Work Begins for Alabama Football’s National Championship Matchup with No. 3 Ohio State
1/5/2021 3:33:00 PM | Football
The Crimson Tide returned to the practice field Tuesday afternoon
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama football returned to practice Tuesday afternoon for the first time since the Tide’s 31-14 win over No. 4 Notre Dame in last Friday’s 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Capital One. The Tide spent two hours outdoors on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields, working in pads and shorts.
The Crimson Tide will be playing in its 11th College Football Playoff matchup when the Tide meets No. 3/3/3 Ohio State on Jan. 11, 2021 at hard Rock Stadium in Miami Garden, Fla. Alabama is 7-3 all-time in CFP 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. UA (7-3) holds the record for the most CFP wins with seven and is tied with the Tigers for the most games played at 10 apiece. The next closest team is Ohio State (3-2) with five games played in the Playoff. Alabama claimed CFP National Championships in both 2015 and 2017 and has reached the National Championship Game in five of its six seasons in the Playoff.
Alabama and Ohio State will meet for the fifth time overall and the second time in the history of the CFP. The Crimson Tide holds a 3-1 lead in the series with the Buckeyes’ lone win coming in the most recent meeting. The two programs squared off in the CFP Semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2015, with OSU claiming a 42-35 win on the way to becoming the eventual national champions. Alabama head coach Nick Saban is 2-2 in his career against Ohio State, including a 2-1 record at Michigan State. OSU head coach Ryan Day has not faced Alabama.
