NEW ORLEANS -- The time for yapping is done. Alabama's Nick Saban and Ohio State's Urban Meyer both met the media on Wednesday morning for the final news conferences before Thursday night's Allstate Sugar Bowl. Clearing out the notebook ...
The availability of Alabama's leading rusher, T.J. Yeldon, will be a game-time decision on Thursday, Saban said. Yeldon has been dealing with a hamstring injury, but Saban said he has practiced every day this week in New Orleans and has "looked better and better each day. ... We're very hopeful that he'll be able to make a contribution in this game."
If Yeldon, who has rushed for 925 yards, can't go or is limited, the Crimson Tide have plenty of other options. Derrick Henry, who had 141 yards in the SEC title game win over Missouri "has played some of his best football at the end of the season," Saban said. Tyren Jones and Jalston Fowler could also fill in.
"We've always played more than one back," Saban said.
Still perhaps a week away from being full speed, Ohio State H-back Dontre Wilson will still be in uniform for the first time since breaking his foot on Nov. 8 at Michigan State. And while the sophomore could potentially come off the bench if needed despite some limitations cutting on that recovering foot, he’s eyeing a bigger role if the Buckeyes can survive without him against the Crimson Tide.
“I’m definitely going to suit up,” Wilson said. “If they need me, I’ll definitely come out and do what I can, and if not, I’ll cheer my team on to victory. I feel like they’re going to come out and handle their business, so hopefully we win this game and at Cowboy Stadium, I’ll definitely be in there.”
Meyer was asked if Ohio State's "branding" helped the Buckeyes get into the College Football Playoff over TCU and Baylor. One word of his response -- "probably" -- will likely be blown out of proportion. For context, here is his full answer to that question.
"I don't know that," he said. "That's certainly out of my ... probably. I never really thought about it. But I think Ohio State traditionally has got a great brand name."
The first-ever playoff begins on Thursday, but Saban said that since the loss to Ole Miss on Oct. 4 that Alabama has "sort of been in a playoff of our own kind. We were always one negative experience away from being out of the mix."
That Ole Miss loss also ignited a wave of negativity that the Tide players had to battle.
"When we lost to Ole Miss, not only did everyone sort of discount this team totally and completely ... it was that the whole era of what we've been able to do at Alabama was done, gone, didn't work anymore and all that," Saban said. "So our players really responded to the loss and did the things that they needed to do to develop into a pretty good football team."
Meyer, who's very involved with the Ohio State offense, said he sat down and really studied Alabama's offense for one of the few times on Wednesday morning with co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash. He came away impressed with quarterback Blake Sims and especially wide receiver Amari Cooper.
"He could be the first pick in the draft," Meyer said. "He's that good."
Big Ten teams often try to pluck recruits out of the South. But in an unusual twist, Alabama has two starters -- linebacker Trey DePriest and center Ryan Kelly -- from the state of Ohio.
DePriest is from Springfield, Ohio, in the the same region as injured Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, and the two have been friends since childhood. DePriest said he caught up with Miller earlier this week in New Orleans and wishes he were playing in the game.
"Some people back at home, they aren't really too much of a fan of me at this particular time," DePriest said. "But that's OK."
Kelly, a two-year starter from West Chester, Ohio, just outside of Cincinnati, said he wasn't recruited by the Buckeyes. But he said that was "just business, not personal" and he has no hard feelings.
"There are a lot of friends from my hometown that this means a lot to," he says. "It's been a pretty cool experience so far with the lead-up to the game. Little bit of trash talk, but not much."
By the way, DePriest said he was a Michigan fan growing up; Miller mostly rooted for Notre Dame.
Safety Vonn Bell already represents an Ohio State win over Alabama. The Georgia native picked the Buckeyes over Alabama and Tennessee in a signing-day decision in 2013. Bell said Meyer's personality and the family atmosphere in Columbus won him over, though it was hard telling Saban no.
Bell said he smiled when he found out Ohio State would be playing the Crimson Tide.
"It's very ironic," he said, "but what a blessing."
Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington hasn’t been closely following the growing conversation about his professional stock, but he does have teammates telling him it’s on the rise. The junior has certainly been made aware that he could potentially be an early-round draft pick if he chooses to skip his final season. For now, Washington remains committed to coming back in 2015.
“I can’t really give up too much thought to the NFL right now,” Washington said. “Michael Bennett actually came and told me that Mel Kiper was talking about me, and I kind of snuck away to see what he said. Obviously I was very excited, but I really can’t speak on it right now. More than likely I’m going to come back, but I feel like if I go out there and have a pretty good game against Alabama, that would definitely help my stock.”
