Ohio State's Receivers Will Be a Matchup Issue for Alabama

When Urban Meyer took over at Ohio State in January 2012, he wasn't high on his receivers, referring to the young group as a "clown show."

Over the past three years, though, that clown show has matured into a strength that could lead the fourth-ranked Buckeyes to a win over No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

That's an advantage Meyer has been working toward since the moment he settled in at Ohio State. It started with the maturation process of two then-sophomores who have become senior leaders for this year's team. Devin Smith, the Buckeyes' blazing deep threat, and Evan Spencer, the unit's do-everything wideout, serve as the foundation for one of the most explosive groups of receivers in the country.

Meyer built on that foundation with his unparalleled ability to recruit playmakers who fit his system. In 2012, the Buckeyes brought in Michael Thomas, who was ranked the No. 3 prep wide receiver in the country. A year later, he brought in 4-star prospects Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall to play H-back (commonly referred to as the Percy Harvin Position), making Ohio State's offense much more lethal. 

That group helped the Buckeyes transition away from the run-heavy strategy deployed last year with Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde in the backfield. With a bevy of talent on the perimeter, Meyer was comfortable putting the ball in the air more frequently, which has led to a more balanced attack. 

A season ago, the Buckeyes ranked 90th nationally in passing yards, averaging just 203.3 yards per game, according to cfbstats.com. This year, the Buckeyes are up 41 spots, averaging 246.8 passing yards per game. 

Play-calling and improved receiver play are the key factors in that spike. Not only that, but the Buckeyes' top three receivers—Smith, Thomas and Marshall—also have all shown the ability to take over a game or dramatically change its momentum. 

Player	Opponent	REC	YDS	TD
Devin Smith	Wisconsin	4	137	3
Michael Thomas	Michigan State	3	91	1
Jalin Marshall	Indiana	5	95	3

Ohio State's receivers pose a big issue for Alabama.

While the Crimson Tide rank 11th overall in total defense, their secondary has been exposed consistently throughout the year. In the season opener against West Virginia, Alabama surrendered 365 passing yards in a 33-23 victory. Those issues didn't go away as the season went along—the Tide gave up an average of 339.3 passing yards to their last three FBS opponents. That included the Auburn game, which featured Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall torching Alabama for a career-high 456 yards and three touchdowns.

The reason for those gaudy numbers? Saban explained them away as a result of "technical" issues, according to Duane Rankin of the Montgomery Advertiser.

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I just think that we try to correct the mistakes that we made and show a guy why things happened the way they did. Whether it was eye control, not maintaining position on the receiver, not keeping a guy cut off, not playing the right leverage on the guy when you have help. I think these things are technical in nature, and obviously we want to execute a little better than that. That's how we correct things in the film, and that's what we'll do.

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Now, the Tide will need to stop one of the most dynamic groups of playmakers in the country in order to advance to the national championship. Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones knows the challenge that lies ahead.

"Just a lot of guys that can stretch the field and a quarterback who has a live arm," Jones said of the Buckeyes, according to Michael Casagrande of AL.com. "In the back of it, we've just got be in tip-top shape, just knowing what to expect in certain formations and stuff like that and what they like to, what routes they like to run the most. Just being ready."

If Alabama isn't ready, Ohio State has the talent to make them pay.

All recruiting information via 247 Sports. Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NCAA.com.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.