Tag: Justin Fields

Clemson picks off Ohio State QB Justin Fields to secure win in CFP thriller

Prior to the College Football Playoff, Justin Fields had only thrown one interception.

The No. 3 Clemson Tigers’ hopes of defending their national championship are still alive after they beat No. 2 Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Playstation Fiesta Bowl on Saturday. Clemson extended its win streak to 29 games with the 29-23 victory.

Not only did the Tigers score the go-ahead touchdown with just shy of two minutes left in the fourth quarter, but they also secured the win by picking off Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and silencing the hard-charging Buckeyes.

Going into the playoff game — the second of the night after LSU beat Oklahoma in the first — Fields had thrown just one interception the whole season, and it was against Michigan State in early October. However, the 2019 Heisman Trophy finalist threw two against Clemson with the second one effectively ending the game.

As wide receiver Chris Olave changed directions in the end zone, Clemson safety Nolan Turner was by himself and in perfect position for the interception.

The Tigers’ previous drive was four plays and 94 yards, capped off by quarterback Trevor Lawrence connecting with running back Travis Etienne for a 34-yard touchdown. They made it a six-point game with a two-point conversion.

With about four minutes left in the third quarter, Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons handed Fields his second interception of the season on 3rd-and-8, but the Tigers failed to score off the subsequent possession.

Lawrence completed 18-of-33 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns while running for 107 yards and another score. Fields went 30-for-46 for 320 yards, one touchdown and the two interceptions.

In an all-Tigers matchup, Clemson will play LSU in the national championship game on January 13.

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2021 NFL draft: Battle for No. 1 pick starts with Fiesta Bowl

Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields face off in an early preview of the battle for the top pick in the 2021 NFL draft

We’re still more than a year away from the 2021 NFL draft, but this year’s College Football Playoff is giving us an early preview of the top two candidates to go No. 1 overall in that class.

Saturday afternoon, Ohio State and Clemson will battle it out in the Fiesta Bowl for the chance to play for a national title. Leading them will be the two best prospects in the 2021 draft class.

After he torched Alabama in last year’s title game, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence was immediately crowned a future No. 1 pick, albeit two years before he could even be eligible. He’s experienced his rough patches throughout his sophomore season for the Tigers, but still has a rare skill set that should have him firmly planted in that conversation next offseason.

Once buried behind Jake Fromm at Georgia, Justin Fields transferred to Ohio State, replacing first-rounder Dwayne Haskins and leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and a berth in this year’s playoff. His athleticism and versatility and well-documented, but it’s his prowess as a passer, both inside the pocket and when things break down, that will have him challenging Lawrence for the chance to go No. 1 overall in 2021.

Obviously, plenty can change in a year. Both of these talented passers will have to avoid major injury, and continue their development at their current pace to fend off the other in the race to the top of next year’s draft.

But they both have the talent and potential, along with the coaching staff and supporting cast, to end up at the top of the draft board when April 2021 rolls around.

Don’t miss Saturday’s chance to see them both face off with a trip to the national championship on the line.

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Ohio State vs. Clemson: 3 Keys for a Buckeyes’ victory

If Ohio State is going to be Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, it’ll have to follow and execute its game plan. Here are 3 keys to the game.

And here we are on the doorstep of the biggest game Ohio State football has had in three years (sorry Michigan). In fact, it was the last time the Buckeyes matched up with Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl that we had the same type of implications. The desired destination is the College Football Playoff after all. Hopefully though, things end a little better this time around.

There’s no way around it. Beating a Clemson team on top of the college football world right now is going to be a Lord of the Rings type of journey with everyone pulling their weight. But let it be known, despite most of the media-types out there siding with the Tigers in this one, Ohio State has the horses, athletes, and coaching to get it done.

However, there’s certain things that will have to go OSU’s way if it expects to slay the dragon and make it to the next step of the journey in New Orleans. From there, it’ll have the opportunity to win the program’s ninth national championship (depending on what and how you count).

So what exactly is do the Buckeyes have to do for this thing to have confetti falling on them rather than a Clemson team? Here’s three things we think have to happen to make that a possibility.

