Final Post-Bowl Standings:
1.) Draper 30-10 (1-7 upset)
1.) Hoying 30-10 (1-7 upset)
3.) Schweinfurth 29-11 (2-6 upset)
THE Ohio State University Buckeyes vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Draper: This whole year has been about erasing the pain of the Clemson loss last year. Does this Buckeye team has the fire and will for one more win against, I hate to say it, but a team on another level offensively than Clemson? The truth is that there have been 4 teams in the Playoff Era on a different plane: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. Alabama can almost be argued to be in a territory by itself. However, this year's Alabama squad has a different core makeup than those of the past. Saban was always able to win with a stalwart shutdown defense and an offense that ran the ball and didn't make mistakes. Now, we see an offensive juggernaut coupled with an OK-mediocre defense. The Bama offense led by Jones, Smith, and Harris (and maybe Waddle) is nearly unstoppable. 3 of those listed are NFL first rounders now and that doesn't even mention the line that Bama is known for. Couple that with the sentience that the Tide have gained by applying smart analytic decision making, and it's no bueno for the other team. While this seems like a non-starter for the Buckeyes, OSU hasn't been too shabby on offense when given the chance with a better QB than Bama, very close if not equal skill positions and lines. The slight difference is the consistency of the Bama offense. But consistency doesn't matter here. I'm all about variance exploitation, but the Bucks HAVE to hit on all cylinders like in the Sugar Bowl. This may be the highest over/under in a title game, but I'd still take the over in this perceived shootout. The Bucks need to punch early and often on offense and not fall behind. Bama thrives on winning games before the coin flip whereas the Bucks win in the 4th. If it's close in the 4th, the hours of blood, sweat, and tears in the weight room before the season started show up. Fields is out to show that last week was the norm and he's ready for prime time. When in doubt, take the better QB. Go Bucks and bring home #9. OSU: 48--Bama: 45
Hoying: I look at these teams on paper and I see a slightly better passing attack for Alabama, a significantly better rushing attack for Ohio State (just like we all thought in October, right?), a slightly better run defense for the Buckeyes, and, well, the loss of Jeff Okudah, Damon Arnette, and Jordan Fuller being felt particularly hard this season. I look at Alabama's red zone effectiveness in contrast to Ohio State's inexplicable struggles. I think about the players, the ones we still don't know about, that will not be suiting up for the Scarlet and Gray because of the 'rona, while Alabama has been almost entirely spared this season. I get that sense of lingering dread that caused me to pick Clemson to win the Sugar Bowl by multiple scores. But then I look at both of these teams a little more closely. I see that the ceiling is higher for Ohio State than it is for Alabama. Between the two teams, Ohio State has by far the best win, and it was the game they just played, against the best opponent either team has faced this year. Yeah, what Alabama did to Notre Dame might have been more methodical, and they were never, ever going to lose that game, but that was Notre Dame. Ohio State just pantsed Clemson, the co-team of the Playoff era with Alabama, in a total team effort. We've seen it again and again in the Meyer/Day era: when these Buckeyes get rolling against top-level competition, they brake for nobody unless they start to lose focus (Iowa, Purdue) or just yeet the game away (Clemson last year). I'm not saying the Bucks can't give away this game against Alabama; they spent the better part of two quarters trying to do just that the last time these teams played. But I don't care if Alabama has played 11 SEC opponents this season and dominated nearly all of them. They haven't played anyone in Ohio State's galaxy (Pawwwwwwwl), and they're due for a rude awakening. The Buckeyes follow up their amazing Sugar Bowl win with a deserving sequel, and complete Nick Saban's first three-year title drought in Tuscaloosa. OSU: 45--Bama: 35
Schweinfurth: Oh my goodness what a season this has been. One needs only to look at what this team has been through this year to realize this is a special Buckeye team: a canceled and restarted season, stop and go games, positive tests, positive tests the Friday before the B1G Championship Game, Fields getting rocked and having one of the best games by an OSU QB. This team has been though so much, and has the calluses to prove it. So now the Buckeyes are looking up at Mount Alabama. Bama has blown through the SEC this year with relatively little resistance. I think the biggest speed bump Bama had was Ole Miss. What that team showed is that you can score a lot of points on the Alabama defense. Yes there is NFL talent on the Bama D, but there is also NFL talent on the Ohio State Offense. When this game was first announced, I asked my colleagues a simple question, "Has Mac Jones been hit in any of his games this year?" I got a resounding no. This will be the key. Hit Mac Jones and make him uncomfortable. The other is limiting the big play. I didn't look this up, but I am going to go with what Chris Fowler said during the Sugar Bowl. Ohio State doesn't give up touchdowns when teams don't get plays of over 20 yards. I will own up to the fact I didn't think the Bucks could beat Clemson. That dragon has been slayed (and exposed to be a clown). The Buckeyes control both lines of scrimmage again, Sermon has a day (another 85 yards through the heart of the south?), Fields shows why he is a top QB prospect and Ohio State writes a storybook ending to a season that could be featured in a 30 for 30. OHIO AGAINST THE WORLD! GO BUCKS, BEAT BAMA! OSU: 49--Bama: 42
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