We have reached the portion of the season where the picks from earlier in the season don’t matter.
The regular season records have all been washed away by this bullcrap rain in Phoenix all week.
All of the picks made from game one to game 13 are now moot. Nobody wants to hear that I probably got more picks correct than anybody else, especially not Brandon Zimmerman or Caroline Rice.
Everybody is 0 and 0 at this point, with a chance to go 2-0.
Although by typing that, I have been flagged by the Clemson sports information department for disrespecting their football program and personally insulting Dabo Swinney. For that, I apologize. It was not my intent to harm him or his family or his legacy of gollyshucks.
But we should probably get to the picks, because I have a feeling a few of us here are probably going to tick off some Buckeye fans as well.
Tony Gerdeman
When anybody asks me about this game, I have a familiar refrain: if Ohio State runs the ball and they protect Justin Fields, they can’t lose.
Running the ball is key, but I expect the Buckeyes to be able to do that well enough. Only Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game has held OSU to under 200 yards rushing, and that was due to Justin Fields’ knee and the Badgers’ familiarity with the Buckeye offense.
If Fields has time and the offense doesn’t get backed up with big negative plays, there are areas in Clemson’s defense to take advantage of, especially deep.
But I’m not sure Fields can be protected as well as he’ll need to be in this one. Blitzes up the middle have been effective. He is also not as elusive as he once was.
It is also impossible for me to forget how lost the pass defense was at times late this season. Much of that was due to Shaun Wade not being there against Michigan.
The Clemson offense has had three weeks to come up with some ways to mix up the communication in the backend for the Buckeyes and confuse them. If somebody doesn’t step up alongside Chase Young, Ohio State won’t be able to get the stop they need.
Clemson 34, Ohio State 31
Brandon Zimmerman
Somewhere along the way, the Buckeyes went from being the most dominant team in college football to a team collectively walking into a slaughter house by simply being matched up with Clemson in the playoffs. While a large portion of the fan base has convinced themselves this is 2016, I am not one of those people.
On offense, the Buckeyes will look to impose their will in the run game with a steady combination of JK Dobbins and Justin Fields (who I bet is more than 80% healed). The aggressiveness by Clemson will lead to a few long TD runs. JK will get his 150+ yards but the real difference makers on offense will be the WR group taking advantage of a very average Clemson secondary. I see KJ Hill having a huge game across the middle with 10+ catches. The combination of the run game and KJ will open things up for a few deep balls.
Defensively, Ohio State is set up to at least limit the powerful Clemson offense a little. Trevor Lawrence’s ability to scramble scares me more than anything. It’s that ability that turns a third and long into a broken first down which may de-moralize the defense. If I am the Buckeyes, I sell out on stopping Travis Etienne and like my chances with the secondary to do their part. I wouldn’t be shocked to see OSU go big up front and even start Jashon Cornell at defensive end.
Ohio State 45, Clemson 27
Tom Orr
The Fiesta Bowl is a matchup of two of the three best teams in the nation. That’s pretty much inarguable. It is also entirely possible a matchup of the two best teams in the country.
There are a lot of variables that could swing the game. How will Clemson handle facing a team that’s exponentially more talented than
anyone they’ve faced all year? How will Ohio State, with a first-year head coach and first-year starter at quarterback, handle the stage of the Playoff?
But as we’ve discussed on The Buckeye Weekly Podcast this month, the game will likely come down to three things: 1) Can Ohio State generate a consistent push up front on offense and run the ball? 2) Can the offensive line protect Justin Fields in the face of a solid Clemson pass rush and Brent Venables’ secondary hold up against an extraordinarily talented OSU wide receiving corps?
There’s a good chance the Buckeyes will be able to run the ball. The line has gotten a good push, and J.K. Dobbins has been fantastic all year.
There’s also a good chance that the offensive line struggles to keep Justin Fields upright. Fields said earlier this week that his bad knee was “80 to 85 percent.” That’s a problem.
And while OSU’s entire secondary could be playing in the NFL this time next year, they’re almost certainly going to give up 300+ yards of passing against Clemson. That, in turn, sets up the Tigers’ rushing attack with Travis Etienne.
These might be not only two of the most talented teams in the country, but two of the most evenly-matched as well. This should be an absolutely incredible game.
In the end, OSU’s biggest weakness, pass protection, might be enough to negate Clemson’s relative weakness in the defensive backfield. And in a game this close, that might make all the difference.
Clemson 35, Ohio State 31
Michael Citro
Ohio State is about to face its toughest test of the season. The Buckeyes haven’t seen an offense as good as they’ll see in the Fiesta Bowl. Their opponents have a dynamic quarterback, an excellent running game, a balanced offense, and the ability to keep the other team off balance. On offense, they’ll see a defense that attacks, tackles well, and keeps other teams from scoring many points. But the same is true of Clemson. They’re going to see an offense and defense unlike any other the Tigers have faced this season.
