“My grandmother always told me how you start is how you finish.” ~ Bernie Mac
A 2017 season that teased the possibility of a national championship at the onset. Despite the impressive 11 wins throughout the season, the College Football Playoff committee determined that the Ohio State Buckeyes were not worthy of a College Football Playoff berth.
I genuinely do not know if the late Bernie Mac was an Ohio State fan, or a college football fan for that matter, but the 2017 Cotton Bowl match-up versus the University of Southern California Trojans on December 29th offers Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and his team a final opportunity to finish the 2017 season strong, while also heading into the 2018 season with an impressive start. While not a College Football Playoff team themselves, USC comes into this contest with Ohio State ranked eighth, also looking to use this game as a springboard for better things in 2018.
USC’s Rush Offense Against Ohio State’s Run Defense
USC’s Ronald Jones II has had a terrific 2017 season, rushing for 1486 yards and 18 touchdowns, good enough to warrant his selection as 1st team All-PAC 12. The worst game Jones had over the last month of the season was against UCLA, and Jones ran for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. Teams such as Texas (47 yards, 2.6 yards per carry) and Notre Dame (32 yards, 2.7 yards per carry) were able to effectively shut Jones down when playing USC this season. Ohio State comes into this game only giving up around 109 yards on the ground to opponents, and were able to slow down other talented running backs such as Penn State’s Saquon Barkley or Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor. It will be important for Ohio State to do the same to Ronald Jones II, as…
USC’s Pass Offense Against Ohio State’s Pass Defense
USC quarterback Sam Darnold comes into this game on the threshold of a 4,000-yard passing season. A prospective 2018 NFL Draft entry, Darnold has thrown 26 touchdowns, but also 12 interceptions this season. Ohio State fans remember how other talented quarterbacks attacked the Buckeye secondary this year, and Darnold will be the best quarterback Ohio State has faced since the week two loss to Oklahoma and 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. Will Ohio State isolate Denzel Ward on USC’s Deontay Burnett? Burnett is the leading receiver for USC with 74 receptions for 975 yards and 9 touchdowns this season.
USC’s Rasheem Green Against Ohio State’s Jamarco Jones
While Ohio State fans are rightfully proud of the talented defensive linemen who suit up for the Buckeyes, USC can counter with the fact that the Trojans are near the of the country in quarterback sacks in 2017, with 43. The leading player in this category for USC is junior defensive end Rasheem Green, listed at 6’4″, 275 pounds, with 9 sacks this season. At left tackle, Jamarco Jones will be handling the responsibility of keeping J.T. Barrett well-protected against Green, and the other formidable Trojan pass rushers.
