Nationwide Championship Recreation, Alabama vs. Ohio State: First-look preview, odds, prediction

The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide will play the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes within the 2021 Nationwide Championship sport as part of the Faculty Soccer Playoff.

We didn’t count on this to be the pairing, however a nationwide championship sport between the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0) and the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0) is precisely what we’ll get.

Alabama soccer followers have identified for some time they’ve the very best crew within the land. Although the Crimson Tide has been challenged at occasions, they’ve the look as one of many best groups in faculty soccer historical past. As for Ohio State soccer followers, they need to be ecstatic about stomping the No. 2 Clemson Tigers within the Sugar Bowl on New 12 months’s Day night time for everybody to see.

2021 Nationwide Championship: Alabama vs. Ohio State date, time, odds, TV, streaming data

Date: Monday, Jan. 11
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Miami Gardens, Florida
Venue: Exhausting Rock Stadium
Betting Odds: Alabama -7
TV Information: ESPN
Dwell Stream: WatchESPN

Kickoff from Exhausting Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida shall be at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 11. ESPN may have the nationwide telecast of the Faculty Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship sport. The out there dwell stream will be discovered on WatchESPN. Alabama opens as a seven-point favourite over Ohio State on a impartial web site, per Circa Sports.

This shall be Justin Fields‘ final sport in a university uniform, and virtually definitely the final one Mac Jones performs in both. Fields shall be one of many first three quarterbacks taken within the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. Jones will both win the Heisman Trophy or end as runner-up to his teammate in extensive receiver DeVonta Smith. Each Jones and Smith are prone to go within the first spherical as nicely.

What ESPN is hoping for is a better sport than the 2 nationwide semifinal video games gave us. Everyone anticipated Alabama would blow out the No. 4 Notre Dame Preventing Irish, however few outdoors of Columbus noticed Ohio State give it to the No. 2 Clemson Tigers this badly. Whereas we could not get a one-score sport, there’s a nice probability this shall be probably the most watched title bouts of late.

Search for Fields to flex his muscle tissues within the passing sport for the Buckeyes, as they may preserve tempo with the high-octane offense of Alabama. Jones and Smith and can join on at the least three landing passes. What would be the key’s Ohio State ultimately having to accept a subject purpose earlier than a pair of late turnovers finally tip the scales without end in Alabama’s favor.

Prediction: Alabama 42, Ohio State 31

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