We continue our look at some of the key matchups when Ohio State and Alabama meet on Monday in the College Football national championship game.
Of all of them, the most important matchup will be between two people who won’t wear a helmet, Ryan Day and Nick Saban. The two men wearing the headsets on the sidelines are going to be a huge part of the game. Saban is legendary in the college ranks, and Day is considered a young, rising star in his own right. The matchup has already started and will continue to the final whistle.
Saban has an electric offense, but he historically has been a defensive coach. He’ll have the task of trying to slow down the potent Ohio State offense while Steve Sarkisian will control the explosive Alabama offense. Saban has been known for making solid adjustments in-game, but at times will stick to his guns a little too long when what he wants isn’t working.
Day has had some questions of his own, but the game against Dabo Swinney shows just how far he has come as a head coach. There were questions about Day’s ability to adjust in-game and time management. Where Day excels is pre-game preparations and game-planning. He will come out against Alabama trying to throw off what Saban thinks has been his tendencies.
Nick Saban:
"Ohio State plays with great intangibles. Discipline, toughness, plays hard. Those are all great indicators of what Ryan Day does as a head coach and leader of his organization."
— Roger Hoover (@Roger_Hoover) January 7, 2021
Saban tends to want to exert his team’s “will” early on and force adjustments. He is adept at getting his team prepared and knowing what to do in specific game situations. Should Ohio State surprise Alabama early, Saban will start to adjust and try to wear down the Buckeyes.
Day will most likely try to break his tendencies to confuse Alabama early, then fall back into the strengths of his team to wear down the Crimson Tide. He’ll probably focus on forcing Alabama to stop the run and forcing the Crimson Tide to beat them over the top as it opens up.