Alabama and Ohio State meet in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) with a spot in the College Football Playoff national championship game on the line. So how do the two teams match up? Let’s go to the tale of the tape:
| No. 1 Crimson Tide (12-1) | No. 4 Buckeyes (12-1) | |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | It was never supposed to be Blake Sims leading Alabama’s offense, but you know what they say about the best laid plans. As it turns out, the former running back fit into Lane Kiffin’s uptempo offense beautifully. His delivery may not be picturesque, but he’s plenty accurate with 26 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. You can say he doesn’t look the part, but his school-record 3,250 passing yards speak louder than any critique. | Cardale Jones may have been a third-stringer in August, but the redshirt sophomore played like a seasoned veteran to get Ohio State into the College Football Playoff by dismantling Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. He’s a physical presence on the ground and brings a rocket arm to the passing attack, and the Buckeyes don’t have to scale back the offense even without J.T. Barrett or Braxton Miller on the field. |
