The Loop
Najee Harris had the perfect response when asked about 'effortlessly' running on Ohio State
On Monday night, the Alabama Crimson Tide offense made it look easy, just as it did all season. It was the seventh time this year the offense put up 52 or more points, and it could have very easily gone for 70 if not for the Devonta Smith injury and if not for the fact it didn't need 70 to win. It was a, dare we say, effortless performance.
While Smith got much of the love, starting running back Najee Harris had himself a night as well, though his three touchdowns and 158 total yards were a bit more hard to come by against Ohio State's stout defensive front. Harris' first TD, which ended in a mini scuffle after Buckeyes linebacker Tuf Borland apparently rolled Harris' ankle after the play was over, was a painful one:
This has, unfortunately, become an all-too common occurrence at both the college and pro level (see here and here for examples). Between this and the absolute SHOT he took at the goal line early in the second half, Harris was understanably battered and bruised after the game. That would explain why he (playfully) took offense to a reporter's question about him "effortlessly" running on Ohio State. Here's the full quote, which is incredible:
And the clip:
Anyone who watched the game understands what Harris is saying here. The Buckeyes did, indeed, "blow his ass up" on numerous occasions. The score may have been lopsided, and the Bama offense may have made it look effortless, but it was anything but. This game was physical, MAN football, evidenced by the numerous Ohio State injuries, the Devonta Smith injury, both Justin Fields and Mac Jones getting banged up, not to mention the targeting call that disqualified Alabama saftey Jordan Battle from the game. Yes, it was a high-scoring blowout, but both teams blew each other's ass up left it all out there.