The second semi-final game will be a rematch of the 2016 Fiesta Bowl Semi-final between #2 Ohio State and #3 Clemson on Dec. 28th at 8 p.m.
How They Got Here: Ohio State
Ohio State finished the season as Big Ten Champions with a perfect 13-0 record.
Ohio State was expected to have a down year with uncertainty at QB and Urban Meyer retiring. But, new head coach Ryan Day was able to land the top recruit of the 2018 class, Justin Fields, who transferred from Georgia.
Fields had a better year than expected as he threw for 40 TDs with only one interception. Combining Fields with junior J.K. Dobbins caused a lethal pairing that teams have still not figured out.
Outside, The Buckeyes feature deep threat Chris Olave, who came on during the Michigan game in 2018 and has never looked back. K.J. Hill became the Buckeyes all-time receptions leader during the Big Ten Championship game with 193 career receptions. With other threats including Binjimen Victor, Austin Mack, and freshman stud Garrett Wilson, Ohio State has arguably the deepest receiving core in the country.
The biggest surprise for Ohio State came on defense this year. They were outside the top 100 in total defense last season. This year, they are ranked number two, just behind Clemson.
This is in big part due to their secondary of Jeffrey Okudah, Shaun Wade, Damon Arnette, and Jordan Fuller. There is a reason Ohio State is DBU.
But I would be remiss if I did not mention Chase Young. The all-time single-season leader for sacks at Ohio State, he was clearly the best player in the country.
How They Got Here: Clemson
Clemson enters the College Football Playoff on a remarkable 28-game winning streak. They cruised to a national championship a year ago, murdering Notre Dame in the semifinal and Alabama in the title game, and kept things rolling in 2019.
Other than a very close call at North Carolina early in the season, Clemson dominated every team it played this season.
When you speak of Clemson, you obviously think about Trevor Lawrence. As a true freshman last year, he led Clemson to a dominating playoff run. a rough start to the season was quickly forgotten about as he led Clemson on a dominating second half of the season.
You also think of their skill positions. Travis Etienne put up 1,500 yards and 17 TDs on the ground. Catching passes from Lawrence is Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross, and Amari Rodgers.
Clemson comes in a neck-neck battle for the top defensive ranking with Ohio State. After losing every member of the most dominating defensive line in college football history, they reloaded quickly. With Justin Foster, Xavier Thomas and Logan Rudolph each made at least seven starts and K.J. Henry and Justin Mascoll both contributing with high reps.
Players To Watch:
Ohio State: Justin Fields
Fields has been slowed up with an MCL sprain. He said earlier this week that he is still not 100% but he will be playing. One of the biggest strengths on Fields’ game was his ability to run out of the pocket and make plays with his legs. You could see it in the Big Ten Championship Game, he didn’t have the same mobility. If he can start making plays with his legs, Clemson will be in big trouble.
Clemson: Isaiah Simmons
Simmons, a likely first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, is Clemson’s most overwhelming defensive player. He led the team with 93 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and also has two interceptions. If Simmons and the rest of the Clemson front seven can contain Dobbins and Fields, Ohio State will be in for a long night.
Gambling: Clemson -2 O/U 63
I would not touch this game with a million-foot long pole. My gut tells me that Ohio State is just that much more talented than Clemson, but also Clemson has not lost in 28 games. I would not even bet it, but If I had to make an official prediction, I’d go Ohio State ML and the points. I think this may be a sneaky game to bet the under as well.