Ohio State vs. Clemson College Football Playoff semifinal preview and prediction

Ohio State will take on Clemson in the Sugar Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff. Here is a preview and prediction for the game.

Ohio State game plan for victory

Ohio State is staring down the same mountain that has plagued it in every playoff appearance since winning the inaugural CFP national championship in January of 2015. The Buckeyes have made the playoffs twice since then and have not yet been able to conquer the mammoth in front of them.

Bring on 2020, and the Buckeyes are facing that familiar orange and purple that has denied them their dreams in the past. For the Bucks to get past this nemesis and reach the mountain top, they will have to be at their absolute best. And that means everyone, including head coach Ryan Day.

In the Big Ten Championship game, Justin Fields did not look his normal Heisman caliber self. That may have been due to a number of factors like missing his No. 1 target, Chris Olave, or the fact that at some point during the game, Fields injured his throwing hand.

However, I’d argue that Ryan Day didn’t put Fields in a position to succeed by calling the worst game of his young career. Day called way too many pass plays in the first half along with odd trick plays. Ohio State has too much talent to rely on smoke and mirrors. Ryan Day must do a better job of calling plays if Ohio State wants to keep this game close.

Speaking of Justin Fields, for the Buckeyes to have any chance against Clemson, he must be on top of his game. Too many times this year, he’s held onto the ball for too long. Sometimes you throw it away to live another day. Better yet, in Fields’ case, when you have that amount of athleticism, tuck it and go. The added dimension of Fields running the ball will keep a young Clemson defense, who replaced nine starters from last year’s team, on its heels.

Of course, the running game will be a key factor as well. This Clemson defense can be run on. I don’t expect 300 yards from Trey Sermon again, and Master Teague’s status is still unknown, but I do know if Ohio State runs the ball, it will open up the passing game that much more.

Defensively, things could get dicey. Trevor Lawrence will be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft for a reason. Heck, he probably could’ve started this year for about half of the NFL teams. I know Buckeye fans are sick of Lawrence and his flowing locks, but he’s that good. The secondary will be challenged, but this is the weakest group of receivers that Clemson has had in a long, long time.

The Buckeyes have been strong against the run all year long and will need to be once again facing one of the best running backs in college football, Travis Etienne. The front seven should continue to do well against a less than stellar Clemson line and contain the Tiger’s running game. But it’s Etienne’s receiving game that could give OSU fits.

Ohio State held Etienne in check running the ball in last year’s Fiesta Bowl — holding him to just 36 yards. But Etienne really hurt the Buckeyes with 98 yards through the air and two touchdowns. The Bucks also didn’t account for how athletic Trevor Lawrence was last year, allowing him to run for 107 yards. Kerry Combs would be wise to make sure someone has eyes on the Clemson quarterback’s legs at all times.

Bottom line… Ohio State is going to have to play a nearly flawless game to finally get in the win column against Dabo Swinney and have a chance at the national championship.

Next … The key players for Ohio State

Two Key Players For Ohio State

Justin Fields – Quarterback: It is no secret, the key to the Ohio State motor is Justin Fields. It feels like he’s been pressing most of this year, trying to do too much on his own. This will be the game that determines Fields’ legacy at Ohio State. If he plays like we know he can, the Buckeyes have a great chance to shock the world. If he plays the way he did against Indiana and Northwestern… we’ll, it’s back to the drawing board and another year of Clemson fans incorrigible boasting (I mean, you’d think they invented football or something after a really good decade run at this thing).

Shaun Wade – Cornerback: The Ohio State secondary has looked very suspect at times this year. When you lose two first-round draft picks like Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette, along with an underrated safety in Jordan Fuller, it’s a lot to make up for. You can bet Clemson knows that the Bucks have struggled to defend the pass and will look to exploit it. Shaun Wade has been waiting for this moment since he was ejected for a bogus targeting call on Trevor Lawrence in last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Wade will need to step up and lead a young secondary against the nation’s best quarterback.

Next … How it’ll all go down

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