2021 CFP National Championship Recap
Score by Quarters
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3 Ohio State (7-1) | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| #1 Alabama (13-0) | 7 | 28 | 10 | 7 | 52 |
Player of the Game
Player of the Game
In the contest, Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith compiled 215 receiving yards in the first half to establish a new CFP single-game record (previously set by the Tide’s O.J. Howard in 2016). Smith, who finished his freshman campaign with a game-winning touchdown catch from Tua Tagovailoa in overtime of the 2018 CFP National Championship, ended his career at Alabama with a program and SEC-record 3,965 career receiving yards. He also set national championship game records for most receptions (12), receiving touchdowns (3) and points receiving (18) en route to being voted the Offensive Player of the Game.
Alabama junior QB Mac Jones completed 36-of-45 passes for a national championship record 464 yards and five touchdowns. Senior RB Najee Harris rushed for 158 yards on 29 carries, scoring three times for an SEC record 30 touchdowns on the year.
Sophomore DL Christian Barmore was named Defensive Player of the Game after collecting five total tackles, including three solo stops, two from behind the line of scrimmage and a six-yard sack. Linebackers Christian Harris and Dylan Moses led Alabama with six tackles apiece, while Christopher Allen and Patrick Surtain each pitched in a tackle for loss.
Alabama completed the 2020-21 campaign with a perfect 13-0 record, joining the 2019-20 LSU Tigers (15-0) and 2018-19 Clemson Tigers (15-0) as the third consecutive team to win the CFP National Championship with an undefeated record. The Crimson Tide’s victory also marked the second time in as many years that the top-ranked team in the CFP selection committee rankings went on to win the national title.
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Score (V-H) | Team | Scoring Play | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 08:07 | 0-7 | Alabama | Najee Harris 1 yd run (Will Reichard kick) | 12-78 (5:32) |
| 1st | 04:55 | 7-7 | Ohio State | Master Teague III 8 yd run (Jake Seibert kick) | 8-75 (3:12) |
| 2nd | 14:53 | 7-14 | Alabama | DeVonta Smith 5 yd pass from Mac Jones (Will Reichard kick) | 11-75 (4:58) |
| 2nd | 11:43 | 14-14 | Ohio State | Master Teague III 4 yd run (Jake Seibert kick) | 1-19 (0:11) |
| 2nd | 09:00 | 14-21 | Alabama | Najee Harris 26 yd pass from Mac Jones (Will Reichard kick) | 5-75 (2:43) |
| 2nd | 05:21 | 17-21 | Ohio State | Jake Seibert 23 yd field goal | 9-69 (3:39) |
| 2nd | 03:19 | 17-28 | Alabama | DeVonta Smith 5 yd pass from Mac Jones (Will Reichard kick) | 5-75 (2:02) |
| 2nd | 01:48 | 17-35 | Alabama | DeVonta Smith 42 yd pass from Mac Jones (Will Reichard kick) | 3-60 (0:41) |
| 3rd | 07:47 | 17-38 | Alabama | Will Reichard 20 yd field goal | 16-75 (7:08) |
