Alabama defense essentially a second offense on way to CFP title game

ATLANTA — Give Washington credit. The Huskies put up a good fight for about 29 minutes in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Alabama.

But the Crimson Tide did what they do this season, as Ryan Anderson intercepted an ill-advised Jake Browning pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown with only 1:13 to go prior to intermission. A 10-7 game was suddenly 17-7.

“It was amazing,” Eddie Jackson told Saturday Down South after the game. Jackson scored three times (two punt returns, one INT return) before a broken leg ended his season prematurely. “It’s so funny because I just told him today, every time he sees somebody score a touchdown, he says, ‘Waffle House.’ So I was like, ‘You’re the only one without a touchdown yet.’ He goes, ‘I’m gonna get me one.’ And he finally got one. I’m so proud of him.”

Had U-Dub been able to get to the locker room only down a field goal, coach Chris Peterson and Co. — especially after only mounting one drive of consequence the first 30 minutes — would have been thrilled. Instead, the deficit was double digits. Any sense of momentum clearly sided with ‘Bama on its way through the tunnel.

It was the Tide’s 11th defensive TD of 2016 and 15th non-offensive score. Anderson is their ninth defender to find the end zone.

Through 14 games, Alabama has scored almost as many touchdowns with its offense on the sideline as its D has allowed (16). Some defenses can elevate your pulse. The Crimson Tide rip your heart out and show it to you.

At halftime, the Huskies outgained ‘Bama (145 to 138), were better on third down (4-of-9 to 2-of-7), ran more plays (37 to 34), recorded more sacks (3 to 1) and committed fewer penalties (1 to 3). But nothing will throw stats out the window faster than turnovers. Two Washington giveaways — John Ross also lost a fumble — led to 10 Tide points.

And Alabama doesn’t just take the ball away. Those takeaways often result in unexpected jersey numbers dancing in the painted area.

Even with the Crimson Tide struggling to some degree offensively, the game essentially felt over at the half. While Browning threw a pretty TD pass to Dante Pettis in the first quarter, he directed a bunch of three-and-outs after that.

Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

‘Bama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin (above) — he might have been daydreaming about his first recruiting class at FAU — certainly didn’t have a banner day calling plays. Too often, he was trying to set up the run by passing. He should have been trying to set up the pass by running, especially with the way Bo Scarbrough played early.

Relegated to third-string duty at times this season, Scarbrough got the Tide on the board with a bruising 18-yard run in the first.

Clearly the best option for Kiffin out of the backfield, Scarbrough led the way with 19 carries for 180 yards. Finally, he looked like the Derrick Henry clone he was billed to be during the preseason, albeit rather unfairly.

Alabama’s defense did the rest. Keep in mind that Browning was sixth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy — he came to Atlanta with a TD-to-INT ratio of 42-to-7. Rarely did he have time to throw. When he did, there was nobody open. Aside from the beauty to Pettis, his only completion of note was a 20-yard screen to Myles Gaskin.

The Huskies averaged an anemic 2.9 yards per play. In other words, the Pac-12 champions may as well have been just another SEC also-ran.

With U-Dub unable to threaten the midfield stripe, let alone the red zone, Kiffin began to lean on his ground assault in the second half. In addition to Scarbrough’s punishing effort, Jalen Hurts sprinkled in 50 yards on 19 attempts.

An under-the-radar hero for the Crimson Tide at the Georgia Dome was JK Scott. The No. 1 punter in the conference — despite not having enough punts to qualify for the league lead — averaged 45.9 yards on 8 tries and dropped 3 inside the enemy 20-yard line. ‘Bama dominated field position as a result.

Offenses might go up and down the field at will on the West Coast, but attempting to drive 80-plus on the Tide is an exercise in futility.

If the Dawgs had any hope left in the final frame, it was erased when Scarbrough (below) bounced off a few tacklers for a 68-yard touchdown run at the 11:56 mark to make it 24-7. It was reminiscent of Tecmo Bowl-era Bo Jackson in those Kia commercials.

Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

The first College Football Playoff semifinal proved to be non-competitive. Fans of the sport can only hope that the second — Clemson vs. Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl — offers more drama in the nightcap. It was the Tigers who gave Alabama a run for its money in last year’s national title game before falling 45-40.

That being said, the defending national champions are somehow better than last season. The Crimson Tide are a team seemingly without a flaw.

Make no mistake about it: This is a good Washington club. While the Huskies obviously played their best ball at the beginning of the campaign, to retroactively suggest that they were unworthy of an invitation to the Final Four is short-sighted.

‘Bama is simply on another level. Similar to the conference championship game four weeks ago, when the Tide really weren’t sharp yet still filleted Florida 54-16 — Hurts in particular was so-so that day — this wasn’t a complete performance from coach Nick Saban’s crew. Kiffin’s passing game went for just 57 yards.

But when Alabama’s defense can hold serve on the scoreboard with the other team’s offense, what’s an opponent to do?

The Crimson Tide have gotten fumble returns from linemen and interception returns from cornerbacks, not to mention all the special-teams fireworks. The premier defense in the nation is also the most opportunistic. That’s a lethal combination.

“We’ve got a lot of talented guys that can play any position,” Jackson said. “So when one goes down, another one has to step up. And that’s one thing we do well at Alabama.”

A 16-point favorite at kickoff, ‘Bama covered what by all weights and measures is an absurd spread for a semifinal. No matter who emerges victorious between Clemson and Ohio State, the Tide will surely be heavily favored Jan. 9 at the CFP National Championship Game in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium.

For all practical purposes, Alabama will arrive in the Sunshine State with an extra touchdown in its back pocket.

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.