The top college football teams took the field to play for the National Championship on Jan. 11, when the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide took on the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Both won their respective semi-final games comfortably as Alabama defeated the fourth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish 31-17 and the Buckeyes took down the second-ranked Clemson Tigers 49-28.
The Buckeyes put up an outstanding 49 points against the Tigers, led by quarterback Justin Fields, who was making one last push for his NFL Draft stock. The Buckeyes’ last season had ended at the hands of the Tigers, and talk about Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has led Fields to be an afterthought.
Fields connected with wide receiver Chris Olave for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns. The key to the Buckeyes’ victory, however, was its ability to establish the run game early on. Trey Sermon ran for nearly 200 yards averaging almost six and a half yards per carry, with Fields adding 42 yards. On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes defense limited arguably the best running back in the nation in Travie Etienne to only 32 yards and handed Lawrence only his second loss ever.
In the other semi-final game, the Crimson Tide won comfortably against the Fighting Irish. The Crimson Tide were led by a fantastic defense that limited the Fighting Irish to 14 points. Heisman finalist Mac Jones threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns, with fellow finalist and Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith catching for 130 yards and three scores.
Running back Najee Harris ran for an efficient 125 yards, highlighted by a hurdle on a big run in the first quarter. The Fighting Irish failed to generate any offensive momentum in the game, with their conservative play-calling being easily exploited by the Crimson Tide’s defense.
In the National Championship Game, the Crimson Tide proved once again that it was the top program in the nation. Jones and Smith dominated once again, helping the Crimson Tide to a dominating 52-24 victory over the Buckeyes.
Jones solidified himself as a first-round prospect, passing for 464 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Crimson Tide to its sixth National Championship in the Nick Saban era. Smith furthered his case as the best receiver of the class, catching for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. RB Najee Harris contributed with 158 scrimmage yards in the game, scoring three touchdowns.
Once again no offense could match up against the Crimson Tide’s defense. After throwing for 385 yards and six touchdowns against the Tigers in the semifinals, Fields was held to just 194 passing yards and one touchdown. RB Master Teague was able to fill in for the injured Trey Sermon, but his two first-half touchdowns were not enough to overcome the Crimson Tide’s 28 point effort in the second quarter.
After three years of falling up short of the title, the Crimson Tide returned to its winning ways to start off 2021. Coach Nick Saban cemented his status as one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history, while the Buckeyes capped off another dominating regular season with a disappointing postseason finish. Both teams will lose key starters to the NFL, but they will surely return for the 2021 season ready to make another run for the title.
Article by Jackson Buss of Walter Johnson High School and Kevin Zhang of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo courtesy of Pixabay