Next … The start

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Ohio State vs. Clemson: 3 reasons the Tigers could give the Buckeyes problems in Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State and Clemson are about to face off in the Fiesta Bowl. Here’s three reasons a talented Tigers squad could give the Buckeyes fits.

The Ohio State football team is looking to continue this unbelievable journey it has been on in 2019, but there is a whale of a team standing in its way out in the desert. The Clemson Tigers are the defending national champions and have won the title two out of the last three years.

There’s not many teams that match up athletically with this Buckeye squad, but Clemson is no doubt one of them. There are interesting storylines and matchups across the board, and there’s no doubt the Buckeyes will have to play their best game of the year to move on to New Orleans for a shot at a national championship.

But it won’t be easy. Here’s three reasons the Clemson Tigers could give Ohio State fits out in Glendale.

Next … Talent

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Ohio State vs. Clemson Buckeye Battle Cry: What advantage can the Buckeyes exploit?

What one area does Ohio State have over Clemson that it can exploit to win the 2019 Fiesta Bowl? Members of our staff discuss in our BBC.

Okay, it’s almost time for the biggest of the big ones. Ohio State and Clemson are finishing up their preparations for one of the College Football Playoff national semifinals, and doing it all in the desert at the Playstation Fiesta Bowl. And it’s Friday, so it’s time for our weekly roundtable we like to call the Buckeye Battle Cry.

So far there’s been a lot of build up and a lot of talk, but it’s almost time to put the pads on, strap up the helmets and settle it all on the field. Oh but wait. Seems like nobody is giving Ohio State a shot in this one because last time the two met, the Buckeyes got taken behind the woodshed to the tune of a 31-0 drubbing.

But it’s a completely different team on both sidelines so that should mean little in this one. In fact, Ohio State has some advantages over this Clemson team. On that note, we decided to ask our contributors the one thing about this Buckeye squad that could mean all the difference in beating the defending champions and moving on to New Orleans for a national championship.

Have at it Mark.

Next … Mark’s belief

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Ohio State vs. Clemson: 5 reasons the Buckeyes win the Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State is finishing up its preparations for a matchup with Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Here’s five reasons the Buckeyes win.

We’ve said it before, but now there’s no doubt. The Ohio State football team is about to face its greatest opponent of the season to date, maybe of the year no matter what, when it plays defending national champion Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl.

We’ve heard about talent equated games, but this is the first time that it’s really true. Unless, that is, you believe teams like Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan have the same NFL-types on their team as the Buckeye do.

We’ll wait on that answer and raise you winning by double digits in all four of those matchups this year.

Clemson has talent to match what’s on Ryan Day’s sideline, so it’s going to come down to key matchups, preparation, and execution. On that note, here’s five reasons Ohio State beats Clemson in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl Saturday night.

Next … The defensive backs on Ohio State

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Justin Fields injury update: Ohio State QB says his knee is ‘at 80 to 85 percent right now’

The Buckeyes quarterback might not be at full strength for the College Football Playoff semifinal.

There’s a chance Justin Fields won’t be at full strength when No. 2 Ohio State takes on No. 3 Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday.

The Buckeyes quarterback sprained his MCL in Ohio State’s win over Penn State on November 23, and he then said he aggravated it in his team’s win against Michigan the following week. Fields played through the injury in the Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin, but he’s not where he hoped to be with the College Football Playoff semifinal game just days away.

The Heisman Trophy finalist spoke to reporters Wednesday ahead of the Fiesta Bowl and said:

“My knee’s probably not like I want it to be right now. But I think with treatment every day and just resting it every day, hopefully, it will be better by the game. …

“I definitely thought I would be closer to 100 percent. If I gave a percentage, I’d probably be at 80 or 85 right now. So yeah, but I’m just going to hope and pray I feel better by game day really.”

Fields said he has a smaller knee brace that he plans to wear — it’s the same one he said he wore in the Michigan game — but added that he also has a larger one just “in case anything happens” in the playoff game.

