One Simple Stat Demonstrates the Difference Between Alabama and Cincinnati
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Among the many lessons that the Christmas season regularly reminds us of is that good things can come in packages of all sizes.
That's sort of where we're at with the College Football Playoff this year.
While this season's semifinals can bring to mind the wedding recipe of Something Olde (Alabama), Something New (Cincinnati), Something Borrowed (Georgia), Something Blue (Michigan), there's the additional symbolic comparison of big and small presents.
For the first time, the playoff includes a Group of 5 team, Cincinnati, which plays in a conference that most fans couldn't identify.
While the Bearcats should reject the idea of their inclusion being any sort of a gift from the selection committee — they definitely earned their pairing against the Crimson Tide thanks to a head-to-head win against No. 5 Notre Dame — football's equivalent of the Napoleon Complex will nevertheless be on display in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
The matchup is sort like the Iron Bowl in that respect, only Auburn matches up better physically.
Yes, it will be hailed as David vs. Goliath, Hannibal vs. the Romans, maybe even the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals. It'll be interesting to see if the Cincinnati coaching staff tries to play it up like Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson, or more on the level with the Miracle on Ice, which saw the Soviet Union hockey machine humbled by a bunch of amateur kids.
The 13-0 Bearcats are carrying the torch for every non-Power 5 program that wants to show it belongs in the playoff as well. Not just this season, but every year as the calls for expansion have never been louder.
At the same time, Cincinnati will almost certainly play with a nothing-to-lose mentality, sort of like when Boise State pulled out a playbook full of surprises when it shocked Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. A lot of things had to go right for the Broncos that night, and they seemingly all did.
However, there's only so much Cincinnati can do against the run and power game if Alabama flexes its muscle — and one has to believe that Nick Saban will.
For some odd reason, one of the more popular theories making the rounds about why this semifinal could be close is the claim that Cincinnati's defensive scheme featuring a three-man front is similar to what Ole Miss uses, and the Crimson Tide had some trouble with the Rebels.
Only Alabama didn't. Anyone saying that didn't watch the 42-21 victory back on October 2.
The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 28-0 lead, tallied 451 total yards of offense and finished with a monumental edge in time of possession of 37 minutes and 50 seconds to 22:01.
Alabama dominated in the trenches, especially on the offensive side, and Ole Miss simply never had an answer. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. had a career-high 171 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
With that in mind, here's the most important stat regarding this matchup: 6 foot 7, 350 pounds.
That's the listed size for Crimson Tide left tackle Evan Neal.
How does Cincinnati compensate for that? One of the players on that three-man front is physically as big as a linebacker, meaning he'll be giving up 50 pounds against the smaller Alabama linemen, and 100 to Neal.
The player who lines up next to to Neal on the left side of the line, Javion Cohen, is also bigger than anyone Cincinnati can line up against him.
What's to stop Alabama from shoving the ball down Cincinnati's throat, especially behind the left side of the line?
The best option for the Bearcats is probably to go man with the corners, stack the box, try to gang-tackle everything that moves and hope for some turnovers. It's a formula that's worked well for them.
Maybe No. 4 Cincinnati will get some breaks. Alabama could be rusty and over-confident after upsetting then-No. 1 Georgia nearly a month ago. Perhaps the Bearcats can use technique to overcome their other deficiencies.
Alabama fans saw a good example of how size can be minimized during the SEC Championship Game.
Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis, who is 6-6, 340 pounds and won the Bednarik Award as best defensive player in the nation, was pretty well nullified by 270-pound reserve center Seth McLaughlin.
“I’m extremely proud of Seth for stepping in," Neal said. "It’s actually his first start, so it takes a lot of guts. And he answered the bell.
"He has a good attitude, so it wasn’t a surprise to me that he was ready. We all knew that he'd be ready, you know, next man up.”
What people forget is that top-seeded Alabama is playing for something as well, and while the Crimson Tide is the reigning national champion each new starter has something to prove.
For example, sophomore quarterback Bryce Young was on the 2020 team, but he he didn't guide a single victory. The same goes for most of the Crimson Tide leaders, from the wide receivers to the offensive linemen, and Robinson.
“This is one of the exact reasons why I came back," the running back said. "You know, to be able to play in big games like this and to be able to play for it all. Just have that opportunity, that’s a lot of the reason why I came back, just for opportunities like that.”
Consequently, Alabama is playing up the "Business Trip" mentality, because if the Crimson Tide is focused and prepared it'll be extremely tough to beat regardless of the opponent.
That's not just against the Something New team, but also goes for the one in blue, or the one that adopted its nickname and many of its initial traditions from Yale.
Christopher Walsh's column appears regularly on BamaCentral.
