Ohio State, Clemson Battle for Spot in National Championship
12/23/2019 9:38:23 AM | Football
Playoff Central | This Is Game Week
A berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game is on the line as Ohio State and Clemson do battle in this year’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
Big Ten Champion Ohio State, 13-0 on the season and winners of 19-straight games dating back to last season, will look to win its 2nd College Football Playoff Semifinal when it meets ACC Champion Clemson (13-0) on Saturday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The game features two of the country’s best offenses and defenses: Ohio State is powered the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense (48.7 points/game) and No. 2 scoring defense (12.5 points/game), while Clemson boasts the nation’s No. 4 scoring offense (46.5 points/game) and No. 1 scoring defense (10.6 points/game). Additionally, both teams have combined to rank among the Top 5 nationally in 21 major NCAA statistical rankings.
THE BASICS
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson • Saturday, Dec. 28 • 8 p.m. • State Farm Stadium; Glendale, AZ
TV: ESPN • Play-by-Play: Chris Fowler • Analyst: Kirk Herbstreit • Sidelines: Tom Rinaldi and Maria Taylor
The Nation’s Two Longest Winning Streaks Collide
Ohio State, Big Ten champions for the third straight year, bring in a 19-game winning streak while defending national champion Clemson has won 28 straight. Both teams have been impressive on both sides of the ball this year: the Buckeyes and Tigers are the only two teams that rank in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense and total defense.
The Buckeyes and the New Year’s Six
- The 2019 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl will be Ohio State’s third appearance in the College Football Playoff, which is the fourth most of any program in the country.
- Ohio State is the only team to appear in a CFP or New Year’s Six game in all six years of this postseason format.
Most CFP/NY6 Years (Record)
6 – Ohio State (5-1)
5 – Clemson (4-2)
5 – Oklahoma (1-3)
5 – Alabama (6-2)
3 – Five teams
Alabama (4), Clemson (3) and Ohio State (1) have played in CFP Championship game(s).
Fiesta Bowl History
- This will mark Ohio State’s ninth Fiesta Bowl appearance, the most of any bowl game other than the Rose Bowl.
- The Buckeyes are 5-3 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl.
- Including the BCS National Championship Game following the 2006 season, this will be Ohio State’s eighth appearances in Arizona over the last 17 years.
Series History vs. Clemson
- Ohio State and Clemson are meeting in a bowl game for the third time in the last seven seasons and fourth time overall.
- Clemson defeated Ohio State 40-35 in the Orange Bowl on January 3, 2014 and 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl/College Football Playoff semifinal on Dec. 31, 2016.
- The other Ohio State/Clemson meeting came in the 1978 Gator Bowl, a 17-15 Clemson victory.
Scouting the Tigers
- The Tigers have the nation’s No. 3-ranked total offense (547.7 yards/game) and No. 1-ranked total defense (244.7 yards/game).
- Trevor Lawrence is No. 10 nationally in completion percentage (68.8) while throwing for 2,172 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
- Running back Travis Etienne ranks seventh nationally with 1,500 yards and leads the country with an 8.2 yards-per-carry average.
- The Tigers’ 1-2 punch at wide receiver of Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins have combined for 107 catches, 1,824 yards and 21 touchdowns.
- On defense, All-American and Butkus Award winner Isaiah Simmons was a Nagurski Award finalist who has a team-high 93 tackles and 14.0 tackles for loss.
Plenty of Postseason Honors
Ohio State was as well represented as any program during the college football awards circuit.
- This year, six Buckeyes, including a program record four who attended the College Football Awards Show in Atlanta (pictured above), were finalists for major awards.
- Chase Young won the Bednarik Award and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award. He also won the Nagerski Award, which was announced on Dec. 9.
- Jeff Okudah was a Thorpe Award finalist and the first Ohio State cornerback to earn unanimous All-America honors, J.K. Dobbins was a Doak Walker Award finalist and Justin Fields was a Davey O’Brien Award finalist.
- Additionally, Jordan Fuller was a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Award and William V. Campbell Trophy and Liam McCullough was a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award (nation’s best long-snapper).
Two “Heismen” Finalists
- Ohio State had two finalists for the Heisman Trophy – QB Justin Fields and DE Chase Young – and three that finished in
the top six of the voting. - The last time one school had three of the top six vote-getters was also Ohio State, back in 1973.
- Ohio State is the first team to have a finalist on both offense and defense.
99
J.K. Dobbins needs 99 yards to set Ohio State’s single-season rushing record. The mark is currently held by Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, who had 1,927 yards in the 1995 season.
48
K.J. Hill can tie Gary Williams for the program’s longest consecutive games streak with a catch at 48 games with a reception vs. Clemson.
7
Ohio State has allowed just seven passing touchdowns this season, which is tied with Kentucky for the fewest in the country. No team has thrown more than one touchdown pass in any single game this season.
633
The 633 points scored this year by Ohio State is the third most in program history and 39 behind the 2014 team’s single-season record.
23
The Buckeyes’ Fiesta Bowl roster will include 23 student-athletes who have earned their undergraduate degrees. Thirteen of them graduated at Ohio State’s autumn commencement.
