Alabama is set to conclude one of its most memorable seasons Monday as it takes on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Will the Crimson Tide be celebrating its sixth title under Nick Saban or will it be staring down its second championship-game defeat in three years? That answer likely hinges on a few key factors.
Today, BamaInsider breaks down what Alabama must do Monday night if it wants to lock up its first undefeated season since 2009.
Bend don’t breakÂ
This has been the rallying cry for an Alabama defense all season. While this year’s unit hasn’t reached the dominance of past Tide defenses, it has still done a decent job of stopping its opponent when it counts.
Alabama ranks No. 15 in the nation, allowing opposing teams to score on just 73.5 percent of their trips inside the red zone. Even better, only 50 percent of those trips have resulted in touchdowns.
During its Rose Bowl victory over Notre Dame earlier this month, Alabama allowed the Irish to score on two of their three trips inside the red zone. Even then, the first of those two scores came on a fourth-and-goal touchdown run from Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams while the other occurred late in the fourth quarter with the game already in hand.
Alabama’s red zone success doesn’t bode well for Ohio State, which ranks No. 100 in the nation, scoring on 76.92 percent of its trips inside the 20-yard line. The Buckeyes scored touchdowns on four of their five red-zone appearances during a 49-28 victory over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl but managed to find the end zone just twice in seven red-zone trips against Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.
With Alabama’s offense humming along at a nearly unstoppable rate, Ohio State can’t afford to leave any points on the table Monday night.
Establish the run game Â
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 400 yards and two touchdowns during the Sugar Bowl. It didn’t matter as the Tigers’ offense became one-dimensional, recording just 44 yards on 22 carries. Ohio State ranks second in the nation, allowing just 89.14 yards per game on the ground. The Buckeyes have held three of their opponents to less than 50 rushing yards this season, including Indiana which recorded a loss of a yard over 16 carries during a 42-35 defeat in November.
