Posted by For those of you that thought that Alabama was not as dangerous and as lethal as they have been all year long, here was the real wake up call. This game was not close from the second quarter on and Nick Saban can now claim he is the best college football coach of all time. Here is the good, bad, and ugly from the 2021 BCS National Championshop Game.
The Good: Devonta Smith
Is there really anymore of a microcosm of the Crimson Tide season then the Heisman Trophy winner going ballistic to win the title? Smith had 12 catches for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns…. in the first half!?! This is video game numbers in a video game offense that put points up at will. Smith proved that he truly earned the Heisman Trophy and put and exclamation mark on his college career with this performance.
The Bad: Jordan Battle Ejection
Many a times the turning point in the game comes from a crazy turnover, a huge play on special teams, or a major penalty. The latter was the case, but it ended up being a moot point for this ball game. Battles hit on Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert looked brutal from the jump. Targeting was immediately called on the field and Battle’s night was finished. Glad all players were okay and it did not seem to affect the outcome, but this play was dangerous and glad it was caught promptly on the field.
The Ugly: Devonta Smiths Broken Finger.
Remember when I said that Devonta Smith had all those stats in the first half. Well about 40 seconds into the second half, Smith took a hit from a Buckeye linebacker and walked off the field clutching his hand. He went to the locker room after staying in the medical tent for around 30 minutes and came back later in the game with no pads and a couple of his fingers splinted and in a cast. Hopefully this will not affect his draft stock, but not the way you want to end your last game of a college career.
The Good: Jeremy Ruckert’s Draft Stock
Did anyone have a bigger CFP than Jeremy Ruckert? The man came in to the semi final with 9 receptions on the season. He left with a couple more million in the bank account after showing off his hands as well as his route running. He was also the guy that took the hit from Battle that got him thrown out of the game. Some NFL team is going to see this and think he is a guy that might be a bit of a project but he has all the physical tools and some great hands.
The Bad: Ryan Days Play Calling
For a coach that has put up numbers since he stepped into the head coaching role in 2018, Day seemed to content to kick field goals and punt in Alabama territory. The Crimson Tide team has put up more points than any season in Nick Saban’s career, and kicking field goals is a decision that is going to get your team further behind. Day seemed like a coach that was not ready for anything Saban or Steve Sarkisian game planned for, but he will have more opportunities with being Ohio State in a pretty down Big 10 Conference. Next year will be telling to see how good Day really is as more of Urban Meyers recruits start to funnel out.
The Ugly: Tre Sermon Injury
Now I consider myself an SEC homer, so I was cheering for Alabama in this game, but my heart goes out to Tre Sermon for making such an impact in the last 3 games and getting injured on the first play of the National Championship game. Nothing about the play seemed abnormal, but it ended up sending Sermon to the hospital to be evaluated. All seemed to be okay with Sermon overall, and that is the most important part, but I feel that he could have made a major difference in this game.
Overall this game was not able to live up to the hype, but Alabama proved that they had an unstoppable offense. Ohio State did suffer from some Covid issues, but I do not believe it would have made a major difference in the passing game. Justin Fields toughness cannot be questioned at this point, and I believe he is the second best quarterback in this draft class. Alabama was just better. That’s really the story. If you disagree or have anything to add to this feel free to comment below.
Ya Boy TO Sports 