Ohio State Buckeyes vs Clemson Tigers Sugar Bowl Betting

The best game of the 2019 college football season might have been the College Football Playoff semifinal between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Clemson Tigers. The game went down to the last minute, with Clemson intercepting Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. This time around, the oddsmakers are expecting a more comfortable win for Clemson – if we’re going by the online betting line. The Tigers are a 7.5-point favorite, which indicates that this might be more likely to be a rout. Keep reading for our Ohio State Buckeyes vs Clemson Tigers Sugar Bowl betting picks.

One thing to note in College Football COVID-19 news is that the Tigers will be without their offensive coordinator, Tony Elliott after he tested positive for COVID-19. We’ll have to see what type of impact that has, keep an eye on the injury news as there could be more people who miss this game.

Sugar Bowl Betting Details

College Football Playoff Semifinal No. 2

College Football Odds: Clemson -7.5

Sportsbook Total: 66.5

Location: Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Overview

2019

The 2019 College Football Playoff meeting between Ohio State and Clemson was special. Though Clemson won, Ohio State had the upper hand most of the way. The Buckeyes got off to a strong start and were very close to breaking the game open, but Clemson made key plays to stay in the hunt. Then the Tigers took charge in the fourth quarter and barely held on when a bad read from Ohio State receiver Chris Olave caused an interception thrown by Fields in the Clemson end zone in the final minute.

That history from a year ago is worth mentioning because Ohio State had a fully loaded team: J.K. Dobbins at running back, Chase Young as a pass rusher, and an offense which – under Fields – had demonstrated its superiority during the regular season.

Regular Season 2020

This regular season has been somewhat more muted for Ohio State. Partly because the Big Ten didn’t play nearly as many games as the ACC in a pandemic. But also because Fields simply hasn’t played as well as he did a year ago. There is no Ohio State pass rusher who is anywhere near as good as Chase Young. This is a noticeably less talented Ohio State team. Clemson, meanwhile, has both Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne back in their backfield. Clemson is as good as last year’s team if not better. Ohio State is capable of winning. But, the Buckeyes need to make a giant leap forward in terms of sharpness and quality if they are going to deny Clemson a third straight national championship game appearance.

Clemson’s demolition of a good Notre Dame team in the ACC Championship Game occurred just a few hours after Ohio State struggled to 22 points and an ugly win over a modestly talented Northwestern team in the Big Ten Championship. Clemson is clearly playing at a higher level. Ohio State has to show it is capable of dramatically changing the equation.

Trends

Ohio State is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games after allowing fewer than 20 points in the previous game.
Ohio State is 4-0 ATS in its last four games after gaining fewer than 170 passing yards in its previous game.
Clemson is 6-0 ATS in its last six neutral-site games as a favorite.

Bottom Line

Ohio State has not played anything close to its best football all season long. Whereas Clemson looked elite against Notre Dame and seems primed to deliver a strong performance. Ohio State has doubts; Clemson has none. That’s the difference.