As the postseason awards have demonstrated, the 2020 University of Alabama football team has an embarrassment of riches, especially on offense.

Last week, DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy, with quarterback Mac Jones placing third and running back Najee Harris fifth. Smith’s haul didn’t stop there. He received the Associated Press Player of the Year, Walter Camp Player of the Year, SEC Player of the Year, the Paul Hornung Award, the Biletnikoff Award and the Maxwell Award.

Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Najee Harris (22) hurdles a defender during Alabama’s College Football Playoff semifinal win over Notre Dame. The Tide is one victory away from an undefeated season and another national championship. (University of Alabama Athletics)

He wasn’t the only Tide honoree.

Jones carted off the Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Davey O’Brien Award while Harris received the Doak Walker Award. Alabama’s offensive line got the Joe Moore Award, with Alex Leatherwood netting the Outland Trophy  and Landon Dickerson reeling in the Rimington Award. Defensive back Patrick Surtain was honored as SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

“I think all those things are a really cool byproduct of the type of team that we have,” said Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian, winner of the Broyles Award, as college football’s top assistant coach in 2020. “Those individual successes come and awards come because we’re on a good football team. Clearly, I’m proud of the guys. I’m proud of the work they’ve put in.”

But the job isn’t done. The 12-0 Crimson Tide must clock in once more at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, in search of the grandest prize of all.

The College Football Playoff No. 1 team faces No. 3 Ohio State at 7 p.m. Central Monday in the CFP Championship Game on ESPN.

Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Mac Jones (10) practices on Saturday for tonight’s College Football Playoff national championship showdown with Ohio State. (Kent Gidley/University of Alabama Athletics)

With all the weapons Alabama has on offense, the player who has prompted a surge of queries the past week is the one who’s been out of the lineup since Game 5 at Tennessee. That happens when electrifying Jaylen Waddle returned to practice after suffering an ankle injury on the opening kickoff against the Vols.

“It’s amazing just to see him recover. I’m glad he’s recovering well and everything is going as planned,” Smith said. “He’s getting back into it. Of course, it’s going to take some time for him to get back comfortable with everything, but he looks good to me.”

Will Waddle return to the lineup for the title game? “No comment,” said Smith, who said nobody’s lobbying for more touches.

“I think that’s just part of this team, just everybody knowing that it’s going to be some games where you’re going to get all the touches and some games you’re not going to,” he said. “I think that’s just everybody buying into the process and just believing the coaches and everything they do.

“They’re gonna put everybody in a great situation to do the right thing.”

Smith calls the Buckeye defense one of the best Alabama has faced this season.

“As a defense, they’re a very good defense. Everybody gets to the ball,” he said. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes. Their back end (is) very athletic. They’re great cover guys.”

Sarkisian echoed that sentiment, acknowledging the talent in the Ohio State secondary.

Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore (58) makes an emphatic stop during Alabama’s playoff victory over Notre Dame that put the Tide in tonight’s national championship game vs. Ohio State. (University of Alabama Athletics)

“They can play man-to-man, they can play zone coverage,” he said. “I think one of the keys to passing the football is doing a great job up front. We’re gonna have to protect well when it’s time to throw the football so we can allow Mac the time and the receivers time to do their thing down the field. Then we’re gonna have to win one-on-one opportunities when they come.”

Head coach Nick Saban, the Coach of the Year in the Southeastern Conference, had high praise for Ryan Day, who is in his second full season leading the Buckeyes (7-0).

“He’s a very good offensive play-caller,” Saban said. “He’s got a great scheme on offense, he does a great job of coaching his players to execute that scheme.”

That offense is led by quarterback Justin Fields and running back Trey Sermon and anchored by a stout offensive line. And despite the small sample size of their COVID-19-shortened season, the Buckeyes showed they are a formidable foe in downing No. 2 Clemson 49-28 in a CFP semifinal at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Fields tied the Ohio State record for touchdown passes with six scores for 385 yards, while running back Sermon amassed 252 total yards, including 191 on the ground. Chris Olave, who missed the Big Ten Conference Championship Game, returned to action in elite fashion with six catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson.

“They’re very well-coached in every phase and their team plays with great intangibles – discipline, toughness, play hard and have great togetherness on their team,” Saban said. He said Day has “taken advantage of a great opportunity and certainly done an outstanding job with it. They’ve got one of the best teams in the country, no doubt about that.”

Alabama leads the overall series with Ohio State 3-1. Prior to Monday night, the most recent meeting between the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes came in the 2015 Allstate Sugar Bowl, the second of two CFP semifinal games, when OSU upset top-ranked Alabama 42-35.