Alabama vs. Ohio State: TV Info, Live Stream and Predictions for Sugar Bowl 2015
The biggest question of the 2014 college football season will come two steps closer to an answer on New Year's Day 2015, as the long-awaited College Football Playoff semifinals will finally take place and leave two teams vying for the national championship by the time the holiday is over.
No. 2 Oregon will take on No. 3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl before the nation's attention is then diverted to the 2015 Sugar Bowl, a top-shelf contest between No. 1 Alabama (12-1, 8-1 SEC) and No. 4 Ohio State (12-1, 9-0 Big Ten) that features two of the best defenses in the nation. These might be the best possible teams to take part in the inaugural playoff.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
ESPN's John Buccigross passed along info that perhaps sets up this four-team playoff as more of a generational conflict than anything else:
When we last saw Ohio State, it was busy attempting to erase the Wisconsin football program from existence via a 59-0 beatdown in the Big Ten Championship Game. Alabama punched its ticket to the inaugural playoff with a more-than-convincing 42-13 win over Missouri.
The presence of an SEC team should make for an extraordinary atmosphere down South in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, although legions of Buckeyes faithful could (and should) make the trek down to Louisiana as well.
Here is a look at the television info and schedule for this watershed event:
2015 Sugar Bowl Schedule, Viewing Info
Date: Jan. 1
Time (ET): 8:30 p.m.
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Preview and Prediction
While Oregon-FSU has the marquee, Heisman vs. Heisman quarterback matchup between Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, the Sugar Bowl will likely be defined by two quarterbacks who weren't even locks to start a single game for their teams back in August.
Crimson Tide pivot Blake Sims was locked in a battle with Jake Coker in training camp but eventually won a starting job he never relinquished. Cardale Jones was third on the depth chart behind Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. The Buckeyes lost Miller to a chest injury prior to the start of the season, but Barrett was next in line and filled in brilliantly.
Sims grew into his role as the season progressed, while Jones didn't get his first opportunity to start until the Wisconsin game, as Barrett went down and out with an ankle injury in a gritty win over Michigan at the end of the regular season. Both players turned in fantastic performances in their respective conference championship games.
| Sims | Missouri | 23/27 | 85.2 | 262 | 2 | 0 | 93.1 |
| Jones | Wisconsin | 12/17 | 70.6 | 257 | 3 | 0 | 90.4 |
Alabama head coach and noted control freak Nick Saban expects Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer to run the same no-huddle, uptempo system that has proven effective for three different quarterbacks, but he is aware that the team cannot foresee everything the Buckeyes will throw at them with Jones running the show.
"We feel philosophically, they are going to run their offense," Saban said, per ESPN.com's Edward Aschoff. "It's just what part of it they might feature a little different. That's the part we are not sure about."
If there is any area where Jones might prove more useful than Barrett, it could be an expansion of the read-option game, with Jones utilizing his tight end-sized frame on zone reads or even designed quarterback draws and bootlegs.
This should also open up the game for running back Ezekiel Elliott (1,402 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns) and create play-action opportunities for wideout Devin Smith, Jones' favorite target in the rout of Wisconsin.
It will be up to Alabama linebacker Xzavier Dickson (eight sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss) to stay disciplined and knife through the line at the correct angle or with the correct read to make the play. Defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Da'Shawn Hand also figure to be critical in contain and creating pressure in this contest.
Ohio State doesn't really have much guesswork to do when it comes to game-planning for Sims, either. In a sport with a dizzying amount of variables, Alabama has perhaps the one true constant in wide receiver Amari Cooper, whom Sims will depend on like a crutch.
The Heisman Trophy finalist racked up 115 catches for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns. There was very little stopping him this season. Cooper finished with fewer than eight catches in just two games this season, against Arkansas and Western Carolina (both wins), the latter of which saw the Crimson Tide mostly on autopilot.
Buckeyes cornerback Doran Grant and whichever safety/defensive back is almost undoubtedly shadowing Cooper on any given play should have their hands full.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell joked Mother Nature might be the only thing capable of slowing down Cooper, per Nicole Auerbach of USA Today: "The ideal way to defend him is a pouring rainstorm, winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour, but I don't think that's going to happen in a dome."
The best way to limit Cooper might be ratcheting up the pressure on Sims. Even if that pans out and prevents Sims from hitting Cooper or DeAndrew White on complicated deep routes, it likely won't produce many big plays. The Alabama offensive line allowed just 13 sacks this season—eighth best in the nation.
Sims and his natural scrambling ability have much to do with this, but the O-line deserves at least some of the credit. It also does a fine job of blocking for the twin terrors out of the backfield, running backs Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon.
It will be up to defensive end Joey Bosa and his 13.5 sacks to create pressure Thursday. Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel singled out Bosa and Co. against the Crimson Tide O-line as a key battle in this contest:
"Bosa, a true sophomore, is arguably the country’s best defensive lineman and could end up as the caliber of player who draws No. 1 NFL draft pick buzz next year. Bosa is a unanimous first-team All-America, finishing the season with 13.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Right tackle Austin Shepherd’s ability to contain him will be the most important matchup of the game for Alabama. The offensive line is the Crimson Tide’s relative weakness, which means Bosa and star tackles Michael Bennett and Adolphus Washington will need to put constant pressure on quarterback Blake Sims.
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However, due to Alabama's cohesiveness as an offensive unit and Sims' ability to cut down on major mistakes, containment will be the order of the day against such a talented offense fortunate to play under highly regarded offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.
Look for Alabama's proficiency in the red zone to be the difference maker here, along with a muffled passing performance from Jones, owing to his inexperience and the quality of Alabama's pass defense, which allowed opposing signal-callers a 115.84 efficiency rating this season, per NCAA.com.
The Crimson Tide scored touchdowns on 41 of 60 red-zone attempts this season, while Ohio State allowed opponents to score TDs on 26 of 37 opportunities, per NCAA.com.
On the flip side, Alabama allowed opponents just 15 touchdowns on 40 red-zone trips. Ohio State scored touchdowns at a similar rate to Alabama in the red zone (46-of-65), but the Buckeyes will falter at least once in this game, and it will cost them.
Both teams will get their fair share of big plays and land plenty of haymakers, but the Crimson Tide's ruthless efficiency will see them win out by a narrow margin.
Prediction: Alabama 28-24 Ohio State
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
