How To Watch CFP National Championship 2021 Live Stream Reddit — Alabama vs Ohio State Live Free Game in 4K TV Coverage
The 2020 college football season has been a ride, but at long last, here we are at the College Football Playoff National Championship. To have made it all the way through the year, despite all of the interruptions and problems — both real and potential — is an accomplishment. And now, №1 Alabama and №3 Ohio State will take the field one final time to determine the national champion for one of the wildest seasons in the history of the sport.
Viewing information
Game: 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship
Date: Monday, January 11 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
While playing for championships is familiar territory for both programs, how they got here couldn’t have been more different. Alabama played close to a full schedule with the SEC opting for a conference-only slate. The Crimson Tide got in all 10 SEC games plus two postseason matchups. It wasn’t a completely smooth effort — coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the Iron Bowl — but all things considered it could have been worse.
Ohio State, on the other hand, almost didn’t have a season. The Big Ten initially eschewed a fall season for another crack at football in 2021 but eventually did an about-face with a shortened eight-game slate starting in late October. Because of various cancellations, Ohio State only played five games, but the Big Ten walked back its six-game minimum to allow the Buckeyes to play in the Big Ten Championship Game. Playing only six times, Ohio State was subject to intense scrutiny that it hadn’t played enough games to merit a playoff invite. However, the CFP Selection Committee included the Buckeyes anyway and the decision proved to be the right one when they beat up on Clemson 49–28 in the Sugar Bowl semifinal.
Which leads us to this. Saban will be looking for his sixth national championship at Alabama and seventh overall. Ohio State coach Ryan Day, in just his second year, is looking for his first. Which team will prevail? We break down Monday’s matchup below.
Storylines
Alabama: It’s a conversation that’s come up more than once, but the 2020 Crimson Tide would be in the discussion as Saban’s best team ever with a win against the Buckeyes. It is already, at the very least, the most dangerous offense Alabama has ever put on a football field. DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver in nearly 30 years to win the Heisman Trophy, quarterback Mac Jones was a finalist, and running back Najee Harris probably could have (should have) been, too. As it is now, the Tide are averaging 48.2 points. Last year’s national champion, LSU, averaged 48.4. With the shortened season, there’s no way Alabama passes the Tigers in total points scored, but the efficiency with which it’s slaughtered defenses this year is comparable.
Whereas Saban’s early Alabama teams were dominant on defense and slowly overpowered their opponents, the Bama teams of more recent years have relied on offense to overwhelm everyone in their way. College football has shifted towards wide open offenses, and Alabama has made that shift as well as any program in the country — if not better.
Ohio State: Of all the things to watch with Ohio State, none will be more important than the health of quarterback Justin Fields. The junior, a presumed top-three pick in next spring’s NFL Draft, took a hard hit to the midsection during the semifinal against Clemson. While Fields bounced back and threw for six touchdowns, he was also in noticeable pain. Day has said that Fields will play in the game, though the specifics of his injury weren’t disclosed. How Fields looks will be a huge X-factor. Is he fully functional? Is he clearly limited? Is he tepid with his decisions? Those will all be things to monitor.
Additionally, Ohio State has some COVID-19 concerns coming into the game. The school reportedly notified parties involved in the title game that it could be without an entire position group due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. Details are scarce and every indication is that the game will be played as scheduled. But it is something to keep an eye on as we get close to kickoff.
Alternate viewing options
CFP Live — ESPN2
Skycast — ESPNU
Coaches film room — ESPNEWS
Alabama hometown radio — SEC Network
Ohio State hometown radio, Command Center, Datacenter, All 22 and more available on the ESPN App.
Alabama vs. Ohio State prediction, pick
Forget the number of games it played in the regular season, Ohio State has shown it belongs in the national championship. Now the question is whether it can pull the upset for the second straight game. The Buckeyes certainly have the talent, speed and toughness to keep pace with Alabama’s prolific offense. But there are a few questions they’ll have to answer as well. Is Fields healthy enough to lead his team to a win? Can the defense make enough stops? Will COVID-19 issues be a difference? Alabama has been the best team all year and there are too many uncertainties with Ohio State. It just feels like the Crimson Tide’s year. Pick: Ohio State +8 | Alabama 38, Ohio State 31
We’ve been witnessing to one of the more unique college football seasons of all time, and it reaches a conclusion on Monday night in Miami Gardens, Florida. Hard Rock Stadium marks the location where №1 Alabama will take on №3 Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship. It is not the first time these schools have met in this event, but it is the first time they will play for the national title.
In 2014, the first year of the playoff, №4 Ohio State upset №1 Alabama, 42–35, in the Sugar Bowl semifinal. The Buckeyes went on to beat Oregon the next week to win the national title. They haven’t been back to a title game since. Meanwhile, this will be Alabama’s fifth appearance in the six years since with the Crimson Tide looking to win their third crown since 2015.
