CRIM’ REAPERS
Tide show no mercy, rout Buckeyes for Saban’s seventh title
Alex Leatherwood (left), Nick Saban and Mac Jones celebrate after Alabama plastered Ohio State behind five Jones TD passes, including three to Heisman winner DeVonta Smith (inset) in the first half alone before the receiver left with a hand injury, as the Tide won their sixth title under Saban.
A rare down year in Tuscaloosa only made it worse for the rest of college football. Alabama missing the College Football Playoff helped create one of Nick Saban’s most dominant teams.
Last season, the Crimson Tide lost twice and finished eighth in the Associated Press poll. For most teams, that’s a quality season. For Saban, it’s unacceptable.
Monday night — a fitting cap to his team’s performance throughout this flawless season — was more along the lines of what he expects.
“People last year said the dynasty was over,” record-breaking Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith said. “We don’t stop. We just keep reloading.”
Alabama manhandled Ohio State for Saban’s record seventh national championship, outclassing the Buckeyes, 52-24, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. In the Crimson Tide’s 13 wins, only one victory — the SEC championship game win over Florida — came by single digits. They outscored the opposition 630-252 this season, winning by an average of 29.1 points per game.
Alabama (13-0) completed the ninth perfect season in program history — and second on Saban’s watch — with a world-class offensive performance, producing 621 all-purpose yards and setting a College Football Playoff championship game record with 52 points.
“I think we’re the best team to ever play,” quarterback Mac Jones said. “There’s no team that will ever play an SEC schedule like that again.”
In the first half alone, the Heisman Trophy-winning Smith set a College Football Playoff championship game record for catches (12) and touchdown receptions (three). In the second half, after a dislocated finger sidelined him, his friends did the rest.
Jones, the unsung former backup quarterback, completed 36 of 45 passes for 464 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Najee Harris scored three times and accounted for 158 total yards. The overlooked Crimson Tide defense held Ohio State’s quarterback Justin Fields and Co. to 19 points below their season average.
With the victory, the 69-year-old Saban surpassed Bear Bryant for most national championships. In his typically understated style, Saban said Bryant is in a class of his own, and turned the focus to his players.
“To me, this is the ultimate team,” Saban said, citing his players’ selfless attitude and ability to navigate the pratfalls of playing a season during the COVID-19 pandemic. “There is more togetherness on this team than on almost any team we’ve ever had.”
Saban’s players disagreed with him about his status in the sport’s history. Jones even laughed as he spoke.
“Of course he is [the greatest],” the quarterback said. “How could he not be?”
The expectation of a shoot-out between two top five-ranked scoring offenses was on target early. The game’s first eight drives resulted in five touchdowns. Both defenses appeared overmatched.
The momentum turned when Ohio State (7-1) had to settle for a field goal midway through the second quarter after a few offtarget throws from Fields in the red zone.
It was a shaky opening half for Fields, who completed just 6 of 15 passes for 90 yards. He seemed hesitant and jittery, missing open targets, and only used his feet on occasion. It didn’t help that starting running back Trey Sermon was lost on the game’s first play due to a collarbone injury.
The Crimson Tide began getting more pressure on Fields in the second quarter, leading to rushed throws.
Just 3:31 after the Ohio State field goal, the Alabama lead went from three to 17.
Smith caught consecutive scoring strikes, the second a 42-yard catch on a seam pattern in which he was somehow matched up with slow-footed linebacker Tuf Borland.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen [a receiver] better than that,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.
At that point, Smith had already set numerous records. There was still 1:48 left in the first half, but it didn’t matter. Alabama was well on its way to another national championship. It was a foregone conclusion.
“We had a mission,” Smith said. “Everybody wanted to end things the right way.”