It makes sense right? The Crimson Tide have won two straight National titles. They've been dominant. And players such as quarterback AJ McCarron, running back TJ Yeldon and wide receiver Amari Cooper are just three of Bama's star players. Their defense was ranked first in the Nation in points allowed per game, only allowing an average of 10.9 points, first in rush defense, only allowing 76.4 yards a game, and first in total defense, allowing only an average of 250.0 yards per game.
Alabama only lost one game. A close one against Heisman Trophy winner (and 2012 Project CFB QB of the Year as well as Freshman of the Year) Johnny Manziel and his Texas A&M Aggies. A&M only defeated the Crimson Tide by five points, but a loss is a loss.
But let's look into Alabama's 2012 year a little more shall we? They went 13-1, 7-1 in the SEC. They beat teams such as LSU, Georgia (in the SEC Championship Game) and Notre Dame (by 28 points in the National Championship Game). However, if you look more into this you will see that Alabama only defeated Les Miles' LSU Tigers by four points. They also defeated the Bulldogs for the SEC title by the same amount, four points. One or two small mistakes could have been the difference between winning and losing in those two games. The same that could be said about this year.
Alabama plays seven games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, four away games and one game at a neutral site. They begin their year taking on Virginia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. On paper Bama looks like the clear cut winner, but if Logan Thomas and company can find their rhythm against the Crimson Tide and stay on top, they could pull the upset. But even if Alabama gets by Virginia Tech, they open their SEC schedule in week two against Johnny Manziel and his Texas A&M Aggies, this time at College Station. The Aggies could very well make it two straight victories against Bama, especially playing on their home field this time around.
Alabama's schedule is sprinkled in with a couple more tough opponents. After A&M they will play against Colorado State, Ole Miss and Georgia State. All three should be easily won. After that they play Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee, three teams with first year head coaches, and although it's their first years at their respective schools, they have been improving their schools from day one. After those three games Alabama will battle LSU in what's sure to be a tough one, followed by Mississippi State and Chattanooga. They will wrap the season up on November 30 with the Iron Bowl, at Auburn. This heated rivalry game favors Alabama this year, but with a rivalry game like this, you just never know.
So if you counted, there are four games on Bama's schedule that could possibly ruin their National Title hopes. Will Alabama be defeated in 2013? I can't say for certain. They are arguably the best team in college football this year, but to say that they will most definitely run the table this fall is just not wise.
Now, onto the other team that seems oh so certain to play for a National Title. Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are stacked with some amazing playmakers. Quarterback Braxton Miller is an impressive dual threat QB perfect for an Urban Meyer style offense. Philly Brown is a reliable wide receiver for Miller, and as long as Carlos Hyde plays this season (he was a person of interest in an assault at a bar that may or may not have happened), Hyde could possibly rush for 1,000 yards. Ryan Shazier is also a big playmaker on the other side of the ball. He recorded 70 tackles and five sacks last season.
Unlike Bama, OSU went undefeated last season. However, they played their fair share of very close games. OSU won two games in OT (beating Purdue and Wisconsin by seven). They also survived against Cal by seven, Michigan State by one, Indiana by only three and Michigan by just five.
Many of these games could have been a loss for the Buckeyes if just one mistake was made. With Braxton Miller only completing 58.3% of his passes, I can say with confidence that they are lucky they didn't lose one of these close games.
The Bucks start their 2013 season off fairly easily. Playing against Buffalo and San Diego State followed by an away game against Cal. After that they take on Florida A&M and should go into their Big Ten opener undefeated. Ohio State's first B1G game is a home game against Gary Andersen's Wisconsin Badgers. A game that if the Buckeyes take lightly they could find themselves on the short end of the stick.
After the Badgers, OSU travels to Ryan Field to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. This is another game that I feel if Ohio State looks past, Kain Colter and his Wildcats could pull the upset. Next OSU battles Iowa before hosting Penn State in Columbus. Penn State, led by 2012 Project CFB Coach of the Year Bill O'Brien is yet another team on the Buckeyes' schedule that if they take lightly they can wind up defeated.
After the Nittany Lions, Ohio State wraps their season up with road games against Purdue and Illinois, a home game against Indiana and The Game against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Michigan is definitely on an upswing. Devin Gardner has taken the starting QB position, and although his pass percentage is only slightly better than Braxton Miller's, he will be ready and willing to take the Buckeyes down.
Just like Alabama, Ohio State has four games that seem to be games of interest, and if they don't prepare or if they take them lightly, they can see their hopes of a National Championship dwindle away.
Will Alabama and/or Ohio State play in the National Championship game? They absolutely could. They have the talent to do just that. But is it a lock? Absolutely not. Both teams play a few teams that they could lose to. But as long as they keep their heads in the game and stick to their game plan, they very well could face off for the National Championship in 2014.
- Matt Lytle
@mattlytle
matt.projectcfb@gmail.com
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