CFP CHAMPIONSHIP: 'Safety Dance' the popular tune as Ohio State, Bama avoid controversy in first press conference

Ohio State coach Ryan Day stated on Monday that Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields is expected to play against Alabama on Monday. (Jonathan Backman)

By GRAHAM DUNN

A long time ago when MTV was a big deal, a video was quite popular among teens and fans of bad music.

The song – “Safety Dance” by one-hit wonders Men Without Hats – was in regular rotation.

As of Monday, that term fits how players and coaches at both Alabama and Ohio State would approach their discussion of the opposition heading into Monday’s national championship game in Miami Gardens.

Unlike Dabo Swinney, who seemed to take pride in his final vote in the coaches poll as he publicized his No. 11 ranking of the Buckeyes, there was little if any bulletin board material from Monday’s press conferences.

It was as though the mutual admiration society had returned.

“Nothing but the utmost respect for Coach (Nick) Saban and his staff,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “Anytime you get to this level, you know you've got to be on your game. You're going against the best in the world, and certainly Alabama is. Coach Saban's career speaks for itself.

“So yeah, watched them win a lot of National Championships, so again, nothing but the utmost respect.”

The accent on benign was equal from the Alabama contingency.

“We're excited about having the opportunity to play against a great Ohio State team,” Saban said. “These guys are really well-coached. Ryan Day has done a great job there. They're one of the best defensive teams in the country in terms of points allowed. Tough to run against, really explosive on offense, really good skill players outside. They do a great job of running the ball and control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”

With that admiration, both coaches sounded confident heading into the week of preparation. Discussions of the “new” Justin Fields and his play against Clemson got everyone’s attention while Heisman favorite DeVonta Smith took the first question asking his opinion of the award.

“Right now I'm not really worried about the Heisman Trophy,” Smith said, as if Saban was standing over his shoulder. “I'm just trying to come in with the team this weekend, just look forward to getting on to the game plan for Ohio State.”

Fields was scheduled to be a part of Monday’s virtual press conference but did not attend. But plenty was said about his 385 yards passing with six touchdowns in last week’s Sugar Bowl win over Clemson.

“He's a high competitor,” stated Bama defensive back Patrick Surtain, II. “He leads the team the right way. They go off of him, and for him to come back in the game, like I said, that just shows what type of competitor he is and what type of toughness he has.

“That team success builds around him. He's a great player all in all.”

Fields suffered an apparent injury to his ribs yet stayed in the game and led the Buckeyes to the win. Day was asked of his current health situation and Day promptly dodged the question with the “we don’t get into specifics on injuries” comment. But he did have plenty to say about his quarterback’s toughness and he would play on Monday.

“I think when you, first off, saw the way that Justin finished the game, it was remarkable,” Day said. “I thought that was one of the gutsiest performances I've ever seen in person.

“It was like any other situation. It was certainly high profile to see it all go down, but I leave all that stuff up to our medical people who are the best in the country. Justin is such a competitive guy. He wasn't going to come off the field, and that's just the way he's wired. You were going to have to pull him off the field.”

Alabama has been tabbed as a seven-point favorite in the game but the Crimson Tide was also a prohibitive favorite the last time these two matched up in the Sugar Bowl following the 2014 season. The majority of Alabama’s players (and Ohio State’s) were teenagers if not younger when the Buckeyes won, 42-35.

“I don't know that any of our players on our team were around back then, so I don't know how that affects this game,” Saban said. “I think this game is all about how do you prepare for this game, what do you do today and every day leading up to this game to prepare yourself to play the best that you're going to play, assuming that the guy you're going to play against may be the best guy you've played against all year.”