Football vs. Ohio State Postgame Notes
1/12/2021 12:48:00 AM | Football
GAME CAPTAINS: Alabama's captains for today's game vs. Ohio State are Landon Dickerson, Mac Jones, Alex Leatherwood and DeVonta Smith. Dickerson went to midfield for the coin toss.
ALABAMA IN THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF: Alabama played in its 11th College Football Playoff matchup Monday night. The Crimson Tide is 8-3 all-time in College Football Playoff games since the playoff's inception in 2014 and is one of only two teams to appear in five of the six Playoffs, joining Clemson. The Crimson Tide (8-3) holds the record for the most CFP wins with eight and most games played at 11. Alabama claimed CFP National Championships in 2015, 2017 and 2020 and has reached the National Championship Game in five of its six seasons in the Playoff.
HEISMAN HONORS: DeVonta Smith became the seventh player in the BCS/CFP era to win the Heisman and a national title in the same season. Alabama's two previous Heisman winners, Derrick Henry (2015) and Mark Ingram (2009), also won national championships in the same season.
50-PLUS vs. RANKED OPPONENTS: Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama has posted 50-plus points against Associated Press Top 25 teams on seven occasions. Tonight, the Crimson Tide took down No. 3 Ohio State, 52-24, in the 2021 National Championship Game to mark UA's third 50-plus point effort this season.
MOST POINTS IN FIRST HALF UA BOWL HISTORY: Alabama's 35 first-half points are the most scored in an opening half of a bowl game in Alabama history. The previous record was 31 set by the 2018 team against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl.
150-8 UNDER SABAN WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF: Under head coach Nick Saban, Alabama is 150-8 (.949) when leading at the half. The Crimson Tide has held the lead in 66 of its last 84 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. UA is also 134-4 (.971) when leading by seven or more points at the break during the Saban era.
Offensive Notes
OPENING DRIVE TOUCHDOWNS: Running back Najee Harris ran in the endzone for a 1-yard rushing touchdown on Alabama's opening drive vs. No. 3 Ohio State. The Crimson Tide has won 41 straight games when scoring a touchdown on the first offensive possession of the game. The Tide's last loss after finding the end zone on its first drive was to the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2014 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES: Alabama extended its school record for consecutive games with a score to 268 thanks to Najee Harris' 1-yard rushing touchdown on the Crimson Tide's opening drive. The Alabama was last held off the scoreboard in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000. The Tide has a 213-55 (.795) record over the course of the current streak.
600+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE: Alabama eclipsed the 600-plus yard marker for the 11th time in program history by rolling up 621 yards of total offense against Ohio State in tonight's CFP Championship Game. The Crimson Tide had reached the 600-yard plateau only 10 times prior to the matchup with the Buckeyes, most recently against Florida earlier this season on Dec. 5, when UA produced 605 yards of offense in the SEC Championship Game.
500+ YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE: Alabama recorded 621 yards of total offense against No. 3 Ohio State, marking the 41st time in the last 83 games, dating to the start of the 2015 season, that the Crimson Tide has eclipsed the 500-yard mark. In 2018, UA totaled 500-or-more yards in 12-of-15 games to set a single-season record. The Tide followed that up by eclipsing 500 yards of offense in nine of the 13 games of the 2019 campaign. Alabama went over the 500-yard marker in eight of 13 games this season.
NAJEE MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF: The 2020 Doak Walker Award winner, Najee Harris, scored three touchdowns in the CFP National Championship Game to give him 30 total touchdowns for the most by any Alabama or SEC player. Harris' 26 rushing and four receiving scores passed the previous record held by Alabama great Derrick Henry from the 2015 season. All 28 of Henry's touchdowns were rushing.
SCORE SOME MORE: Senior running back Najee Harris became just the fifth player to score touchdowns rushing and receiving in a BCS/CFP title game with his 1-yard rushing touchdown in the first and fourth quarter along with the 26-yard receiving score in the second quarter. Harris joins Eddie Lacy (2013) as the second player from Alabama to do so.
HARRIS KEEPS FINDING THE END ZONE: Najee Harris racked up 26 rushing touchdowns during his senior season. With his two rushing scores vs. Ohio State, Harris totaled at least one touchdown in 11 of the Crimson Tide's 13 games this season and two-or-more scores in nine of those contests. His 26 rushing scores are also the most in a single season in Alabama history.
3.7K for DEVONTA PUTS HIM ATOP THE SEC: DeVonta Smith totaled 3,965 receiving yards in his Crimson Tide career. That total not only ranks atop the Alabama records but ranks first overall in Southeastern Conference history as well. Smith's 215 yards against No. 3 Ohio State today passed Vanderbilt's Jordan Matthews (2010-13) who had 3,759 yards for the all-time conference record.
SMITH LOOKING TO SET ALL THE CAREER RECORDS: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith has rewritten the Alabama record books yet again. Entering tonight's game, he already owned the career yardage and touchdown receptions marks. With 12 catches vs. No. 3 Ohio State, Smith captured the No. 1 spot on the Alabama career receptions list with 235. Amari Cooper (2012-14) held the previous record with 228 receptions.
SMITTY OVER 100 AGAIN: DeVonta Smith finished the first half by totaling 215 receiving yards to go over the 100-yard marker for the ninth time this season. Those nine 100-plus yard performances give him 14 for his career as he entered his senior campaign with five in hand. Smith totaled two in 2018 and followed that up with three as a junior a season ago. His 14 100-plus yard performances are tied for the most in Alabama history with Amari Cooper (2012-14).
SMITTY OVER 200 AGAIN: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith finished 215 receiving yards in the Crimson Tide's matchup vs. Ohio State. The 200-plus yard performance was the fifth of Smith's career and the 12th instance in program history. His five 200-plus yard career receiving games sets the Alabama program record.
200-PLUS HALF BY SMITTY: Senior DeVonta Smith totaled 215 yards and three receiving touchdowns in the first half alone vs. Ohio State. The impressive half was the third 200-plus, three-plus touchdown performance of his career. The three career 200-plus, three-plus touchdown halves are the most by an FBS player in the last 15 seasons.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS: DeVonta Smith's marks the first player to have three receiving touchdowns in a CFP National Championship Game and the most receptions with 12. He also holds the record for most receiving yards in a half of the national championship game (215), the previous was 183 by OJ Howard in 2016.
CAREER DAY LEADS THE WAY: Signal-caller Mac Jones completed a career-high 36 passes and 464 yards in the win over No. 3 Ohio State. He passed his previous highs of 33 completions and 435 yards passing in the 2020 SEC Championship Game vs. Florida.
JONES GOES OVER 400 PASSING…AGAIN: Mac Jones finished the National Championship Game with 464 passing yards on the night. His performance against the Buckeyes marked his fifth 400-plus yard performance this season. Thanks to his efforts in Miami, Jones now owns five of Alabama's 11 all-time 400-plus yard passing performances, passing the previous record of three which was held by Tua Tagovailoa (2017-19). Tagovailoa's all came during his junior campaign in 2019.
RECORDS BY JONES: Mac Jones' 36 completions ties Deshaun Watson (Clemson, 2017) for the CFP national championship single-game record. His 464 passing yards passes LSU's Joe Burrow (463) for the most in a CFP national championship game, and his five passing TDs tie Burrow for the national championship game single-game high.
