Ohio State is more battle tested
Ohio State has a brutal schedule upcoming. If they make the playoffs they will be battle tested @pilotboyspod #CFP
— Mekka Don (@MekkaDonMusic) November 17, 2019
It’s not always that big of a deal, but there’s something to be said about the competition level a team has faced. You can’t simulate game speed in a lot of cases and all of a sudden you’re in the thick of it with a team that’s faster and stronger than what you’ve played to date.
I like to use the Fiesta Bowl from 2003 as a case study. That Miami team was as talented as any team you’ll find in the history of college football. But it didn’t play nearly the schedule Ohio State did. And if you remember correctly, it seemed like every week was a nip-and-tuck affair for that Buckeye squad.
The game started, and despite the talent on the Hurricanes squad that year, there was an adjustment period. The defensive line was getting to the quarterback, so much so that Miami had to abandon its offensive blocking scheme. It was a shock.
“The U” eventually made the adjustment and its talent started to reel things back in a bit, but by then it was in a dogfight that went extra time where Ohio State pulled off the upset.
I’m not saying that’s going to be the case here, but this is the fastest and most athletic team Clemson has faced. It’ll be interesting to see how the players on the field adjust to it.