Fiesta Bowl: #3 Clemson 29, #2 Ohio State 23 (Postgame)

[MrNubbz]

Those are throwbacks that they should reinstate and be done with it!!!

[Abba]

Some buzz around the fact that Lawrence and Etienne say that they won't adjust their offense to handle Chase Young.  It's mostly just coach-speak type stuff though as I don't think they want to share their game plan.  I don't think the Clemson coaching staff would be arrogant enough to follow in the footsteps of Penn State and Wisconsin in the first matchup.

[ELA]

FIESTA BOWL

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) vs. #3 Clemson Tigers (13-0)

December 28 @ 8:00 - Glendale, AZ - ESPN

For two schools that have meant only three times ever, all in bowl games, this has been one hell of an interesting three game series.  Obviously their first meeting was the 1979 Gator Bowl punch that ended the Woody Hayes era.  The 2014 Orange Bowl was the first real signal that Dabo's Clemson had arrived, when they put up 40 points to beat the Buckeyes.  Then they met three years ago, also in the Fiesta Bowl, also in the CFP Semifinals.  That game represented perhaps the only time since the 2006 National Championship Game, where I saw an Ohio State team absolutely get manhandled.  The Clemson defense held Ohio State's offense to just 215 yards (110 of which came from Curtis Samuel) and just 9 first downs.  This Ohio State team is much better than the 2016 version, which went 2-1 against the three ranked Big Ten foes they faced, and needed OT and double OT to get those two wins.  I'm most interested in watching Ohio State's pass rush against Clemson's offensive line.  I've heard plenty of discussion about how this is the best offensive line Dabo has had at Clemson, and the numbers bear that out.  They rank #1 nationally in line yards, standard line yards, passing down line yards, OL opportunity rate, #2 in stuff rate, and #4 in sack rate.  Trevor Lawrence has only been sacked 8 times all year.  Chase Young has more than double that himself...and he sat out two games.  Plus, Clemson hasn't faced a top 40 defense this year, in terms of ypp allowed, and only three that ranked in the top 60.  Ohio State is #1, along with leading the nation in sack rate at 12.41%.  The highest ranked team Clemson has played in sack rate?  Charlotte.  Justin Fields was everything he was billed as, and more.  But this still is not the aeriel attack that Ohio State had a year ago with Dwayne Haskins.  Everything goes through the running game, which was increasingly the JK Dobbins show as the season progressed.  Everyone knew this Clemson defense, as opposed to the past couple, was strong from the back up.  And that secondary has not disappointed, leading the nation with just 5.1 ypa allowed, but the young line has played surprisingly well.  They've also been a top 10 national run defense, with their starting line boasting a second team All-ACC player, a pair of third teamers, and an honorable mention.  Clemson might be phenomenal.  It's just so hard to know.  But we've seen Ohio State play a number of top teams, and they've rolled.  Penn State was able to make it sort of respectable by generating some turnovers, but that's been just about the only way anyone has slowed them down.  Seeing Amir Riep step up against Michigan also gave me faith that Ohio State has the cover guys on the back end to be one of the few teams that can match up with Clemson's deep receiving group.

OHIO STATE 34, CLEMSON 27

[Cincydawg]

Looks like a game well worth watching.  I THINK OSU is the more complete team, but Clemson has looked very strong of late, albeit against substandard fare.

I'll guess OSU 38  Clemson 27

[Brutus Buckeye]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLCV_znK73E

[ELA]

It's weird that non-championship football remains to be played after that game.

It;s the third good CFP Semi game, but the first played off NYD.  They need to figure out a way to always play these on NYD.

[utee94]

It's weird that non-championship football remains to be played after that game.

It;s the third good CFP Semi game, but the first played off NYD.  They need to figure out a way to always play these on NYD.

Working around the Rose Bowl is a challenge.  I think that's one of the major obstacles to getting the playoff games on NYD, when the Rose isn't one of the host games.

[MarqHusker]

the only reasonable option (in light of the immovable Rose Bowl) is to play one of the semis at 1pm est, and then semi #2 at 8:30/9pm est,  also pretty sucky, given this usually means Jan 2nd is a work day for many.

[OrangeAfroMan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLCV_znK73E

This reminds me - I was right about him.  

[TyphonInc]

Some thoughts:

1st Congrats to Clemson, they found a way to win the game. Good luck on your next game. 

3 games in a row Chase Young has been MIA. Is he a one trick pony that others have now figured out?

That field was atrocious. So, much slipping going on.

I've said this numerous times, and will stick to it. I prefer a close loss more than a blow out win. I was engaged, cheering, and excited for my team, until that final pass in the end zone.

I was/am really happy with this Buckeye team. They beat TTUN, won the B1G, and played a competitive game against a very good opponent in the CFP. Congrats Buckeyes on a great season, and I wish them the best in all their future endeavors.  

[MaximumSam]

I thought Chase Young was great. 

[MrNubbz]

This reminds me - I was right about him. 

Ya and wrong about Burrow/Haskins

[medinabuckeye1]

I don't want to complain too much about officiating. Calls happen, some go your team's way, some go against your team. It happens. I do feel like Ohio State got the bad result more than they should have but that happens, they still had plenty of opportunities to win. 

The key was the three early RZ trips for just nine points. Any time my team dominates statistically but doesn't have a dominating lead, I get nervous about that. If you look at the stats up to the point when it was 16-0, tOSU flat out dominated, but it was only 16-0. That is a problem. 

• 1st and goal on the 5, FG
• 1st and goal on the 8, FG
• 1st and 10 on the 11, FG

Three TD's and it is 28-0.
Two TD's and it is 24-0.
One TD and it is 20-0.

Instead it was 16-0 and that wasn't quite enough. 

I'm proud of my team and my hat is off to Clemson, great game.

[Cincydawg]

If they somehow played 100 times, each team might win 50.  I thought Fields might win it at the last second, but was not to be. 

I prefer blow out wins for my team.  UGA is a LONG WAY from being at that level.