There will be playmakers all over the field on Monday when Alabama meets Ohio State for the national championship in Miami.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said he has not yet gotten deep into his preparation for the game, but offered a preliminary key to the game, which is set for 8 p.m. ET on Jan. 11. Alabama is listed as a 7.5-point favorite in the game.

One element to watch for both sides is the backfield. Herbstreit shared his thoughts on the latest episode of the “CFB Podcast with Herbie, Pollack and Negandhi.”

“If you’ve really watched Ohio State the last three or four games, Trey Sermon’s become a story,” Herbstreit said. “Trey Sermon running the football and making the defense respect that aspect of Ohio State’s attack, along with Justin Fields and what he can do running, it makes the defense really somewhat handcuffed, because if you don’t respect that, then they’ll run the ball on you. So it’s going to start at the line of scrimmage for Ohio State’s offense and Sermon’s ability to have big plays.”

It’s a similar story on the other side.

“I’m telling you, Najee Harris the last couple games with all the talk about DeVonta Smith, if you really watched them, they do so much run-pass option, so much play-action, that you have to respect Mac Jones and when you do, and you worry about where the heck is (Smith), where the heck is (Jahleel Billingsley), where the heck is (John Metchie), you worry about all these weapons, then you’re light in the box, and if you’re light in the box with Najee Harris, he’s going to make you pay for that with his physicality.”

He summarizes it this way.

“Who can win the line of scrimmage, which defensive line can do a better job of not making the defense have to get safeties down to help against the running game I think will be a big part of how this game goes,” Herbstreit said. “And if you ever watch Nick Saban in these big games, as much as he’s opened things up, he’s still an old-school guy at the line of scrimmage.”