Yes, Ohio State Won the National Championship by Using a Football Play from Alabama
In college football, the championship game represents the pinnacle of achievement, the culmination of a season’s worth of hard work, strategy, and determination. For Ohio State University, winning the national title is nothing new—it’s part of their storied football tradition. However, what set their 2025 victory apart was not just their performance on the field or their impressive roster, but the play they used to secure their championship. A play that, to many, seemed almost too familiar. The reason? Ohio State’s game-winning play had roots in one of Alabama’s iconic strategies.
While this might sound like a coincidence, it speaks to the adaptability, evolution, and collaboration that define college football’s best teams. For the Buckeyes, using a play from Alabama was not just about borrowing a tactic—it was about understanding and adapting to their opponents, executing the perfect game plan, and taking advantage of the best techniques the game had to offer.
The Stage: Ohio State’s Path to the National Championship
The 2025 College Football Playoff was one of the most competitive in recent years. With an incredibly talented pool of teams, the road to the national championship game was no easy feat for Ohio State. They had to first survive a brutal Big Ten Championship against a Michigan team that was firing on all cylinders. After overcoming that formidable opponent, the Buckeyes faced a powerful Clemson team in the playoff semifinal.
In each of these games, Ohio State demonstrated resilience, skill, and versatility, with quarterback C.J. Stroud leading the offense with a combination of pinpoint passing and exceptional decision-making. However, when the stage finally set for the national championship game, it was clear that the Buckeyes would need every edge they could muster to take down their formidable opponent—Alabama.
Alabama, under head coach Nick Saban, had long been known as one of the most dominant programs in college football. They had an elite roster, including a powerhouse offensive line and an explosive quarterback, Jalen Milroe. Their defense, led by standout players, was equally fearsome. To defeat Alabama in the national championship game, Ohio State would need more than just their own game plan—they would have to outthink and outplay the Crimson Tide.
The Play: An Alabama Classic
Alabama’s football success is built on a foundation of discipline, toughness, and a trademark play that has consistently worked for them in high-pressure moments: the “Jet Sweep.” The Jet Sweep is a play designed to create confusion, stretch the defense horizontally, and open up running lanes for explosive athletes. In the simplest terms, it’s a way to get the ball to the edge of the defense quickly, forcing defenders to move laterally and leaving gaps for the ball carrier to exploit.
While the Jet Sweep has been used by many teams throughout the history of college football, it has been a staple of Alabama’s offense for years under Saban. The play works particularly well because of the speed and precision with which Alabama runs it. With a deep roster of fast receivers and running backs who can change direction in an instant, the Jet Sweep has been a nightmare for opposing defenses. And for Ohio State, it was the perfect play to study and adapt.
As the Buckeyes studied Alabama’s offense, they began to see how effective the Jet Sweep had been for the Tide. The play had worked against some of the best defenses in the country, including in their own SEC Championship game against Georgia. Watching these games, Ohio State’s coaching staff realized that with some adjustments and tailoring to their own players, they could execute a version of the Jet Sweep that might work in their favor.
The key difference, however, was the personnel. Alabama’s Jet Sweep often featured a fast receiver coming in motion and a quarterback who could either hand the ball off or keep it and run. Ohio State, on the other hand, had a versatile running back in TreVeyon Henderson, who could not only run between the tackles but also take a handoff to the outside and break off big runs. Ohio State’s offensive line was also built to be more agile, creating even more opportunity to run the play to perfection.
Adapting the Alabama Play
Adapting the Jet Sweep into a playbook for Ohio State wasn’t just about copying it. It required a rethinking of how to use the motion and how to deceive the defense. The first adaptation was to incorporate C.J. Stroud into the play. While Alabama’s Milroe often kept the ball on the Jet Sweep and ran it himself, Stroud’s strengths lay in his ability to read defenses and make quick decisions. Instead of simply running the ball on the outside, Stroud’s role was to use his ability to pull defenders with his eyes and to throw a quick, accurate pass if the defense committed too many players to the run.
The second adjustment was to use two fast receivers, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, in motion to stretch Alabama’s defense. Both of these players could outrun the defensive backs, and by using motion across the field, Ohio State could force Alabama’s defenders to follow, misdirecting them at just the right moment to open up gaps for Henderson to exploit.
Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, Ryan Day, didn’t just copy Alabama’s formation—he added his own twist, creating a dynamic and unpredictable look. This wasn’t just about borrowing a successful play; it was about adapting and improving upon it.
Execution: Ohio State’s Championship Game Play
In the national championship game, Ohio State needed to pull out all the stops. The score was tied late in the fourth quarter, with both teams trading blows in a thrilling offensive and defensive battle. Alabama’s defense had managed to contain most of Ohio State’s running game up to this point, but the Buckeyes knew that they could still get one crucial big play to seal the win. And when the opportunity came, they turned to their Alabama-inspired play.
On the pivotal drive, Ohio State lined up with a two-receiver set, using Harrison Jr. and Egbuka to create confusion in Alabama’s secondary. Stroud took the snap and immediately faked a handoff to Henderson, who started running to the right. As the Alabama defense shifted, expecting the run, Stroud quickly flipped the ball to Harrison Jr. coming across the field on a jet sweep.
Harrison, who had been in motion across the formation, caught the ball in stride and burst toward the outside. Alabama’s defenders, including two cornerbacks and a linebacker, were caught in a bind—some committed to Stroud, while others focused on Henderson, who was cutting through the middle. Harrison, with his superior speed, found the edge, and it was a footrace from there.
The defensive backfield for Alabama had been stretched thin, and with no one to stop Harrison on the outside, he scampered down the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown. The Ohio State bench erupted in celebration as Harrison crossed the goal line, and it was clear that the Buckeyes had just taken the lead in the most important game of the season.
Aftermath: The Legacy of the Play
The championship victory was sweet for Ohio State fans, and the use of the Alabama-inspired play became a defining moment in the game. It wasn’t just the execution that impressed, but the timing of the call. In such a high-stakes moment, it was clear that Ohio State’s coaching staff had not only studied their opponents but had also identified a way to turn Alabama’s most trusted play against them.
For Alabama, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow. They had dominated for years in the SEC, and the national championship was always within reach. Yet in this game, it was Ohio State’s adaptability and willingness to learn from the best that ultimately proved to be the difference.
As the weeks passed, football analysts and coaches alike examined the play, noting how the Buckeyes had taken the concept of the Jet Sweep and made it their own. It was a perfect example of the evolution of the game—teams learn from each other, adapt, and create new strategies that push the game forward.
Conclusion: The Power of Adaptation and Innovation
In the end, Ohio State’s victory in the 2025 national championship was a testament to the power of adaptation and innovation in football. The Buckeyes were able to take a play popularized by Alabama, tweak it for their own personnel and offensive strengths, and execute it flawlessly when it mattered most. This wasn’t just about mimicking Alabama’s play—it was about seeing an opportunity to leverage one of the most effective offensive schemes in modern football to secure a championship win.
As college football continues to evolve, teams will always learn from the giants of the game. But the true champions are those who not only study and respect the playbooks of their opponents but who also have the creativity and insight to adapt those strategies in new ways. For Ohio State, this national championship will always be remembered as the moment they used a play from Alabama’s book to write their own history.