Lane Kiffin trolls Ohio State while previewing Michigan State-Alabama

Ohio State is not in the College Football Playoff, but the Buckeyes came up Sunday anyway as Alabama and Michigan State continued the media rounds in Dallas for the Cotton Bowl. 

Don't expect Buckeye fans to find any part of it amusing, either. 

After agreeing he has seen Michigan State's run defense pick it up against the toughest competition this season, Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin brought up a much-discussed aspect of Michigan State's 17-14 win at Ohio State in November: Ezekiel Elliott's 12 carries. 

"Obviously, Elliott, Ohio State, they did a great job against him," Kiffin said. "Hopefully we give the ball to Derrick more than they did."

He then added he was "just kidding."

"That was a joke. It's okay to laugh. It's early in the morning. But we are going to have our hands full because they do play very tough, very physical up front, and really get after you." 

"Derrick", of course, is Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, whose effectiveness against the Spartans figures to be a key subplot in the game. 

While Kiffin is correct the Spartans were effective at slowing down Elliott, who averaged 2.8 yards per carry against them, his comments carry a certain amount of irony given how the Crimson Tide's most recent bowl game turned out. 

That was last year in the Sugar Bowl -- also a CFP semifinal -- and it came against Ohio State. 

Although Henry averaged 7.3 yards per carry against the Buckeyes, he only got the ball 13 times, including only six in the last three quarters. 

Meanwhile, Alabama quarterback Blake Sims completed 22 of 36 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns but threw three interceptions, including a pick-six in the third quarter that extended Ohio State's lead to 34-21

Another Sims interception came in the fourth quarter when the Crimson Tide got the ball at the Ohio State 23-yard line with the chance to tie the game or take the lead. (His last was on a Hail Mary on the last play of the game). 

As for Elliott, he ran 20 times for 230 yards against the Tide defense. 

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Clay Travis is the founder of the fastest growing national multimedia platform, OutKick, that produces and distributes engaging content across sports and pop culture to millions of fans across the country. OutKick was created by Travis in 2011 and sold to the Fox Corporation in 2021. One of the most electrifying and outspoken personalities in the industry, Travis hosts OutKick The Show where he provides his unfiltered opinion on the most compelling headlines throughout sports, culture, and politics. He also makes regular appearances on FOX News Media as a contributor providing analysis on a variety of subjects ranging from sports news to the cultural landscape. Throughout the college football season, Travis is on Big Noon Kickoff for Fox Sports breaking down the game and the latest storylines. Additionally, Travis serves as a co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, a three-hour conservative radio talk program syndicated across Premiere Networks radio stations nationwide. Previously, he launched OutKick The Coverage on Fox Sports Radio that included interviews and listener interactions and was on Fox Sports Bet for four years. Additionally, Travis started an iHeartRadio Original Podcast called Wins & Losses that featured in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports. Travis is a graduate of George Washington University as well as Vanderbilt Law School. Based in Nashville, he is the author of Dixieland Delight, On Rocky Top, and Republicans Buy Sneakers Too.