Shaun Wade Is Ready For DeVonta Smith Matchup in Championship Game

As we inch closer to the last college football game of the season, things are starting to intensify. Alabama and Ohio State are two of the best teams in the country, and the players are obviously competitive.

If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. And that is exactly the mentality Buckeyes cornerback Shaun Wade is carrying into the game.

On Thursday, Wade was asked which Alabama receiver he wants to cover. His answer? Simple: "You already know who I want to go up against."

It obviously doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out whom Wade is talking about. DeVonta Smith just won the Heisman Trophy on Tuesday night, and is widely considered the best receiver in the country.

Wade wants a piece of that. It's easy to respect the ambition, but the redshirt junior cornerback will need to bring his "A" game if he wants to contain Smith. In other words, not this ...

Wade was considered one of the top returning defensive backs coming into 2020. For a short period of time, he even opted out of the season in order to prepare for the NFL draft, but he changed course when the Big Ten decided to play.

He hasn't had the season many had hoped, but a respectable performance against a Heisman Trophy winner could go a long way in determining how NFL teams perceive him.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.