Once the euphoria of landing in the first-ever College Football Playoff wore off—or at least dimmed down—one question permeated throughout Columbus:
Can Ohio State really beat Alabama?
And according to Las Vegas oddsmakers, the answer was a sobering one.
Opening as a nine-point underdog, per Odds Shark, the Buckeyes don’t seem to stand much of a chance against the Crimson Tide in the eyes of those who know the sport best. Of course, Ohio State also headed to Indianapolis as a four-point underdog against Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, before covering the spread by a season-best 63 points with a 59-0 blowout of the Badgers.
But beating 13th-ranked Wisconsin is one thing, and the Buckeyes’ underdog status at the time was primarily due to OSU quarterback Cardale Jones making the first start of his college career. It’s a safe bet that even if Buckeyes’ star quarterback J.T. Barrett was healthy, Alabama would still be favored over Ohio State, who knows that it will have its hands full with the country’s top-ranked team.
“Wisconsin is Wisconsin,” Buckeyes defensive end Joey Bosa said. “Alabama is a different animal.”
One look at the Crimson Tide’s roster—and Nick Saban’s track record—proves as much.
Future NFL draft picks litter both sides of the ball for Alabama, particularly on the defensive line, where the Crimson Tide have routinely rotated double-digit players throughout the season. Alabama also possesses arguably college football’s…
Continue Reading: Can Ohio State Really Upset Alabama in the Sugar Bowl?