Although he said he’s been participating in the team’s bowl game practices, his mobility is limited. He continued:

“I try to get as much reps as possible. Really, I would say I haven’t really missed any reps in terms of just getting in there and playing. But I just can’t really move like I want to.”

The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Fields has thrown for 40 touchdowns and just one interception so far this season, and in five games, he threw four touchdowns. He has a 67.5 completion percentage (No. 16 nationally) and has thrown for 2,953 yards (No. 26) while adding 471 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Evaluating the Buckeyes, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called the two teams are “literally mirror images” of each other. The Playstation Fiesta Bowl is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Glendale, Arizona.

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Ohio State’s Kevin Wilson, Justin Fields, J.K. Dobbins preview matchup with Clemson in Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State’s Kevin Wilson, along with quarterback Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins preview Fiesta Bowl vs. Clemson.

While you were getting ready for Christmas and whatever shenanigans and celebrations you’ll be a part of tonight and tomorrow, the Fiesta Bowl set up a little media event for select Ohio State and Clemson players and coaches.

Normally we bring you some coaches and player comments postgame, but since the fine folks in the desert made this magic happen, we’ve got everything all the players and coaches that were present said.

We’ve already looked at what the Clemson offensive and defensive members said about facing Ohio State, and now we’re bringing you what the select Buckeye players and coaches said.

So, here we go, with the comments of offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, as well as QB Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins.

Next … Quotes from Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields

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Ohio State vs. Clemson: Buckeye QB Justin Fields, “I can’t move like I want to”

Ohio State’s Justin Fields, leading up the Fiesta Bowl, gave an unfortunate update on his MCL, saying “I can’t move like I want to.”

The story of Justin Fields’ first year at Ohio State has been a magical one. He’s transcended the program as a transfer from Georgia, and led the Buckeyes to both an undefeated regular season, and a Big Ten Championship.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore quarterback totaled 40 passing touchdowns and just one interception. A 40:1 ratio is rare, and it’s something that probably should’ve earned Fields a bit more love as a Heisman finalist.

However, that is now behind him, as the star QB is in Arizona preparing for the Fiesta Bowl in which his Buckeyes will take on the undefeated ACC Champs and defensing national champions, Clemson Tigers.

He may not be at full strength though despite having a few weeks off to heal. Fields, leading up the Fiesta Bowl, said he can’t move like he wants to, having dealt with an MCL sprain ever since the Penn State.

When speaking to reporters in Scottsdale, Fields was asked about his health.

“I can’t move like I want to,” said Fields.

Fields has been dealing with a banged up knee and re-aggravated it at least once. It might be that it won’t have the time to fully heal until the off-season. That said, let’s pray that Fields’ health won’t be a deciding factor in one of college football’s premier games.

He’s been praised for his toughness, and he’ll have to battle through another game or two if the storybook he wants comes to fruition.

CeeDee Lamb, Kenneth Murray named second-team All-Americans by AFCA

CeeDee Lamb and Kenneth Murray were named second-team All-Americans on the 2019 AFCA FBS coaches team.

After finishing 11-1 and winning their fifth consecutive Big 12 championship, CeeDee Lamb and Kenneth Murray were named second-team All-Americans on the 2019 AFCA FBS coaches team.

Lamb finished his junior campaign with 58 catches for 1208 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s had six games over 100 receiving yards this season, and four over 150. He finished as one of the three Biletnikoff finalists, the award for the best receiver in college football, but fell behind Jerry Jeudy on the AFCA list. Jeudy was not nominated for the Biletnikoff. Lamb is averaging 20.8 yards per catch.

Murray has totaled 95 total tackles this year in Alex Grinch’s improved defensive scheme. Murray’s numbers are down from last year’s 155 total tackles, but he has more tackles for loss with 16, and nearly the same amount of solo tackles with 65.

Jalen Hurts finished second in Heisman voting to Joe Burrow, but failed to make the AFCA second-team, losing out to Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who finished third in the Heisman race.

No. 4 Oklahoma kicks off against top-ranked LSU on December 28 at 3 p.m. CT in Atlanta.

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