Photo courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
NEW ORLEANS — Make no mistake, Ohio State is out for revenge.
The Buckeyes have yet to defeat the Clemson Tigers in the four-game history between the two programs. The latest installment came in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl — a game in which Ohio State held an early 16-0 lead, had a fumble return for a touchdown overturned and threw an interception in the end zone with 37 seconds remaining.
Now, No. 3 Ohio State will have that opportunity for revenge. They travel to the bayou to take on No. 2 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl semifinal.
“It is pretty self-explanatory that that game hurt us a lot last year,” Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields said Monday. “So, that has kind of been our whole motivation this offseason. Just getting a chance to play [Clemson] again is a great opportunity.
“Of course, we know that Clemson is a great team. They have a great coaching staff, great players. So, we are just excited to be on the same stage as them and get another chance to play those guys.”
Collin Ginnan and Brendan Kucera share their thoughts on the Buckeyes’ return to the College Football Playoff.
OFFENSE
GINNAN: Justin Fields had three stated goals for when he returned to Ohio State this season: beat Michigan, win a national championship and win the Heisman Trophy.
Michigan canceled The Game due to COVID-19 cases and Fields finished No. 7 in Heisman voting after a shortened season. That leaves a national championship ring.
Fields’ Big Ten Championship performance was certainly not up to his standards; the second-year starter threw for just 114 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. Fields also revealed that he injured his thumb on a red zone scramble.
But Fields’ game against Northwestern was the exception, rather than the rule. Now, he gets the chance to achieve the one goal he has a real shot to complete.
“I think [Fields] left that field wanting another shot and now he has another shot,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Monday. “He’s not the only guy that has felt that way. There’s a lot of other guys on our team that felt that way.”
Ohio State is No. 7 nationally in scoring offense — for much of the season, the rushing game was not as explosive as is to be expected in Columbus. Trey Sermon changed that against Northwestern with a program-record 331 yards on the ground.
So, what should we expect in the Sugar Bowl?
Clemson brings the best front seven that Ohio State will have faced this season. The Tigers are top-30 in pass defense and top-10 in rush defense. If the Buckeyes have an offensive performance like that of the Big Ten Championship — the outlook could be bleak.
“Having worked with Coach Venables for nine years, I know the way he coaches, the way he teaches, the way he leads those guys, the way his kids play, the way their defense plays,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Monday. “So you’ve got your hands full. So it’s nice to have a lot of confidence, and it’s nice that we moved the ball last year. But the key thing is not moving the ball, it’s getting points.”
But, Fields should be healthy Friday. Chris Olave will be back and the offensive line is at full strength. The passing game should be firing at all cylinders. If the Buckeyes can pair that with a rushing performance even half as good as the Big Ten title, they should be able to punch the ball into the end zone three or four times.
KUCERA: Ohio State’s offense is as talented as any offense in the country, but COVID-19 has disrupted the offense’s ability to build chemistry and play a full 60 minutes of good football to this point.
In Monday’s media availability, Justin Fields said that he was frustrated with his performances against Indiana and Northwestern, but said he feels like everything happens for a reason.
“To be honest, I feel like everything happens for a reason. But, what happened in those [Northwestern and Indiana] games and me not playing as well as I wanted to, maybe God was sending me a message that I need to do more and work harder.”
The Buckeye offense dealt with missing players on both sides of the ball throughout the season, but one absence in particular that was a major concern for Ohio State was Chris Olave’s from the Big Ten Championship.
With Olave out in the game, due to COVID-19 exposure, there were questions as to whether he would be able to return for a potential semifinal matchup. Fields said just having Olave back is a huge addition for Ohio State despite limited practice time because of Big Ten protocols.
“I just missed Chris [Olave] being out on the field. He is a great leader for the receivers and of course a great player. I think having him back will make our offense better as a whole. I think me and him have a great chemistry on the field. Just having him back out there on the field will definitely help our offense a lot.”
Ryan Day stressed the importance of controlling the line of scrimmage for a talented Ohio State offensive line that has struggled to get consistent reps together this season.
“The defense is second in the nation in sacks. They create a lot of disruption, like you said. Really good players and really good schemes. They’ve done it against just about everyone they’ve gone against. So we’ve got to understand that. We’ve got to understand the patterns. We’ve got to do a great job of firming up protection.”
Justin Fields is very good at avoiding sacks when the pocket collapses, but if Ohio State doesn’t control the line of scrimmage I find it hard to believe that they can win this game.
With inexperience on defense and a secondary that has struggled mightily this season, the Buckeye offense will need a full 60 minutes of consistent play to have a chance to win Friday night.
DEFENSE
GINNAN: Just like the 2020 season as a whole, the Ohio State defense has had its ups and downs.
Against Indiana, the Buckeyes allowed 491 passing yards to Hoosier quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Nebraska rushed for 210 yards in the season-opener.
But the Buckeye defense also allowed -1 rushing yard to Michigan State and did not allow a Northwestern touchdown after the first drive of the Big Ten Championship.
Indiana is the best offense that Ohio State has faced this year at 53rd in scoring offense. Clemson ranks No. 3. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is widely considered to be the No. 1 pick in the coming NFL Draft. With receiver Justyn Ross out for the season, the Tigers lack an obvious star at wideout that it has had in previous years.
The key for Ohio State lies in the secondary. Allowing big plays has been a struggle for the Buckeyes all year — and Clemson will take advantage of that. In all likelihood, they won’t shut down the Tigers. The question is whether or not the Buckeyes can slow down Clemson.
If Marcus Hooker and Ronnie Hickman are healthy, the safety position may not be as dire as it was for much of the season; Lathan Ransom worked his way into the rotation with a solid Big Ten title performance.
If I had to guess? Ohio State is not going to stop Clemson’s offense.
They may not have to.
If Ohio State’s offense can live up to preseason expectations, the Buckeyes could win with just a couple of defensive stops. But if they can’t clamp down on explosive plays, those stops likely won’t come.
KUCERA: Just like for Ohio State’s offense, consistency has been hard to come by for the Buckeye defense.
An inexperienced secondary that lost three starters from a season ago has been prone to giving up the big play this season.
In a top-10 matchup earlier this season between Ohio State and Indiana, Michael Pennix Jr. went 27/51 for 491 yards and five touchdowns with one interception.
The Hoosier quarterback completed three passes over 50 yards in that game.
The Buckeyes are now faced with having to defend the best quarterback in the country in Trevor Lawrence and the pass defense is a major concern.
Ohio State’s secondary ranks 104 in passing yards allowed per game this season — giving up 260.8 yards per game in the air.
However, Ohio State ranks seventh in the nation in rush defense giving up 3.35 yards per carry.
Clemson running back Travis Etienne is the best back Ohio state will have seen his season after Friday.
Etienne, a likely first round pick, compliments Trevor Lawrence nicely averaging 5.6 yards per carry while Lawrence averages 3.6 yards on the ground. Lawrence a season ago rushed 16 times for 107 yards against the Buckeye defense in the Fiesta Bowl.
The positive for Ohio State is that Clemson lacks a star wide receiver with Justyn Ross out for the season, but with Lawrence’s ability to run the ball, expect Ohio State’s defense to struggle stopping this offense.
Like any time you play an offense with talent like Clemson, minimizing big plays is critical in order to win. In this game, it feels like that is more important than ever before considering Ohio State’s struggles this season — especially defending the pass.