It is time to wipe that smirk off of Saban's face.
Alabama enters the Sugar Bowl with statistical strengths. The Tide are ranked in the top 20 in the following seven statistical categories:
- Points For (16th)
- Points Against (4th)
- Total Offense (16th)
- Rushing Defense (2nd)
- Total Defense (11th)
- Offensive 3rd Down Conversions (2nd)
- Net Punting (2nd)
As you can see from the list above, Alabama has an impressive resume.
Below you will see what the Buckeyes' defense did to opponents and their Total Offense stats. The teams are listed in order of their Total Offense Average entering the game. Teams with the highest Total Offesne Average entering the game are listed first.
Note:
Negative (-) numbers are good for Ohio State
Positive (+) numbers are bad for Ohio State
| Team | Avg. Before OSU | Total OFfense Against OSU | Difference | Rank Before | Rank After | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 515.3 | 536 | + 20.7 | 5th | 9th | |
 |
490.5 | ----- | ----- | 16th | ----- | |
| Virginia Tech | 488.0 | 324 | - 164.0 | 45th | 80th | |
| Wisconsin | 482.1 | 258 | - 224.1 | 20th | 23rd | |
| Cincinnati | 477.0 | 422 | - 55.0 | 36th | 43rd | |
| Navy* | 441.3 | 390 | -51.3 | 61st | 76th | |
| Rutgers | 426.7 | 345 | - 81.7 | 55th | 63rd | |
| Maryland | 417.6 | 310 | - 117.6 | 66th | 78th | |
| Indiana | 410.7 | 395 | - 15.7 | 60th | 59th | |
| Illinois | 390.5 | 243 | - 147.5 | 76th | 88th | |
| Penn State | 375.5 | 240 | - 135.5 | 89th | 101st | |
| Minnesota | 364.6 | 303 | - 61.6 | 96th | 101st | |
| That Team | 329.4 | 372 | + 42.6 | 114th | 111th | |
| Kent State | 286.0 | 126 | - 160 | 115th | 124th | |
| Averages | 415.8 | 328 | - 87.8 | 65th | 74th |
*Navy's average before stats are based on 2013 season.
11 of Ohio State's 13 opponents saw their Total Offense yardage drop against the Buckeyes' defense. Michigan State (+ 20.7) and That Team (+42.6) were the two teams to gain more than their average entering the game.
What concerns me about Alabama is that they have a balanced offense similar to the two schools form up north. The Tide's quarterback, Blake Sims, doesn't run a lot, but he can escape trouble. His mobility could lead to big plays.
Below is a compilation of the average season stats of the teams Ohio State played in 2014. To get a fair comparison for the "Ohio State Effect" I removed the total yards the opponent gained against Ohio State and divided the total by 11 (10 for Navy) to get the season average.
| Team | Season Avg. Without Ohio State | Points Score Against Ohio State | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
507.6 | ||
| Michigan State | 492.9 | 536 | + 43.1 |
|
|
490.5 | ----- | ----- |
| Wisconsin | 482.1 | 258 | - 224.1 |
| Cincinnati | 461.1 | 422 | - 39.1 |
| Navy | 451.1 | 390 | - 61.1 |
| Indiana | 405.9 | 395 | - 10.9 |
| Rutgers | 381.9 | 345 | - 36.9 |
| Virginia Tech | 371.9 | 324 | - 47.9 |
| Illinois | 371.0 | 243 | - 128.0 |
| Minnesota | 360.8 | 303 | - 57.8 |
| Maryland | 355.9 | 310 | - 45.9 |
| Kent State | 334.5 | 126 | - 208.5 |
| Penn State | 333.3 | 240 | - 93.3 |
| That Team | 329.5 | 372 | + 42.5 |
