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Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is rarely available to the media these days. That is probably for the best considering how Kiffin has a tendency to run his mouth and say some pretty ridiculous things. That is not anything Nick Saban likes.
The Crimson Tide have had to spend a year living with the fact they lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl in last year’s College Football Playoff. And it was almost a year of Ezekiel Elliott running his way to the Heisman, eventually won by Derrick Henry.
Michigan State’s defense certainly has to have its ears perked up for that challenge. The Spartans held Elliott to 33 yards on 12 carries. The fallout from that game had Elliott questioning the playcalling from Ohio State coaches for giving him just 12 carries. Michigan State’s defense stood very very tall.
During a press conference at the Cotton Bowl where Kiffin made a rare media appearance Sunday, he jokingly(?) said Henry will get the ball just a bit more than Elliott did:
Kiffin mentions Michigan St faced Ezekiel Elliott. "Hopefully we give the ball to Derrick more than they did. … Kidding. That's a joke."
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 27, 2015
Giving the ball to Derrick Henry is usually a smart idea. Henry averaged 26.1 carries per game, so the Crimson Tide will give him the ball plenty. And that should go even against Michigan State’s strong rush defense.
Still the dig at Ohio State’s inability to run the ball or put the ball in its best player’s hands was a big factor on Ohio State failing to make the College Football Playoff this year or even win its division. Essentially the loss to the Spartans was their Playoff play-in game (at least for the Big Ten title).
Surely Saban and Alabama would have loved a chance at a rematch. Giving the ball to Henry and running on the Michigan State defense will have to do.