So, it could come down to which team is more battle tested. That would be Ohio State. It could come down to which team is the healthiest. Clemson seems to have the edge due to Justin Fields’ knee. Maybe it will be special teams play. Or it might simply be whoever takes better care of the football. This match-up is about the biggest toss-up I can imagine for the 2019 Buckeyes. The law of averages can sometimes be a difficult beast to coax out of its cave — one needs to look no further than the total number of offensive holding calls against OSU opponents this year to discern that. So, is this the year Ohio State finally gets a postseason win against Clemson? They’re certainly due and I sure hope so. We’ll see.
Ohio State 38, Clemson 34
Caroline Rice
The last time these two teams played, Clemson beat Ohio State 31-0 in the 2016 College Football Playoff Semifinals. It was ugly and embarrassing for the Buckeyes. This Fiesta Bowl is their opportunity to take out their anger and get revenge. If there’s any Ohio State who can beat Clemson, it’s this Ohio State team right now.
Ohio State has been the most complete and most dominant team in the country all year. The perception that changed after the first half of the Big Ten Championship game and how quickly the conversation changed only adds more fuel to the Buckeyes’ fire. There’s no doubt that Clemson will be the best team Ohio State as faced all year, but Ohio State will also be the best team Clemson has played.
I predict Clemson to come out strong in the first quarter. They have the experience and the confidence and will get away with a few scores until the Buckeye defense figures out Lawrence, Etienne, and Higgins. But I think Ohio State will settle down and get things moving in the first half. It will be back and forth, but I predict that once the Buckeyes get ahead in the fourth quarter, there will be no turning back.
Ohio State 42, Clemson 31
Michael Meihls
It’s not just pregame hype, or trying to stay off the bulletin boards, Clemson may well be the best team Ohio State has faced this season. The Tigers, even in the weak ACC, are a powerhouse. You don’t rattle off 30-odd wins straight without being a good team.
On offense, everyone knows about Clemson’s QB Trevor Lawerence. Sunshine was the best QB recruit his year, and he has not disappointed. However, he throws a lot of jump balls and great defenses can stop him. The Clemson wideout corps will challenge the Silver Bullets, but they are not better than the Buckeyes. But don’t let the AirPower distract you from a very impressive rushing attack either. Travis Etienne will get his, and stopping him will be instrumental to a Buckeye victory.
Clemson’s defense is not the same as the team that won the national championship last year, but they’re darn good. There will be challenges for the Buckeyes, and Clemson will get enough stops to keep them in the game.
Fortunately for Buckeye Nation, as good as Clemson is, the Buckeyes are better…in every aspect of the game. Clemson has been playing great football since nearly getting beat by UNC, and no one really knows how good they are because they’ve not been challenged. OSU, on the other hand, has been battle tested and faced really good competition. I’ll take that over a team that’s living off 2019.
In the end, this will be a good game to watch, and we’ll enjoy it a little more. OSU pulls away late.
OSU 38, Clemson 28
Chip Minnich
The Ghost Of Fiesta Bowl Past visited Clemson, giving the Tigers an unhealthy dose of overconfidence heading into The 2019 Fiesta Bowl. Little did the Tigers know that The Ghost Of Fiesta Bowl Past also gave the 2002 Miami Hurricanes a visit prior to their battle with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State can win this game, provided the Buckeyes do not have the same type of lapses that appeared at stretches during the Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin games. The Buckeyes need to keep Clemson from their stereotypical big plays offensively, which is easier said than done. If Ohio State’s defensive line can get pressure on Trevor Lawrence, the secondary tackles well, and Ohio State capitalizes on any Clemson mistakes, I see this as a game where J.K. Dobbins makes himself a legend by helping burn clock late in the game, thanks to the Ohio State offensive line.
Ohio State 42, Clemson 35
Adam Borland
As of my writing this, the following individuals/entities have selected Clemson as the predicted winner of the Fiesta Bowl:
Dennis Dodd, Jerry Palm, Tom Fornelli, Chip Patterson, Barton Simmons, Barrett Sallee, Las Vegas, Pat Forde, Laken Litman, Molly Geary, Colin Cowherd, and a slew of other talking heads.
Essentially, the national media talking points switched in early December from Ohio State being a juggernaut to now being a team that should just be happy to be in the company of the Clemson Tigers. Just take in the sights. Enjoy yourselves, Buckeye fans. Making the playoffs is quite a feat in itself. Let’s just be happy to even be there!
Forget that. The Buckeyes have been building up to this game for the entire season. They’ve beaten every opponent handily, played against far superior competition than Clemson, and are ready for this matchup. OSU will rely on the legs of J.K. Dobbins to move the ball, but will also utilize its talented receivers to test and stretch the Tiger defense. Similarly, though Clemson consistently rolls out excellent talent at its skill positions, Ohio State is blessed with NFL players lining up across from them. The Tigers will need to throw everything at slowing down Chase Young, opening up the opportunity for other D-linemen/linebackers to get to Lawrence in the backfield.
I may be in the minority, but I think that the Buckeyes will advance in the playoffs. It will be a tight game, but OSU comes away with the Fiesta Bowl victory.
OSU 38, Clemson 34