So, what’s going to happen this time? Alabama is a sizable favorite based on the spread, and if we look at the total, we should expect a lot of points to be scored. Let’s take a look at all the available bets and figure out which ones are best.
№1 Alabama vs. №3 Ohio State
Spread (Alabama -8): The line opened with Alabama at -7.5 but has grown as the game approaches. Odds are this is due both to public action (casual, public bettors tend to like favorites) and the news of a possible postponement to the game. It was reported earlier in the week that Ohio State was dealing with COVID-19 issues that could leave it too short-handed to play Monday. The concerns were alleviated a bit by Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith saying the school intends to play as scheduled. Still, if the game is played Monday, we don’t know how it impacts the Ohio State roster.
d to win convincingly, 49–28. Still, even as good as Clemson may be, Alabama is a different case entirely. Assuming large chunks of the roster aren’t missing, this is an Ohio State team capable of giving Alabama problems. The Crimson Tide have been an absolute juggernaut all season. Their offense is led by three players who finished in the top five of Heisman Trophy voting with the winner in wide receiver DeVonta Smith as well as quarterback Mac Jones and running back Najee Harris. They also have one of the best offensive lines in the country, and oh yeah, they might get WR Jaylen Waddle back this week as well.
So, long story short, you aren’t going to stop the Alabama offense. It’s going to get at least 35 points, and your only hope is to contain as many big plays as possible. At the end of the day, you need to outscore Alabama, which is difficult to do not only because the offense is prolific but also because its defense has been terrific. It ranks 13th nationally in points allowed per game with 19, though more advanced defensive metrics like SP+ rank it fifth nationally.
If you look at how Alabama has performed this season, two games stand out as struggles. The first was back in October when Ole Miss put up 48 points, and the last was in the SEC Championship Game when Florida scored 46. Those are two offenses that can stretch the field vertically with their passing game. The Notre Dame offense Alabama faced last week cannot do that. This Ohio State offense — featuring QB Justin Fields and WRs Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson — can do exactly that.
Furthermore, Ohio State’s offense runs the ball more effectively than either of those teams. The emergence of Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon (636 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the last three games) has added another dimension to the Ohio State offense and takes a lot of the load off Justin Fields’ shoulders. The Buckeyes should be able to move the ball and score on this Alabama defense. This is why, with the information available now, the Buckeyes cover the spread. Pick: Ohio State +8
Total (75): If we look at both these teams, the over has been a smart bet for both this season. The over is 7–5 in Alabama’s 12 games, and it’s 4–2–1 in Ohio State’s seven. What’s more relevant to this discussion, however, is the points involved in those games.
There has been an average of 67.2 points scored in Alabama’s 12 games this season. Only three of Alabama’s games featured more than the 75 points in this total. There was its 52–24 win over Texas A&M, the 63–48 win over Ole Miss, and the 52–46 win over Florida. This would be the fourth time Alabama has played a game with a total in the 70s, and they’ve gone over in two of the three (Ole Miss, Florida). The third, against Arkansas, finished 15.5 points below the projected total.
On the Ohio State side, its games have featured an average of 65.4 points. Of the seven games the Buckeyes have played, three have gone over this 75-point total as well. There was a 49–27 win over Rutgers, a 42–35 win over Indiana, and last week’s 49–28 win over Clemson. None of those games featured a total this high. The total of 69 in last week’s semifinal against Clemson was the highest.
Now, if we move to the College Football Playoff National Championship itself, we see this is the highest total for any title game in the event’s seven years. The previous high was in the 2014 game between Ohio State in Oregon, which was set at 72.5; the teams finished well below that with 62 points. The average total for the first six title games has been 57.8 points, and the average title game has finished with 64.8 points. The only title game to finish with more than 75 points scored was at the end of the 2015 season when Alabama beat Clemson, 45–40.
These are two prolific offenses capable of matching that feat, which is why the total is so high. But considering the history and the stakes, the smartest play here is to take the under. It’ll likely be a terrifying ride, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Pick: Under 75
Special sides: While I have Ohio State covering the full-game spread, I like Alabama’s value in the first quarter. All season long, Ohio State has been a slower-starting team in the first quarter, and it picks up in the second quarter. In the first quarter, the Buckeyes offense ranks 10th nationally, scoring 10.4 points per game; however, the defense ranks 40th, allowing 4.9 points. In the second quarter, Ohio State ranks third nationally with 14.9 points scored, and the defense leaps to first nationally, allowing only 2.9 points. Compare that to Alabama, which ranks third nationally in points scored per game in the first quarter (12.2) and 14th on defense with only 3.1 points allowed. Based on those trends, the odds favor Alabama having a lead after the first 15 minutes. Pick: Alabama -0.5 First Quarter
