Clemson Tigers vs Ohio State Buckeyes is Game 2 of the NCAA College Football Playoffs. It takes place December 28th at the Fiesta Bowl. The undefeated #3 Clemson Tigers will take on the also undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes at 8:00pm ET in Glendale’s State Farm Stadium. The Tigers have opened as two-point favorites over the Buckeyes.
Who will score the W and advance to the CFP National Championship on January 13? Read below for my College Football betting pick ahead of the big game!
Clemson Tigers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Game Information
NCAA College Football Playoff – Playstation Fiesta Bowl
#3 Clemson Tigers (13-0) vs #2 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0)
Saturday, December 28th – 8:00 PM ET – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
BetUS Betting Line: Clemson -2, Total 63.5
The Numbers
These two teams match up pretty evenly across the board.
Clemson is the better passing team. They average 24 more passing yards per game than Ohio State. The Buckeyes hold the advantage in the running game where that rush for almost 20 yards more per game. All-in-all, Clemson averages 547.7 total yards per game to Ohio State’s 531.
Defensively, the two teams are separated by just 2.9 yards allowed. Clemson allows 138.5 passing and 106.2 rushing yards for a 244.7 total while Ohio State allows 148.1 passing and 99.5 rushing yards per game.
Ohio State holds a slight edge with 48.7 points per game to Clemson’s 46.5. Clemson counters that with just 10.6 points allowed per game versus OSU’s 12.5. This gives the Buckeyes a +36.2 point differential to the Tigers’ +36.9, a difference of +0.7 for Ohio State. This is too small of a difference to really matter.
The Resume
The Buckeyes have the better resume, in my book. They defeated five ranked teams on their way to the CFP Semifinals. They thwarted Michigan State, who at the time was ranked 25th, Wisconsin (13), Penn State (8), Michigan (13), and Wisconsin (8). Each one of those wins was by double-digits. OSU’s last three games were all against ranked top 15 opponents.
The Tigers defeated Texas A&M (12) and Virginia (23). They also beat Florida State, Louisville, and South Carolina.
Clemson’s 62-17 win over UVA in the ACC Championship was undoubtedly their most emphatic of the season.
Clemson Tigers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Players
Clemson’s offense is led by QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne, and WB Tee Higgins.
Lawrence has had a very solid year. He’s shown improvement in several facets of his game. Lawrence passed for 3,172 yards on almost 69% completion, 34 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He’s also rushed for 407 yards and seven touchdowns. What’s been impressive is the 12 sacks the Sophmore QB has allowed.
Etienne has rushed for 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns on an absurd 8.2 yards per carry.
OSU is led by Heisman Trophy candidates Justin Fields and Chase Young.
Fields passed for a ridiculous 40 touchdowns while throwing just one interception all year. That’s just unheard of. He also rushed for an additiona 10 touchdowns and 471 yards.
J.K. Dobbins led OSU’s rushing attack with 1,829 yards and 20 touchdowns on a 6.5 yard average. The rushing game was complemented by Master Teague III’s 78- yards and four touchdowns.
Chase Young was a disruptive force on this Buckeyes defense. He recorded a staggering 16.5 sacks and six forced fumbles to go along with 44 tackles.
Clemson Tigers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Verdict
Justin Fields is an X-factor in this game. He will be difficult to account for. Chase Young, who’s known for getting to the quarterback may find it difficult to get hands on Trevor Lawrence, but his presence will be felt on either the passing or running game.
This is a difficult game to pick, but I’m going where the most talent lies and that’s in Ohio State. The Buckeyes will cover and win the Fiesta Bowl and punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff on January 13th.
