NEW ORLEANS — It didn’t take much for Ohio State’s offense to capture the attention of Alabama linebacker Trey DePriest. All he had to do was flip on the film.
“I really didn’t take Ohio State as a fast team until I started watching film. They get set and lined up pretty fast,” DePriest said Sunday. “They do a lot of stuff on offense … a lot of stuff that (head coach Urban Meyer) did at Florida. It’s a complicated offense, so you have to look at the right stuff.”
The top-ranked Crimson Tide haven’t faced an offense quite like Ohio State’s yet this season. The Buckeyes rank eighth nationally in total offense (507.6 yards per game) and are fifth in the country in scoring offense (45.2 points per game).
“I know they’re explosive and have athletes all over the field,” Crimson Tide defensive back Cyrus Jones said. “We just have to come out and match that and be aggressive, physical and try to make plays.”
Alabama, however, should be well-prepared to face the Buckeyes because of the challenges that come with playing in the SEC. The Crimson Tide go up against some of the country’s most elite athletes week in and week out.
Ohio State reminds them a lot of what they see each and every week.
“They look a lot like an SEC team,” Jones said. “Speed wise, they have a lot of guys that can run and their backs are very physical and run hard so it’s not that much of a difference.”
For the most part, Alabama’s defense has been solid all season. The Crimson Tide rank 11th nationally in total defense (312.4 yards per game). They only allow 16.6 points per game, which is fourth-best in the country.
But where Alabama has been most susceptible is in the passing game. It ranks just 61st nationally against the pass, allowing 223.7 yards per game through the air. The Crimson Tide are well aware Ohio State’s big-play receivers could present them with some problems.
“We work on deep game all week long and they have very good receivers,” Crimson Tide defensive back Nick Perry said. “Our primary goal is to go out there and compete and know that they’re gonna try us and we got to be ready.”
In facing the likes of Auburn, Mississippi State and Texas A&M this season, Alabama has seen some of the best offenses in the country. The Tide are hopeful that helps them in facing what is likely the best one they've seen all year.
“We’ve talked to several coaches in their league and every coach to a T said — these are coaches that have been in the SEC — from their league said, without a doubt, they’ve got an SEC team, they’ve got SEC speed and SEC size. They just don’t play in the SEC,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said. “These guys are out to prove something. They’ve got a chip on their shoulder.”
