams during the regular season: then no. 18 Penn State 38-25 on the road on October 31 and then-no. 9 Indiana 42-35 home on November 21st. Three of the regular season games in Ohio State have been canceled due to coronavirus problems. The Big Ten voted on Dec. 9 to change its policy that teams must play six games to be eligible for the conference championship game. Despite not having 22 players, including starting quarterback Chris Olave and starting quarterback Baron Browning, Buckeyes defeated then no. 14 Northwestern 22-10 in the Big Ten championship game to win their fourth consecutive league title.
Ohio State offensive player to pursue: While defender Justin Fields is the transfer that gets the most attention for the Buckeyes, runner Trey Sermon, who has played for Oklahoma for the past three seasons, is just as important. The transfer of graduates from Marietta, Georgia, has taken the toll on the last three games in the state of Ohio. He ran 112 yards with a single touchdown in a 52-12 win over Michigan State in the last game of the Buckeyes regular season, then had a 331-yard school record with two 29-goal scores against Northwestern in the game. Big Ten championship. He broke the OSU record in a single 314-meter game set by Eddie George against Illinois in 1995, and his rush total was the highest ever in a conference title game. The sermon had 112 meters on 17 transports in the first half, with Master Teague out. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Sermon had 524 rushing yards in the last two games, mostly in a two-game stretch by an OSU player in history.
Ohio State defensive player to pursue: Ohio State LB Pete Werner. He was Buckeyes’ biggest striker heading into the PCP semifinals and helped close out Travis Etienne, who was part of the Tigers. Werner moved from the outside defender this season and had 37 attacks, 2½ loss attacks and a sack in the first six games. He is very good at covering against tight ends and running and will be important in trying to slow down Najee Harris of Alabama.
Matchup that favors the Buckeyes: Ohio State DT Haskell Garrett vs. Alabama C Chris Owens. Garrett was shot in the face and spent two days in hospital in early September. The Las Vegas senior was not medically licensed to play this season until just four days before the opening. He appeared as one of the best inside linemen in the country with 17 attacks, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 1 interception in the first six games. According to Pro Football Focus, Garrett was the highest ranked defensive lineman in FBS, with a score of 92.1 before the CFP semifinals. Owens was introduced to the starting line when incumbent Landon Dickerson broke his ACL against Florida in the SEC championship game.
Individual matchup to watch: Ohio State CB Shaun Wade Vs. Alabama WR DeVonta Smith. Wade gave up the season to prepare for the NFL draft, but changed his mind and was the secondary leader of OSU. Kiper Jr. ranks him as the fourth-best prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft. Wade has been named All-American by ESPN and The Associated Press and is OSU’s first Big Ten’s Tatum defensive award winner. -Woodson behind the year.
Ohio State X Factor: Fields took a vicious blow to the ribs by Clemson’s main defender, James Skalski, with 5:57 for the end of the second quarter. Skalski was sent off for targeting, and Fields slowed to his feet and appeared to be suffering. He missed a game before returning to throw a touchdown to wide receiver Chris Olave for a 28-14 lead over the Tigers. He wore an extra liner on the left side for the rest of the game. Fields had sucked a wound on his thumb, but he seemed ready to leave. Will it hurt the coast in the next 10 days before facing the Crimson Sea? He didn’t look like that in throwing six touchdowns against Clemson.
Ohio State will win if: Play like they played against Clemson. They completely dismembered the Sugar Bowl Tigers, getting a 35-14 lead at the break. Fields had complete control and used his defenders and tight ends to exploit Clemson’s defense. Defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs has come up with a great game plan to put pressure on Clemson’s defender Trevor Lawrence, a Heisman Trophy finalist, and the Buckeyes will have to put pressure on Jones as well.
What’s at stake for Ohio State: Buckeyes are 23-1 in the second season of coach Ryan Day. After waiting 34 years to win a national title, Ohio State can win its third since 2002. It defeated Miami 31-24 in two extra hours to win the 2003 Fiesta Bowl under Jim Tressel, then defeated Oregon with 42-20 to win the first CFP under Urban Meyer in 2015.