CFP CHAMPIONSHIP: Buckeyes have no answer for 'Monster' Tide offense

Alabama defeats Ohio State for the 2021 CFP championship. The Crimson Tide earned a 52-24 win and its third title since the playoffs began. (Unv. Alabama Media Relations)

By GRAHAM DUNN

No one expected Ohio State to stop the Alabama offense in Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game.

But many thought after watching their dismantling of Clemson on New Year’s Day, the Buckeyes had a chance to at least slow down the Crimson Tide.

Instead, Ohio State learned what 12 other teams have when facing Mac Jones, Najee Harris and Heisman winner DeVonta Smith – aka Three-headed Monster – nobody stops this offense.

No team, injury, etc. upset the Tide in 2020.

It was a complete victory for the Tide, which finished 13-0 on the season with a 52-24 win in the CFP championship game in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

“They're unique. What makes them unique is the caliber of players that they have,” stated OSU linebacker Tuf Borland. “They have great players and great scheme and they execute it really well. They played extremely hard and that's the result that you see. That's why the scoreboard was the way that it was.”

The numbers looked much like any other game the Tide played this year. Jones was impressive again with 36 completions for 464 yards and five touchdowns.

Harris had 158 yards in total offense with three scores.

But Smith was once again most impressive despite only playing a half after suffering a hand injury early in the third quarter. He did not return to the game but before his exit, he set CFP Championship records with 215 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 12 catches.

Ohio State maintained their history staying in base defense with four linebackers on the field most of the night. Numerous times Jones read the blitzes and found someone open when the Buckeyes brought pressure.

The “Monster” was too much to handle.

“We threw a lot of RPOs tonight, a lot of those slants and glances,” Saban said. “They had eight guys in the box, or one more than we could block. Mac does a great job of executing it. Smitty obviously had a great half. Najee has played well all year long and had some tough yards to get out there due to the way they play. We knew we had to threw the ball to win and we did that effectively.”

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day was concerned that his team would have to score to keep up. Early on, they forced a rare turnover by Jones and converted that to points.

But it would only delay the inevitable.  After the Major Teague touchdown, Alabama outscored the Buckeyes 31-10 through the next two quarters to pull away.  

“There was the feeling of if you don’t score and get down, the pressure mounts,” Day said. “The turnover early got us going.

“I thought there was a point there where if we had got a stop and got into the end zone, that we had an opportunity to get back in within a couple scores, maybe get it down to 10, but that didn't happen. I just think it's a combination of things.”

The Buckeyes were limited prior to the start of the game when it was announced that two starters on the defensive line would not dress due to COVID-19 protocol. They would lose a couple more players to injury during the game, including running back Trey Sermon, who was lost due to a shoulder injury on the Buckeyes’ first possession of the game.

“When we needed him the most, he gave us his best,” wide receiver Chris Olave said. “And to see him go down in that first drive, it was tough for us. He's been going uphill ever since that Big Ten championship, and I wanted to see him do good in this game. And losing him was huge. And I think we felt that.”

At the end of the day, Alabama was too much for the Buckeyes on both sides of the ball. The Tide defense held the OSU offense to a pedestrian 341 yards in total offense, well short of their season average.

“I mean, they're just -- you play against Alabama you're going against the best players in the country,” Fields said. “And they're very talented, very fundamentally sound. Obviously they're going to get after us a couple times. I feel we just try to manage that and be on the attacking end and not try to receive it, be more proactive than reactive.”