SCARLET & GRAY MATTER
Observations on Monday’s national championship game between Ohio State and Alabama, by Joey Kaufman and Ray Stein:
The game at hand
• Short-attention span synopsis: Tide comes in, knocks out Buckeyes. Question: Did Ohio State watch the Heisman Trophy presentation? Can’t cover, can’t tackle not a combination that will unlock many dead-bolts.
OSU should probably be thankful it received only a half a dose of Devonta Smith. Every college football player loves television exposure, but maybe not to the degree Tuf Borland got. Look on the bright side, Buckeyes fans: They had a shot, and that’s better than the August alternative.
• Pregame buzz: It had been six years since Ohio State last met Alabama, a classic playoff game decided when Ezekiel Elliott drove a stake through the heart of the South. The Crimson Tide has changed since then, however, and is now so offense-centric that it practically employs jet packs as part of the uniforms. Could Ohio State keep up and knock off No. 1 again, or would the Buckeyes get lapped? Beep-beep.
• Spread the wealth?: Gamblers must love seeing Ohio State as an underdog, considering that since 2012 the Buckeyes are 8-1 when not favored — and that’s straight up, not against the spread. But not every ’dog has its day, and it became apparent in the second quarter against 81⁄ 2- point favorite Alabama that OSU needed a tourniquet to stanch its bleeding defense but had only Band-aids in its first-aid kit.
• Strategically speaking: Trailing by a touchdown late in the second quarter and facing a fourth-and-goal at Alabama’s 6-yard line, Ryan Day called for a field goal. In settling for three points, the Buckeyes passed on the opportunity to even the score at 21, then watched the
Crimson Tide retake possession and build a two-score advantage, marching 75 yards to the end zone for a 28-17 lead. A fourth-down attempt might have ultimately failed.
The Buckeyes had stalled close to the goal line for a reason. But they had to be more aggressive to remain alive for an upset.
• This week in vanity plates: WHO GOT 6
The View
• How the team sees it: After our season was canceled in August, it’s something that we even got a shot at the national title.
• How the pollsters will see it: Now you see why we had Alabama ranked as No. 1 in our rankings since Thanksgiving.
• How Buckeye Nation will see it: At least we finally beat Dabo.
Hey, what did Day say?
• What he said: “We needed to play our best game tonight against Alabama, and we didn’t.”
• What it means: “We needed the stars to align to beat this juggernaut.”
They said it
• Your turn/the channel: The ESPN team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit (also known as He Who Doesn’t Let a Play Pass Without Comment — No, Comments) wasn’t exposed to the degree of, say, the OSU cornerbacks. But nor was theirs a clean sheet. “There’s a flag,” Fowler said, when there wasn’t. “A hat trick for Najee Harris!” Fowler shouted — after Harris’s second TD. And then they both botched Wyatt Davis’s leg injury, somehow thinking that Ohio State was on defense and that Antuwan Jackson had been hurt. Herbstreit wins, though, for proclaiming that Chris Olave “got all three feet inbounds” on a sideline catch. Some trick!
Numbers for dummies
52: Points allowed by Ohio State, the sixth-most it has allowed in a game in school history.
621: Total yards of offense compiled by Alabama, the second-most a team has compiled against the Buckeyes.
1: Number of carries by running back Trey Sermon, who was injured on the opening series and ran for only 2 yards.
464: Passing yards by Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, setting a record for the College Football Playoff final.
2: Losses by Ryan Day in his two seasons as the Buckeyes’ coach.
On tap
The pain of this tattoo is going to linger for a while, though the Buckeyes have been down this road enough to know that you can’t win the big games unless you play in the big games. They’ll be fine. That said, the 2021 season will open on a Thursday, Sept. 2, at Minnesota. Things will all be back to normal by then. Right? RIGHT?
Reactions to the game on Twitter: @Dbelllll: Sermon going down is No Bueno
@Tparker722: I’m not sure what Ohio State’s game plan was to stop the Heisman Trophy winner but it appears to have been to just leave him open.
@Sophtaveus: Is there that big a talent gap between Ohio State and Alabama? No. But there is a coaching gap.
@HT_BK: Devonta Smith: 45 catches, 987 yards tonight.
@Htownbuckeye: 2021 is officially canceled. 2022 needs to get here immediately.
@Coolhomeyp: Pretty sure the Bucks can pull this out if Saban decides to put in Roethlisberger
@Brethoovler: I love recruiter Kerry Coombs. I love him as the hype guy. I do not love him as the DC.
@mbatcheck: The only salve for my OSU wound is watching how miserable Saban seems even when he wins it all
@Travisdcarter: Buckeyes hanging a sign in the locker room all offseason that’s says 52-24?
Horseshoe haiku
Roll Tie as ’Bama Pouns Buckeyes into the irt Wait, where is the D?