No. 1 Alabama beating No. 4 Notre Dame by more than two touchdowns was anticipated, but No. 3 Ohio State getting revenge and doing the same thing to No. 2 Clemson was a different story.
The Buckeyes stunned the college football world when they rocked Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal game. The surprise wasn’t that the Buckeyes won but that they dominated and were in control of the game, even after quarterback Justin Fields was injured after a brutal hit.
And Monday, the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes will face off in the College Football Playoff national championship game, and Alabama enters as a 7.5-point favorite, per BetMGM.
There’s no doubt Ohio State is a talented team that’s perhaps just now living up to its potential. But — as arguments against putting the Buckeyes in the playoff noted — it’s challenging to judge a team that’s played nearly half as many games as its opponent. Against Clemson, Ohio State looked like the team many expected it to be this season, even if it hadn’t previously played up to that level.
So ahead of Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game, here’s a comparison between 12-0 Alabama and 7-0 Ohio State through the lens of these four key stats this season.
