College Football Playoff: 3 Players to watch, Alabama vs Ohio State

Trey Sermon could be the difference in this game. 

Former Heisman Trophy winner and Ohio State legend Eddie George knows records are made to be broken. In the Big Ten Championship game, Sermon ran for an Ohio State record 331 yards, and the Buckeyes needed every single one of those yards. The Ohio State transfer carried the Buckeyes with Chris Olave missing against Northwestern.

Sermon followed that performance with 193 yards against Clemson in the round of the College Football Playoff. This season, Sermon has 115 carries, 60 of those carries have come in the last two games. Alabama has an offense that can score at will. Ohio State has the ability to take the air out of the ball yet score when they possess the ball. That comes from having Sermon in the back field.

Ryan Day has done a great job of sticking with the run — including running Justin Fields more — the last few games. Young as a runner makes Sermon more dangerous. Both backfield mates are equally dangerous as runners which makes it difficult for the defense to key in on one runner on option read plays. If the Buckeyes can run the ball consistently with Sermon and Young, that gives the Buckeyes and opportunity to keep Alabama’s offense off of the field.

That could be Ohio State’s best defense.