Alabama enters the Sugar Bowl with statistical strengths. The Tide are ranked in the
'Bama beer holder.
top 20 in the following seven statistical categories:
- Points For (16th)
- Total Offense (16th)
- Total Defense (11th)
- Points Against (4th)
- Rushing Defense (2nd)
- 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' offense did to opponents and their Rushing Yards Allowed stats. The teams are listed in order of their Rushing Yards Allowed Average entering the game. Teams with the lowest Rushing Yards Allowed Average entering the game are listed first.
Note:
Negative (-) numbers are good for Ohio State
Positive (+) numbers are bad for Ohio State
3 Things
- Ohio State had the largest difference against Cincinnati (- 209.0) and Wisconsin (- 197. The Badgers had the 8th ranked Rushing Yards Allowed defense and left with the 17th best after facing Ohio State's offense.
- Penn State had the No. 1 ranked rushing defense at the start of the game, but Ohio State was able to gain over 158 yards above the Nittany Lions' average rushing yards allowed.
- If the average holds, Ohio State should gain at least 207 yards on the ground against Alabama.
| Team | Avg. Before Ohio State | Rushing Yards Against Ohio State | Difference | Rank Before | Rank After | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 60.8 | 219 | - 158.2 | 1st | 3rd | |
| Virginia Tech | 76.0 | 108 | - 32.0 | 29th | 27th | |
 |
88.7 | ----- | ----- | 2nd | ----- | |
| Michigan State | 95.4 | 268 | - 172.6 | 6th | 14th | |
| Wisconsin | 103.8 | 301 | - 197.2 | 8th | 17th | |
| That Team | 107.2 | 233 | - 125.8 | 9th | 15th | |
| Rutgers | 135.0 | 324 | - 189.0 | 44th | 67th | |
| Minnesota | 137.6 | 289 | - 151.4 | 37th | 53rd | |
| Cincinnati | 171.0 | 380 | - 209.0 | 80th | 117th | |
| Maryland | 171.0 | 269 | - 98.0 | 80th | 105th | |
| Indiana | 173.9 | 225 | - 51.1 | 79th | 80th | |
| Navy* | 178.8 | 194 | - 15.2 | 79th | 86th | |
| Kent State | 180.5 | 284 | - 103.5 | 92nd | 83rd | |
| Illinois | 258.6 | 296 | - 37.4 | 120th | 120th | |
| Average | 142.2 | 260.8 | - 118.6 | 51st | 61st |
*Navy before stats based on 2013 season.
The 2014 Buckeyes totally dominated opposing defenses. Every defense's Rushing Yards Allowed stats were demolished by Ohio State's offense. If you are an opponent of Ohio State it has to be frustrating knowing that the Buckeyes on average will gain 118 more rushing yards than you normally allow.
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 rushgin yards Ohio State gained against the opponent and divided the total by 11 (10 for Navy).
| Team | Season Average Without Ohio State | Rushing Yards Ohio State Gained | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 72.6 | 219 | - 146.4 |
| Michigan State | 82.0 | 268 | - 186.0 |
|
|
88.7 | ----- | ----- |
| Wisconsin | 103.8 | 301 | - 197.2 |
| That Team | 107.2 | 233 | - 125.8 |
 |
139.8 | ||
| Virginia Tech | 148.2 | 108 | + 40.2 |
| Minnesota | 149.6 | 289 | - 139.4 |
| Cincinnati | 163.5 | 380 | - 216.5 |
| Indiana | 178.8 | 225 | - 46.2 |
| Kent State | 188.2 | 284 | - 95.8 |
| Maryland | 195.5 | 269 | - 73.5 |
| Navy | 200.4 | 194 | + 6.4 |
| Rutgers | 201.6 | 324 | - 122.4 |
| Illinois | 245.4 | 296 | - 50.6 |
| Average | 156.7 | 260.8 | - 104.1 |
When the season stats are taken into account, Ohio State's first two games of the season were the least productive in rushing yards gained. Cincinnati, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State were the most impressive rushing games for Ohio State. The MSU (6th), Wisconsin (8th) and PSU (1st) games stand out when you consider their rush defense rankings.
