Alabama vs. Ohio State: Each Team's Key to Victory in Sugar Bowl 2015

Everyone has different expectations for the College Football Playoff, but the truth is anything can happen.

The season will feature the first-ever national semifinals in the sport, and the games decided by the committee came with a lot of debate. Ohio State had to convince the world that its loss to Virginia Tech earlier in the year was a fluke, while Alabama relied on its difficult strength of schedule in the SEC to make its case.

The result is the Crimson Tide coming into the game as a nine-point favorite, according to Odds Shark, with many thinking the Buckeyes have no chance of victory. However, counting out the Big Ten champs would be a major mistake.

Either team could win this game and compete for a national title if it follows its keys to victory.

Ohio State

Stick with the Run

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Quarterback Cardale Jones impressed in his first career start against Wisconsin, throwing three touchdowns with no interceptions to help Ohio State win the Big Ten title. This was quite a showing for someone who came into the year third on the depth chart at quarterback. 

That being said, the Buckeyes limited Jones' involvement to just 17 pass attempts thanks to the big lead and the play of running back Ezekiel Elliott.

The sophomore torched the Badgers defense in the win to the tune of 220 yards and two scores, taking the pressure off Jones. He will need to give the team similar production against Alabama to prevent the defense from taking advantage of an inexperienced quarterback.

On the plus side, head coach Urban Meyer has a lot of faith in his running back:

The important thing is not forgetting who helped you get to this point, even if the start of the game doesn't go as planned. In J.T. Barrett's second career start, the Virginia Tech game (Ohio State's only loss of the season), the quarterback completed nine of his 29 pass attempts while throwing three interceptions.

Elliott only received eight touches in the loss.

Ohio State needs to give the ball to its best offensive playmaker no matter what happens early in the game.

Key on Amari Cooper

Amari Cooper is the best receiver in college football this season and one of the most talented ever to compete at this level. He heads into the bowl season with 115 catches to lead the nation and is always a threat to score whenever he has the ball.

Stopping him would be fun, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell joked that the only thing that could slow down Cooper was nature:

Of course, these are unlikely outcomes in a dome.

Even if you aren't completely shutting down the receiver, though, there are ways to limit him, and Ohio State has to find it. According to Nicole Auerbach of USA Today, "One coach said his team decided it would stop Cooper at all costs and let 'anybody else on the football field' beat it."

Using cornerback Doran Grant as part of a double-team or triple-team against Cooper would seem like a smart plan considering Alabama's lack of options around him. The projected first-round pick had more than three times as many catches as the next closest player on the team and 42.9 percent of the squad's overall receptions.

Alabama quarterback Blake Sims will do whatever he can to target his No. 1 option, but Ohio State has to at least force him to look in other places in this game.

Alabama

Stop the Big Play

Ohio State sometimes lulls opponents to sleep with its offense, but it wakes everyone up with a big play either on the ground or through the air.

Against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, receiver Devin Smith finished with touchdowns of 39, 42 and 44 yards. Elliott also came through with an 81-yard run.

These are not flukes. Elliott now has three games in a row with a touchdown of at least 40 yards. Barrett also had an 86-yard touchdown last month, while Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson all have plays of at least 40 yards this season.

Alabama has to be ready for this type of play at all times, and a lot of that falls on safety Landon Collins.

Collins has been outstanding all year, earning All-American honors with just about every publication. Former teammate AJ McCarron had great things to say about the junior when talking to The Game 99.1:

The important thing will be for him to stay focused at all times against both the run and the pass. He can't bite on play-action passes and leave receivers open deep.

As long as everyone does their job and wraps up tackles, the Crimson Tide should be able to prevent a potential game-changing touchdown.

Get Blake Sims on the Move

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Alabama is used to having "game managers" at quarterback, with the job being mostly handing the ball off and avoiding mistakes. However, Sims has brought the team a new dynamic in his first year as a starter.

The senior finished the regular season with a Total QBR of 88.3, trailing only Marcus Mariota in this category. This takes into account everything a quarterback does to help his team win, and it's now clear Sims is an important part of the team's success.

NFL analyst Benjamin Allbright has liked what he has seen from the passer:

The problem is that he will face a real challenge from Ohio State in the form of one of the best defensive lines in college football. Joey Bosa headlines the group, but Michael Bennett and Adolphus Washington can make plays as well.

If the Crimson Tide ask Sims to be a pocket passer in the Sugar Bowl, he will get killed. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has to call plays where he can get out of the pocket and either throw on the move or run for big gains.

Sims has great athleticism and has shown the ability to make things happen on the run all year. This will be extremely valuable in this one because it will be the only chance Alabama has to move the football.

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