| 3rd | 06:45 | 24-38 | Ohio State | Garrett Wilson 20 yd pass from Justin Fields (Jake Seibert kick) | 3-75 (1:02) |
| 3rd | 02:52 | 24-45 | Alabama | Slade Bolden 5 yd pass from Mac Jones (Will Reichard kick) | 8-75 (3:53) |
| 4th | 13:15 | 24-52 | Alabama | Najee Harris 1 yd run (Will Reichard kick) | 6-43 (2:47) |
Team Statistics
| OSU | UA | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 33 |
| Rushing | 5 | 10 |
| Passing | 11 | 22 |
| Penalty | 3 | 1 |
| Rushes-Yards | 29-147 | 38-157 |
| Passing Yards | 194 | 464 |
| Passes Comp-Att-Int | 17-33-0 | 36-45-0 |
| Total Offense (Plays-Yards) | 62-341 | 83-621 |
| Punt Returns-Yards | 1-3 | 2-18 |
| Kickoff Returns-Yards | 0-0 | 2-13 |
| Punts (Number-Avg) | 5-42.8 | 2-38.0 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| Sacks By (Number-Yards) | 2-7 | 1-6 |
| Penalties-Yards | 4-29 | 6-44 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 6-of-14 | 6-of-11 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 0-of-2 | 2-of-2 |
Individual Statistics
| OSU | UA | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Justin Fields, 6-67; Master Teague III, 15-65, 2 TD; Marcus Crowley, 6-14; Trey Sermon, 1-2. | Najee Harris, 22-79, 2 TD; Brian Robinson, Jr., 10-69; Mac Jones, 4-11. |
| Passing | Justin Fields, 17-33-0, 194, 1 TD. | Mac Jones, 36-45-0, 464, 5 TD. |
| Receiving | Chris Olave, 8-69; Garrett Wilson, 3-50, 1 TD; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 2-20; Jeremy Ruckert, 1-36; Jameson Williams, 1-14; Marcus Crowley, 1-4; Master Teague III, 1-1. | DeVonta Smith, 12-215, 3 TD; John Metchie III, 8-81; Najee Harris, 7-79, 1 TD; Jaylen Waddle, 3-34; Slade Bolden, 3-16, 1 TD; Jahleel Billingsley, 2-27; Xavier Williams, 1-12. |
| Punting | Drue Chrisman, 5-214, 42.8. | Charlie Scott, 2-76, 38.0. |
| Returns | Punt: Garrett Wilson, 1-3; Kickoff: None; Intercept: None. | Punt: DeVonta Smith, 2-18; Kickoff: DeVonta Smith, 1-6; Jahleel Billingsley, 1-7; Intercept: None. |
| Field Goals | Jake Seibert, 1-1 (23 Good). | Will Reichard, 1-1 (20 Missed). |
| Tackles (Solo-Assist-Total, Sacks-Yds, TFL-Yds) |
Tuf Borland (7-7-14, 0, 0); Pete Werner (4-4-8, 0, 0); Justin Hilliard (4-4-8, 0, 2.0-3); Sevyn Banks (6-1-7, 0, 0); Josh Proctor (4-1-5, 0, 0); Baron Browning (4-1-5, 1.0-6, 1.0-6); Antwuan Jackson (4-1-5, 1.0-1, 1.0-1); Shaun Wade (2-3-5, 0, 1.0-2); Dallas Gant (3-0-3, 0, 0); Marcus Williamson (2-0-2, 0, 0); Jonathon Cooper (1-1-2, 0, 0); Zach Harrison (1-1-2, 0, 0); Tyler Friday (1-1-2, 0, 0); Haskell Garrett (1-1-2, 0, 0); Taron Vincent (0-2-2, 0, 0); Lathan Ranson (1-0-1, 0, 0); Cody Simon (1-0-1, 0, 0); Jameson Williams (1-0-1, 0, 0). | Christian Harris (3-3-6, 0, 0); Dylan Moses (2-4-6, 0, 0); Christian Barmore (3-2-5, 1.0-6, 2.0-8); Brian Branch (3-1-4, 0, 0); DeMarcco Hellams (3-1-4, 0, 0); Christopher Allen (2-2-4, 0, 1.0-4); Jordan Battle (3-0-3, 0, 0); Josh Jobe (3-0-3, 0, 0); Patrick Surtain II (2-1-3, 0, 1.0-3); Will Anderson, Jr. (2-1-3, 0, 0); Daniel Wright (2-0-2, 0, 0); Ben Davis (1-0-1, 0, 0); Jaylen Moody (1-0-1, 0, 0); LaBryan Ray (0-1-1, 0, 0). |
