Welcome to Clemson-Ohio State: Sugar Bowl edition.
For the second time in as many years, the Tigers and Buckeyes will meet with a national championship game appearance on the line. In 2019, Clemson beat Ohio State 29-23 on Trevor Lawrence's late passing touchdown and a game-clinching interception from Nolan Turner. The rematch could be just as exciting, but with the potential for a whole lot more offensive fireworks.
Both programs finished seventh or better in scoring among FBS teams. Clemson puts up nearly 45 points per game while Ohio State isn't far behind with an average of 42.5. The difference is how each team gets it done.
Lawrence (above) has been the heartbeat of Clemson's offense and he's only played in the fourth quarter a handful of times this year. The junior has thrown for 22 touchdowns and run for another seven while accumulating 2,964 total yards. His Columbus counterpart, Justin Fields (below), produced 1,521 passing yards and 15 scores through the air in a shortened season. However, the ground game is where OSU has thrived in 2020.
Fields' dual-threat capability forces defense to key in on him, but he's just one option in the Buckeye's three-pronged rushing attack. Master Teague and Trey Sermon lead the nation's fifth-ranked rushing offense. OSU averages 275.7 yards per game, grinding out more than 6 yards per carry. Clemson faces a difficult task in stopping a number of capable ballcarriers, though the Tigers allow fewer than 100 yards rushing to opponents on average.
Both OSU and Clemson are effective in stopping the run, ranking seventh and ninth in opponents yards allowed. That might spell trouble for Clemson's Travis Etienne in addition to Teague and Sermon. But it might also direct the spotlight to Lawrence and Fields in what could be a precursor to a budding rivalry ahead of a jump to the NFL.
Clemson can clinch its third straight CFP championship game appearance while Ohio State will look to return to the title game since it won the inaugural Playoff.
The Buckeyes have never beat Clemson through four tries. Each of those contests was in Florida or Arizona. Things could be different this time at a more memorable destination. OSU earned its first-ever CFP win at the Sugar Bowl, shocking No. 1 seed Alabama in 2014 before winning the CFP championship game. By comparison, Clemson is 0-1 at the Sugar Bowl in Playoff games.
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January 02, 2021 at 08:13AM
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No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State: Score, live updates in the College Football Playoff - NCAA.com
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