National Championship Game Preview: Q & A with Ryan Day of Ohio State, Nick Saban of Alabama Part 2

Ryan Day OSU Nick Saban Alabama 2021 National Championship Game Preview Part 2 1 10 21.mp3

GAME 13

ALABAMA VS OHIO STATE

JANUARY 11, 2021 / 7:15 P.M. CT / MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
HARD ROCK STADIUM (13,000)

TV: ESPN
(Play-By-Play: Chris Fowler, Analyst: Kirk Herbstreit, Sideline: Holly Rowe, Sideline: Maria Taylor)
RADIO: CRIMSON TIDE SPORTS NETWORK
(Play-By-Play: Eli Gold, Analyst: John Parker Wilson, Sideline: Rashad Johnson, Host: Chris Stewart)
CTSN on Sirius/XM: 84/84
NATIONAL RADIO: ESPN RADIO
(Play-By-Play: Sean McDonough, Analyst: Todd Blackledge)

CRIMSON TIDE

2020 Record/SEC Record 12-0/10-0
CFP/AP/Amway Coaches Poll 1/1/1
Head Coach Nick Saban
Record at Alabama (Years) 169-23* (14th)
Career Record (Years) 260-65-1* (25th)

BUCKEYES

2020 Record/B1G Record 7-0/5-0
CFP/AP/Amway Coaches Poll 3/3/3
Head Coach lRyan Day
Record at OSU (Years) 23-1 (3rd)
Career Record (Years) 23-1 (3rd)

INSIDE THE SERIES

Overall: Fifth Meeting (Alabama leads, 3-1)
At Neutral Sites: Alabama leads, 3-1
Current Streak: Ohio State, Won 1
Last Meeting: Jan. 1, 2015 – CFP Semifi nal – Sugar Bowl (L, 35-42)
Series Notes: Alabama and Ohio State will meet for the fi fth time overall and the second time in the history of the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide holds a 3-1 lead in the series with the Buckeyes’ lone win coming in the most recent meeting. The two programs
squared off in the CFP Semifi nal at the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2015, with OSU claiming a 42-35 win on the way to becoming the eventual national champions. Alabama head coach Nick Saban is 2-2 in his career against Ohio State, including a 2-1 record at Michigan State. OSU head coach Ryan Day has not faced Alabama.

ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS: Top-ranked Alabama defeated No. 4/4/4 Notre Dame, 31-14, in the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One. The win advanced the Crimson
Tide to the CFP National Championship Game for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Alabama is now 5-1-1 in Rose Bowl games and 7-3 in CFP pairings with the seven wins being the most by any program since the
inception of the Playoff in 2014.

THE 12-WIN CLUB: With the win against No. 4/4/4 Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2021, Alabama reached the 12-win mark for the 10th time in the last 13 seasons under
head coach Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide also reach the 12-win plateau in 2008 (12), 2009 (14), 2011 (12), 2012 (13), 2014 (12), 2015 (14), 2016 (14), 2017 (13), 2018 (14) and 2020. Across those 10 seasons with 12-or-more
wins, Alabama has won six Southeastern Conference titles and five national championships, including two College Football Playoff national titles in 2015 and 2017.

ALABAMA WINS 28th SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: With its 52-46 win over then-No. 7/11/11 Florida in the 2020 Southeastern Conference Championship Game on Dec. 19, Alabama captured its 28th SEC title. The Crimson
Tide has now won six of the last eight league crowns (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020) and is unbeaten in its last seven SEC Championship Game appearances (2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020).

SEC WESTERN DIVISION TITLE: Alabama’s 55-17 win at LSU on Dec. 5 clinched the program’s 15th SEC Western Division title (13th outright). The Crimson Tide went on to represent the Western Division against SEC
Eastern Division champion Florida in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 19, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The appearance in ATL was Alabama’s 13th in the SEC Championship with the Crimson Tide holding a
record of 9-4 in its last 13 trips.

SEC RECORD: Alabama extended its record for most consecutive 10-win seasons in SEC history to 13 when it defeated Arkansas on Dec. 12 in Fayetteville. The Crimson Tide finished the 2020 regular season at a perfect
10-0 mark against an all-SEC schedule, making Alabama the only team in league history to win 10 conference games in a season. It also marked the Crimson Tide’s fifth undefeated regular season (excluding conference
championship games) under head coach Nick Saban, joining 2008, 2009, 2016 and 2018. In the Tide’s previous 10-plus win seasons, UA finished with a 12-2 record in 2008 and 2014; 14-0 in 2009; 10-3 in 2010; 12-1 in 2011;
13-1 in 2012 and 2017; 11-2 in 2013 and 2019; and 14-1 in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

2020 PERMANENT CAPTAINS: The Crimson Tide roster selected the 2020 permanent team captains at Alabama’s annual postseason banquet on Dec. 20. The group of four all came from the offensive side of the ball
in Landon Dickerson, Mac Jones, Alex Leatherwood and DeVonta Smith. The 2020 honor was Smith’s second time being elected as a captain after picking up the recognition in 2019. Smith joins Antoine Caldwell (2007-08),
Rashad Johnson (2007-08), Mark Barron (2010-11) and Dont’a Hightower (2010-11) as the only players to be named a permanent team captain twice under head coach Nick Saban.

COURTESY ALABAMA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

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