In preparation for the College Football Playoff Semifinal and Sugar Bowl matchup between Alabama and Ohio State, SDS reached out to Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts.com to get the Ohio State perspective of this monumental and historical game.

Helwagen shares his thoughts on how he thinks the Buckeyes will try and stop Amari Cooper, along with his prediction for the game and a number of other topics.

A huge thank you to Steve Helwagen for participating in this. You can follow him on Twitter: @SteveHelwagen

Drew Laing: Cardale Jones torched Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game, but is there real belief he can be successful enough against a team like Alabama?

Steve Helwagen: Team like Alabama? That implies that they are worlds better than Wisconsin … and they may well be. But they did give up 600 yards total offense and 44 points against Auburn. As long as Jones understands they put on their pants one leg at a time and he does not hyperventilate, he should be OK. Yes, he is OSU’s third-string quarterback. But he is also 22 years old and seems almost unflappable at times. Maybe he will make some rookie mistakes. And, yes, his deep balls may not be there like they were against Wisconsin. But if Ohio State loses this game, I don’t think it will be because of something Jones does or doesn’t do.

Laing: Urban Meyer vs. Nick Saban. Do you get the sense that this game means more to Meyer because of who he’s facing, especially after the 2009 SEC Championship?

Helwagen: Naturally. Meyer is an intense competitor, as is Saban. Those two back-to-back SEC Championship games were national semifinal games each season and the winner went on to win the title. I think there is tremendous respect. But I think Meyer is chasing Saban and wants to take his team down any way he can.

Laing: How do you foresee Ohio State stopping Amari Cooper? Or can they stop him?

Helwagen: Well, this is one of the biggest keys to the game. Last year, Clemson’s Sammy Watkins blistered Ohio State for 16 catches, 227 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers won that Orange Bowl game 40-35. So we have seen what a superstar wide receiver can do when he is locked in. Doran Grant was an All-Big Ten cornerback this season. He has good size and he is OSU’s fastest player. The hope is that Grant, with some safety help here and there, can contain Cooper and keep him under wraps. My guess is he still gets 10 catches. But the hope from OSU’s side has to be that they keep his big gainers and touchdowns to a minimum.

Laing: What’s the one matchup you’ll be watching the most throughout the game?

Helwagen: I think one more of the biggest keys in this game is which team can establish the run. Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott had 220 yards against Wisconsin’s tough defense. Alabama has the great tandem with TJ Yeldon and Derrick Henry. Can either team consistently get 4 or 5 yards a carry? Can either team get to 150 yards on the ground? I think this bears watching. Both defenses are physical. Which one blinks first?

Laing: What’s your Sugar Bowl prediction?

Helwagen: I have struggled with this and gone back and forth with this. Having watched several Alabama games, the teams seem like almost mirror images. They both have gotten strong play on both lines. Alabama may have an edge at linebacker, but both of those groups are rugged. The secondaries are close as well. Blake Sims obviously has more experience than Cardale Jones at quarterback. To me, Alabama accomplished more than any other team in the regular season. They probably played eight quality teams to four or five for Ohio State. Alabama is battle-tested, for sure. I’m not sure Alabama is as good as it has been in years past, however. Of course, Ohio State is in the final four probably one year early, given the loss of Braxton Miller in the preseason. I think we are in for a great game. I don’t think either side runs away with it. I’ll go Ohio State 34, Alabama 30. If the Buckeyes play anywhere close to how they played against Wisconsin, they will be hard to beat.