Sugar Bowl Preview: #2 Clemson vs. #3 Ohio State
A rematch of last year's epic CFP semifinal matchup.
It is fascinating at times how football can come full circle. Just last season, a semifinal battle occurred between these same two programs that ended in dramatic fashion. This time around, both #2 Clemson (10-1, 9-1 ACC) and #3 Ohio State (6-0, 6-0 Big Ten) approach this game with a notable chip on their shoulder. The two programs have met only four times in their history but Clemson has been the victor in all four meetings. The previous two meetings took place in the College Football Playoff, last year’s meeting and the 31-0 dominance by the Tigers in 2016. Two Heisman hopefuls will be at quarterback along with a nice collection of skill position talent to make this contest very interesting.
Network: ABC
Time: Friday, January 1st, 8:00 PM EST
Clemson’s Keys To Victory
It goes without saying that everything starts with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence missed a couple of games due to COVID-19 however he was still able to lead the ACC in passing yards per game (305.9) and rank third in passing touchdowns (22). As a matter of fact, Lawrence is sixth in all of FBS in first quarter passing yards with 1,009. He is also tied for third in the FBS in first quarter passing touchdowns. Setting the tone early by Lawrence puts things in motion for the Clemson offense.
The Tigers defense will deal with an opposing quarterback in Justin Fields (1,515 passing yards, 15 TDs, 5 INTs) that is athletic and able to impact the game in a unique way. It will be important for the Clemson defense to truly limit the run game of Ohio State, that includes Fields. As a team, Ohio State is third in the FBS in yards per carry (6.08) and tied for 12th in runs totaling 20 yards or more (23).
Ohio State’s Keys To Victory
The one statistic that stands out considerably for the Ohio State defense is their ability to generate turnovers. On the season, they have produced 16 takeaways in just six games of play. Their average of 2.7 takeaways per game is third best in all of college football. In their last three games combined, the Buckeyes defense was able to force 11 of their 16 total turnovers.
Clemson’s athletic defensive line can pose a few issues for the Ohio State ground game. Buckeyes running back Trey Sermon is fresh of an historic Big Ten title game performance with 331 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Sermon leads the team in rushing with 675 and his partner-in-crime, Master Teague, has 449 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Last but not least, the ability to pull the ball down and take off establishes Fields as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.
Prediction
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has made a few comments here and there recently on what he thinks about Ohio State and their placement in the College Football Playoff. It has been a widespread debate about whether they belong given that they have only recorded six games of play on the season.
For Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, that is more press clippings and motivation for his talented squad. Along with the bad taste in their mouths from allowing Clemson to pull off a comeback in their last meeting.
Both quarterbacks here will be under the spotlight. These two may also be tied at the hip with both Lawrence and Fields expected to be the top-2 selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Not to mention that both are from the state of Georgia. Do you see what I mean when I stated how football can come full circle a bit?
Both quarterbacks are able to dictate the flow of the game in their own right. However both have plenty of talent to rely on. In last year’s meeting, Clemson running back Travis Etienne (1,406 total yards, 15 TDs) was able to impact the game as a receiver with 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Allowing him to work in space is vital against a Buckeyes defense that is 40th in the country in yards per play allowed.
The Buckeyes have a little more tread on the tires than Clemson. Can that play a considerable factor? That remains to be seen. But I do believe that this Ohio State team is better than some give them credit for. Many are still expecting Fields to prove himself and this might be the exact stage for him to do so.