Both defenses are much better up front than most people realize, and that will be proven. As a result, drives will stall out and both teams might have to settle for field-goal attempts rather than touchdowns. QBs Mac Jones and Justin Fields will get pressured up the middle, which will lead to disrupted plays that will make it hard for both teams to put together long drives.

Make no mistake, the real Ohio State team was the one you saw against Clemson. How many times do we see teams hit their stride around the middle of the season and make a run to the title? All of the time. Well, that's essentially where the Buckeyes are, if we'd had a normal 12-game schedule. Now that it's healthy, the defense has become a force, the offensive line has evolved into one of the best in the nation and Trey Sermon has found his stride at running back. Not only will Ohio State keep it close, it'll win outright after owning both lines of scrimmage.

Alabama certainly looks invincible, especially if the Tide get back Jaylen Waddle on Monday, but underdogs are 5-1 ATS in the CFP title game. The Buckeyes are 8-1 both straight up and against the spread in their past nine as underdogs. Their pass defense is the best that Mac Jones, Heisman winner DeVonta Smith and perhaps Waddle will have seen this season. I'm not saying OSU wins, but now that the spread is above 8 points the Nuts are good value.

How about an outright Ohio State win? Take the money line. This is arguably Alabama coach Nick Saban’s worst defense since he began at Alabama in 2007. No team in the SEC was capable of exposing it except for Florida’s 408 passing yards in the SEC title game. How about 42-35, Buckeyes, the same score from their 2015 Playoff meeting? That contest had the same spread and ML offered here.

Simply put, few college games reach this total. Certainly, both offenses are capable of insane scoring, but there are reasons aplenty to side with the Under. Alabama’s defense ranks 17th in the FBS at 5.0 yards allowed per snap. Buckeyes QB Justin Fields (ribs) likely won’t be in optimum condition. Ohio State CB Shaun Wade can slow the roll of WR DeVonta Smith. Buckeyes DT Haskell Garrett, perhaps the best at his trade this season, can take advantage of a backup center. The head coaches likely are focusing on defense this week, and at least one will figure out how to keep the opponent from a scoring spree.

Ohio State picked a great time to have its pass rush to show up, as it will be needed against Alabama. The Buckeyes match up well versus the Crimson Tide and have the 'Plus-1' in the running game (Justin Fields) that tends to cause problems for Nick Saban-coached defenses. With everything on the line, I expect Alabama to play its tightest game of the season.