Starters & Reserves
Ohio State Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| LT | 75 | Thayer Munford |
| LG | 55 | Matthew Jones |
| C | 71 | Josh Myers |
| RG | 52 | Wyatt Davis |
| RT | 78 | Nicholas Petit-Frere |
| TE | 89 | Luke Farrell |
| QB | 1 | Justin Fields |
| RB | 8 | Trey Sermon |
| WR | 6 | Jameson Williams |
| WR | 2 | Chris Olave |
| WR | 5 | Garrett Wilson |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| DE | 0 | Jonathon Cooper |
| DT | 86 | Jerron Cage |
| DT | 92 | Haskell Garrett |
| DE | 8J | Javontae Jean-Baptiste |
| LB | 20 | Pete Werner |
| LB | 32 | Tuf Borland |
| LB | 47 | Justin Hilliard |
| S | 41 | Josh Proctor |
| CB | 7 | Sevyn Banks |
| CB | 2W | Shaun Wade |
| S | 21 | Marcus Williamson |
Ohio State Reserves
1R - Lathan Ranson, 3 - Demario McCall, 3M - Teradja Mitchell, 4 - Julian Fleming, 4R - Bradley Robinson, 5N - Nathan Brock, 5J - Antwuan Jackson, 5B - Baron Browning, 6V - Taron Vincent, 8B - Chris Booker, 9 - Zach Harrison, 11 - Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 13 - Gee Scott Jr., 16 - Cade Stover, 17 - Bryson Shaw, 18 - Kamryn Babb, 19 - Dallas Gant, 22 - Steele Chambers, 23 - Marcus Hooker, 24 - Marcus Crowley, 25 - Xavier Johnson, 33 - Master Teague III, 34 - Mitch Rossi, 36 - K’Vaughan Pope, 39 - Cody Simon, 54 - Tyler Friday, 61 - Gavin Cupp, 66 - Enokk Vimahi, 74 - Max Wray, 76 - Harry Miller, 77 - Paris Johnson, Jr., 81 - Jake Hausmann, 83 - Cormontae Hamilton, 88 - Jeremy Ruckert, 90 - Jaden McKenzie, 91 - Drue Chrisman, 97 - Noah Potter, 98 - Jake Seibert.
Alabama Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| LT | 70 | Alex Leatherwood |
| LG | 65 | Deonte Brown |
| C | 79 | Chris Owens |
| RG | 55 | Emil Ekiyor Jr. |
| RT | 73 | Evan Neal |
| TE | 85 | Charlie Scott |
| QB | 10 | Mac Jones |
| RB | 22 | Najee Harris |
| WR | 8A | John Metchie III |
| WR | 6 | DeVonta Smith |
| TE | 19 | Jahleel Billingsley |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| LB | 4 | Brian Robinson, Jr. |
| NG | 94 | DJ Dale |
| DE | 58 | Christian Barmore |
| LB | 32 | Dylan Moses |
| LB | 8 | Christian Harris |
| LB | 31 | Will Anderson, Jr. |
| CB | 2 | Patrick Surtain II |
| CB | 28 | Josh Jobe |
| FS | 29 | DeMarcco Hellams |
| S | 9 | Jordan Battle |
| STAR | 14 | Brian Branch |
Alabama Reserves
1A - Ale Kaho, 1 - Ben Davis, 1H - Slade Bolden, 3A - Xavier Williams, 3 - Daniel Wright, 4A - Christopher Allen, 5A - Javon Baker, 9A - Bryce Young, 13 - Malachi Moore, 16 - Will Reichard, 17 - Jaylen Waddle, 18 - LaBryan Ray, 20 - Drew Sanders, 21 - Jase McClellan, 26 - Marcus Banks, 40 - Joshua McMillon, 42 - Jaylen Moody, 45 - Thomas Fletcher, 47 - Byron Young, 48 - Phidarian Mathis, 50 - Tim Smith, 69 - Landon Dickerson, 75 - Tommy Brown, 81 - Cameron Latu, 87 - Miller Forristall, 88 - Major Tennison, 92 - Justin Eboigbe.
