Peach Bowl 2016: Individual Matchups to Watch in Washington vs. Alabama
Not everyone believes the 2016 Peach Bowl will be close, but in reality, the whole game will come down to a few key matchups for each team.
Alabama is currently a 14.5-point favorite over Washington, per OddsShark, the highest of the 42 bowls of the season. Even after posting a 12-1 record with a Pac-12 championship, the Huskies aren't getting much respect in the national semifinals.
Still, Washington has the ability to pull off the upset if its best players can win these individual battles.
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QB Jalen Hurts vs. S Budda Baker
Washington coach Chris Petersen is aware of the challenge ahead of him.
"Probably the best college team I've seen," the coach said of Alabama, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.
"There's no weaknesses out there," he added. "There's no players, like, 'Well, he's a freshman.' If he's a freshman, he's a freshman All-American [and] a whatever-star recruit. They're good."
This includes Jalen Hurts, the freshman quarterback who is on everyone's list as the top freshman in the country. In reality, he is impressive regardless of class thanks to his ability to make an impact with both his arm and his legs.
Hurts currently has 2,563 passing yards to go with 841 rushing yards and 33 total touchdowns. Few quarterbacks in the country are capable of changing the game with one play as well as the Alabama star.
The pressure is on Budda Baker to slow him down in all aspects. He has to cover a lot of ground in the passing game while also becoming something of a spy when Hurts runs the ball.
Baker's speed and athleticism make him the perfect man to stop the Alabama passer or at least slow him down, and he will be valuable in this matchup.
RB Bo Scarbrough vs. LB Keishawn Bierria
Alabama will try to beat Washington with its rushing attack, which features a rotation of backs.
While Damien Harris is the team's top runner, Bo Scarbrough might be the toughest matchup in this game thanks to his size at 6'2", 228 pounds. This makes him the goal-line back with seven touchdowns on the year compared to just two for Harris.
Scarbrough has also led the Crimson Tide in both rushing attempts and yards in each of the last two games.
It remains to be seen how many touches the sophomore will get in the Peach Bowl, but he has a chance to make a serious impact like Derrick Henry did a year ago.
The challenge will be for the Washington linebackers to keep the big man contained.
With key players like Azeem Victor and Joe Mathis injured, Keishawn Bierria becomes the next man up defensively while sitting third on the team with 61 tackles this season, including four for loss. He will need to wrap up all his tackles in this one, preventing any extra yards, especially near the goal line.
There are more established players on the roster, but the junior has an important role against Alabama.
WR John Ross vs. CB Marlon Humphrey
This might be the biggest heavyweight battle of the day with two of the best in the country at their positions going head-to-head.
John Ross has had an outstanding season for Washington, totaling 76 catches for 1,122 yards and 17 touchdowns. Although he is a bit undersized at 5'11", he knows how to get himself open and is dynamic with the ball in his hands.
According to NFLDraftScout.com (via CBSSports.com), he is the No. 2 receiver and No. 16 player overall in the 2017 NFL draft class.
Unfortunately, he will go up against the No. 1 cornerback and No. 5 player in Marlon Humphrey. The Alabama defensive back has great instincts in coverage with the athleticism to stick with just about anyone in the country.
Ross has faced top cornerbacks this season, but few have Humphrey's combination of speed and strength. Although the Alabama star has dealt with a hamstring issue lately, he should be close to full strength by the Peach Bowl.
While Washington has other options in the passing attack like Dante Pettis, the Huskies need Ross to be at his best and make big plays against Humphrey and the rest of the Tide defense.
OT Trey Adams vs. DE Jonathan Allen
Washington has an elite quarterback in Jake Browning with plenty of playmakers around him between Ross, Pettis and Myles Gaskin. However, none of this will matter if the offensive line can't contain the Alabama defensive line.
The Crimson Tide have the best front seven in college football, with Jonathan Allen leading the way. Marty Smith of ESPN provided high praise of the defensive end:
According to Pro Football Focus, Allen leads all interior defenders with 56 quarterback pressure this season, leading to 8.5 sacks.
He is a force against both the run and the pass, and he can single-handedly ruin Washington's offensive game plan.
This puts the pressure on All-Pac-12 tackle Trey Adams to keep Allen out of the backfield. They won't always line up against each other, but the sophomore is the best player suited to protect Browning and make sure the offense is running smoothly.
If he struggles on New Year's Eve, so will the rest of the Huskies.
Note: Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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