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Rapid Reaction: Perfection! Alabama dominates Ohio State to win 18th national championship, 6th under Saban

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1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 
1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017…

2020.

It’s time to build another wing onto the Bryant Museum.

The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide won the program’s 18th 
national championship — and the 6th title in 14 dominant seasons 
under Nick Saban — by overwhelming the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes 
52-24 in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday 
night at Hard Rock Stadium.

Alabama capped its 13-0 season — the Tide’s 11th unbeaten/untied 
season in 128 years and 2nd in Saban’s unprecedented era — in 
grand style in Miami Gardens. Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta 
Smith ended his legendary Alabama career in much the same way he 
burst on the national scene, catching 12 passes for 215 yards 
and 3 touchdowns — all in the 1st half.

Tide quarterback Mac Jones, who finished 3rd in the Heisman 
voting, finished with a CFP-record 464 yards and record-tying 5 
TD passes. And running back Najee Harris? The multi-purpose star 
who was 5th for the Heisman completed his storied collegiate 
career with 79 rushing yards and 3 total TDs.

Alabama’s 52 points broke the Playoff-era national championship 
game record for most points in a game, eclipsing its record of 
45 set against Clemson in the 2015 title game.

Saban’s 6th crown in Tuscaloosa draws him even with legendary 
Crimson Tide coach Paul W. Bryant — who led his alma mater to 
1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978 and 1979 titles. Adding Saban’s 
2003 BCS national title at LSU, the 69-year-old coach surpasses 
the storied Bryant as the coach with the most total national 
championships of all time with 7 overall. Only 1 other active 
coach has multiple national titles — Dabo Swinney at Clemson in 
2016 and 2018.

The Crimson Tide, who entered the game scoring at least 35 
points in 25 straight games and at 48.2 points per game was 2nd 
nationally only to Kent State’s 49.8 points per game over 4 
games, racked up more than 600 yards of total offense on the Big 
Ten champs. Alabama piled up 389 of those yards in a dominant 
1st half that saw Jones go 25-of-30 for 342 yards and 4 
touchdowns and the offense average an astounding 9.0 yards per 
play.

Alabama dressed out both electrifying wide receiver Jaylen 
Waddle, who broke his ankle Oct. 24 against Tennessee, and 
senior center Landon Dickerson, who had knee surgery after 
injuring it in the 4th quarter against Florida in the SEC 
Championship Game. While Dickerson’s contribution Monday night 
was limited to the pregame coin toss, Waddle made his presence 
felt on the Tide’s 1st drive — catching a critical 3rd-and-3 
shovel pass for 15 yards down to the Buckeyes’ 7.

Alabama needed all 4 downs from there to record its initial 
score, as Harris piled in from the 1 for a 7-0 lead. After 
stonewalling Ohio State on its 1st drive, the Tide defense bent 
on its next effort — with Ohio State marching 75 yards aided by 
a 1-handed 36-yard grab by Jeremy Ruckert and a Master Teague 8-
yard burst into the end zone.

After going for it on 4th down only 3 times in the entire 
season, Saban rolled the dice again on the Tide’s ensuing 
possession, as Harris burst for 3 yards on a 4th-and-1 at the 10 
to keep the drive alive. The gamble worked, Smith hauled in a 5-
yard touchdown pass for a 14-7 Alabama advantage early in the 
2nd quarter.

Jones coughed up a rare turnover on Alabama’s next possession, 
as he was stripped of the football by Ohio State’s Baron 
Browning during a sack to gift the Buckeyes the football at the 
Tide 19. An Alabama pass interference penalty pushed it to the 
4, and Teague barrelled in from there to tie it at 14.

But unlike his younger attitude that earned the nickname 
“McEnroe” for lack of focus after mistakes, Jones showed exactly 
no ill effects of the miscue. The Heisman finalist directed the 
Tide down the field with his arm — and legs via a rare 7-yard 
scamper up the middle — before tossing a beautiful screen pass 
that Harris converted into a 26-yard TD for a 21-14 lead.

Ohio State continued to gash Alabama’s rush defense, though, as 
Fields — who was fighting off a nasty hip pointer sustained 
against Clemson 10 days prior — scrambled for 28 yards and then 
Teague rumbled for 29 more down to the red zone. Alabama looked 
to have Ohio State stopped, but Jordan Battle was called for 
targeting on Ruckert and ejected. Still, the Tide stopped the 
Buckeyes from there and forced a 23-yard Jake Seibert field goal 
that made it 21-17.

It was at this point that Smith showed exactly why he was the 
first wide receiver since Desmond Howard in 1991 to win the 
Heisman. The player on the receiving end of the Tide’s magical 
2nd-and-26 overtime TD pass against Georgia as a freshman in 
2017, Smith torched Josh Proctor on a 44-yard reception on the 
ensuing possession and then waltzed in on a 5-yard touchdown 
pass for a 28-17 advantage.

Alabama finally asserted itself on defense when the Buckeyes (7-
1) got the ball back, forcing a 3-an-out that included a 3rd-
down stop with just 10 players on the field. Offensive 
coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who was headed to Texas as the 
Longhorns’ head coach after the confetti fell in Miami Gardens, 
took full advantage of Ohio State doubling Smith by dialing up 
back-to-back screens to Harris for 18 yards before Smith again 
toasted the Buckeyes secondary on a 42-yard TD reception and a 
35-17 cushion.

The Tide got the ball to start the final 30 minutes of the 2020 
season, and motored down the field intent on scoring again. This 
time, Ohio State kept Alabama out of the end zone — forcing a 20-
yard field goal by Will Reichard (who converted on all 98 of his 
field goals or PAT attempts in 2020 as a Lou Groza Award 
finalist) that made it 38-17.  Smith injured his right hand on 
Alabama’s possession, though, and spent several minutes in the 
injury tent before being escorted to the locker room. His night 
was done.

Even though Ohio State was without running back Trey Sermon, who 
injured his collarbone on the Buckeyes’ 1st possession and was 
transported to a medical facility, the Buckeyes kept battling. 
Fields gutted out a 33-yard scamper up the middle into scoring 
range, and then found Garrett Wilson on a 20-yard TD pass that 
cut the Tide lead to 38-24.

Even without Smith and with a clearly-hobbling Waddle, the Tide 
offense geared back up and put it back in the end zone. Waddle 
caught his 3rd pass on basically 1 leg to keep the drive alive, 
and backup running back Brian Robinson Jr. bulled his way for 32 
yards on 4 carries, and little-used weapon Slade Bolden caught 
his 1st career touchdown pass via a 5-yard screen from Jones to 
make it 45-24.

After defensive tackle Christian Barmore stopped Teague a 
critical 4th-down stop to give Alabama the ball back with a 
short field, the Tide offense made Ohio State pay to start the 
4th quarter — as Harris returned for his swan song by waltzing 
in for a 1-yard score that sealed the victory.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/alabama-football/rapid-
reaction-alabama-dominates-ohio-state-national-championship-game/
 

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Rapid Reaction: Perfection! Alabama dominates Ohio State to win 18th national championship, 6th under Saban "Hope Pelosi Dies Tomorrow" <treason@sfchronicle.com> - 2021-01-16 15:04 +0100

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