Urban Meyer calls players “checkers,” and his measure of a coach is how a guy fares “when the checkers are equal.” The checkers weren’t nearly equal for the Sugar Bowl: Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes were down to their third-string quarterback making his second collegiate start, while Alabama had Blake Sims of Gainesville, who’d had a full season as the Tide’s No. 1.
But this is why Meyer is the best big-game coach in college football. With Ohio State missing key checkers in Braxton Miller, the No. 1 quarterback lost in August, and J.T. Barrett, the backup lost against Michigan on Nov. 29, it authored the biggest upset in College Football Playoff history.
OK, so that history entails only two games. But this was among the stunners of the century, not least because it started so badly for the Buckeyes.
Alabama surged ahead 21-6 largely because Ohio State couldn’t hang onto the ball. Ezekiel Elliott’s fumble led to the Tide’s first touchdown, and a Cardale Jones underthrow that was intercepted by Cyrus Jones spawned a third. How many teams spot the Tide 15 spots and live to tell the tale? Especially teams from the underwhelming Big Ten?
“There’s a perception,” Meyer said. “When Wisconsin beat Auburn (in Thursday’s Outback Bowl), I made a big deal out of that. I made sure my players knew it. And when Michigan State came back against Baylor, it was like, ‘Maybe the Big Ten is not that bad; maybe the Big Ten is pretty darn good.’ “
Then, a bit later: “This was a breakthrough win. Ohio State was … what, 0-10 against the SEC in bowl games? This was a breakthrough win.”
Back to the beginning: Cardale Jones had also fumbled a shotgun snap that became an 8-yard loss on first-and-goal for the Bama 1, and Jalin Marshall had dropped what would have been a touchdown on third-and-goal. Ohio State had outgained Alabama 200 yards to 132 but trailed in touchdowns 3-nil, and the nightcap of the inaugural playoff was very close to going the way of Oregon-Florida State semifinal.
But Ohio State, which spent the first 27 minutes contriving not to score touchdowns, mustered two in the half’s final three minutes. Elliott scored to make it 21-13, and after a Bama three-and-out the Buckeyes drove 77 yards in 1:26 for a touchdown 12 seconds before halftime. The score was bit of Meyer inspiration — a flea-flicker on second-and-10 from the 13 that wound up with wide receiver Evan Spencer finding Michael Thomas, who managed to step so that three blades of faux grass separated his foot from the sideline.
That made the score 21-20, and surely Bama had to be wondering what in the name of Ears Whitworth was going on. It had been outgained 348 yards — this against Kirby Smart’s prized defense, mind you — to 139 and had handed the ball to Derrick Henry, who had 57 of those 139 yards, only seven times. Alabama hadn’t made a turnover and had seized on two to score 14 points, but its lead was the skinniest possible margin over an opponent that entered as a nine-point underdog.
Not 2 1/2 minutes into the second half, Alabama led no longer. Jones found Devin Smith running free after cornerback Eddie Jackson fell, and Ohio State led 27-21. Soon it was 35-21. On third-and-6, the Buckeyes suckered Sims into believing he had a lane to find the splendid Amari Cooper, but defensive end Steve Miller dropped into coverage, intercepted the pass and made like — apologies in advance — a big ol’ jet airliner whooshing 41 yards to score.
The nation’s No. 1 team had been outscored 28-0 and, for the first time under Saban in a January second half that meant anything, Alabama was thrust into the position of having to respond. It did, Sims scoring on a draw after an inside screen to Henry yielded 52 yards. Ohio State’s lead was six with 16 minutes to play.
A 21-yard Ohio State punt inside 10 minutes left the Tide primed to take the lead, but Sims’ pass on first-and-10 from the Buckeyes’ 23 was intercepted by safety Vonn Bell, one Georgia product thwarting another. But by now Smart’s defense was getting a handle on the Ohio State offense — better later than never — and the Buckeyes were starting every drive near the shadow of their goal line, and it seemed only a matter of time before order was restored to the nature of collegiate football.
But no. After Jones dove for a first down inside the final four minutes, Elliott sliced off left tackle and kept running. The 85-yard touchdown and the two-point conversion made the score 42-28 with 3:24 remaining. The Tide would score one touchdown but not a second. Urban Meyer trumped Nick Saban, universally considered the best in the business, and he did it with his No. 3 quarterback.
