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Sugar Bowl matchup breakdown: Amari Cooper vs. Doran Grant
By Drew Laing
Published:
Unstoppable.
It’s tough to describe just exactly what kind of season Alabama wide receiver and Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper has had in 2014, but that’s the probably the word I’d go for.
115 receptions, 1,656 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns — sounds pretty unstoppable to me.
Cooper is the obvious problem Ohio State’s defense will have to solve come Thursday night in the Sugar Bowl. And the man with the responsibility of containing Cooper is Doran Grant.
From the sound of it, Grant doesn’t seem too afraid to go up against Cooper.
“I’m going to play my boundary, and we’re going to go. I know we’re going to have some matchups, and that’s what I’m looking forward to,” Grant said at media day this week. “Especially on a big stage like this — that’s what this whole playoff is about anyway. If I have the opportunity to play man on him, I’ll play man. If that’s what we’re in, coverage, I’ll play him man up.”
As a senior, Grant has experience on his side and the numbers to back up his confidence. His 14 passes defended ranks third in the Big Ten, just one behind the most in the conference.
But this won’t be the first time Cooper has gone up against elite talent. Earlier in the year, Cooper faced off against Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves, oft considered the best cornerback in the country. While not all of Cooper’s damage was done against Hargreaves, the junior wideout made several plays against the two-time All-American, en route to a 10 reception, 201-yard and three touchdown performance.
The Buckeyes didn’t do a great job of containing another elite receiver in last year’s Orange Bowl. Clemson’s Sammy Watkins recorded 16 receptions for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ 45-31 victory.
No matter how Ohio State tries to confuse Cooper and the Alabama offense with varying coverages, Cooper will get the football. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has been extraordinary at devising game plans week in and week out.
More than likely, the Crimson Tide will look to get Cooper the ball early through some screens and let his speed and elusiveness do the rest. It’s after the offense reels off a few of these short-yardage plays to Cooper when Kiffin likes to set up the deep ball to his All-American wideout.
So while Ohio State will be sure to mix up coverages in it’s attempt to confuse Cooper, the Crimson Tide offense will be doing the exact same thing in order to get Cooper open.
And judging off this year, one would expect Cooper to get the upper hand in this battle. But no matter how it turns out, the Cooper-Grant matchup will be the premier individual matchup in the highly anticipated and historical Sugar Bowl clash between Alabama and Ohio State.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
