Final Pregame Thoughts Before Ohio State, Clemson Meet in Sugar Bowl
Here are a few of my final pregame thoughts as the Buckeyes prepare for Clemson tonight, in a game they've been focused on getting back to for each of the last 370 days.
Gratitude Abounds as the Calendar Turns Over
It's New Year's Day and the Buckeyes are playing football.
Obviously the hope is that today's game ends with Scarlet and Gray confetti flying around the Superdome. But how many times did we wonder if Ohio State would play any football games at all this season, let alone be playing in the College Football Playoff?
This is a total validation of everything that Ryan Day said while the Buckeyes fought for a chance to play this season. Day repeatedly said this team was special and as they've grown closer and gone through incredible adversity this season, the Buckeyes have a chance to achieve their ultimate goal.
Can Ohio State Close the Gap?
I think its fair to say that Clemson has an upper hand coming into the game. Ohio State is absolutely capable of winning, but the Tigers are betting-favorites for a reason.
How many times this year have we heard the coaching staff reference that they've done the best job they could do to simulate game-speed, but you can't replace actual game reps. Clemson has played nearly twice as many games this season because the ACC didn't dilly-dally in the summertime.
They also have the winningest quarterback in recent college football history. It's a team game, but you don't go 34-1 (losing only to Joe Burrow last year in the best statistical season a college QB may ever have) unless you are doing something really right. Trevor Lawrence is a generational talent and he's got the ACC's all-time leading rusher in the backfield with him. The full-strength Tigers offense hung 34 points on Notre Dame in the ACC title game - their worst offensive output of the season.
Ohio State has to find a way to overcome their lack of game reps. I don't think there is a talent gap, but there is an experience one.
Justin Fields has to Play like an Elite Quarterback
I don't see a scenario in which the Buckeyes win this game unless Fields plays mistake free and makes a few spectacular plays happen.
Fields was phenomenal through the first three games of the season. Ohio State played three consecutive Saturdays against defenses that turned out to not be particularly good, and Fields went bonkers. He was responsible for more touchdowns than interceptions.
But in the three games since then, things haven't been so perfect. Fields flat out struggled against an Indiana defense that blitzed him unlike any other team has during his career. He played admirably against Michigan State while the Buckeyes were down two dozen players and trying to figure out how play with an offensive line largely playing their first meaningful college snaps. And against Northwestern, Fields had a mediocre first half before he handed the ball off to Trey Sermon on what felt like every snap of the second half.
Clemson's defense is fast, they're very athletic and their linebackers cover well. Fields simply can't afford to have a subpar game.
This is Exactly What Ohio State Wanted
There are more notable storylines coming into this game than in most Ohio State games I can remember. The "outside noise" is loud and fans are riled up. But I keep coming back to one thought - this is precisely what the Buckeyes wanted.
Ohio State felt it was slighted last year. The Buckeyes had a touchdown taken off the board on a call that never should have been reversed. Combined with the highly questionable Shaun Wade ejection and with the gut-wrenching interception in the end zone to end the game, Ohio State has been training all year with a Clemson rematch on their minds.
While so many other things that have happened this year have certainly taken their attention away from the idea of "revenge", the signs and reminders around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for several months immediately after losing to the Tigers kept the heart-breaking loss fresh.
A chance to re-write this script and knock off a team that has clearly been one of the two kings of college football the last six years is exactly what Ryan Day and company have been training for ... and even though they're an underdog, I wouldn't put it past them to pull off a big win.
Quick Thoughts
- I'm so excited to watch Shaun Wade play. I hope this game is everything he wants it to be considering what he's been through. It's hard to write a redemption script better than this one.
- I hate that Harry Miller will miss this game. He's had an up-and-down season in his first year as the starting left guard, but he's a great kid and has been really good with the media in his couple of visits with us this year.
- Justin Fields and Ryan Day have both been curt this week when asked about the health of Justin's thumb. I expect that he will be fine and that the thumb won't be a factor.
- Can Trey Sermon have another banner day? It's unfair to use the 331 yards against Northwestern as the new measuring stick, but I expect him to get a lot of touches today. His success running the ball could take a lot of pressure off Fields.
- We will know for sure roughly an hour before kickoff, but the health of the Buckeyes across the board is paramount. Ryan Day made it sound like they've gotten a bunch of players back, but he stopped short of saying they're entirely full-strength.
- Can the secondary avoid giving up game-breaking plays? It's probably the most obvious question, but if Trevor Lawrence starts launching the ball down the field, this could get ugly.
- Can Ohio State's front seven keep Lawrence in the pocket and create a lot of pressure? That group has been fantastic for the Silver Bullets and they'll need to be again today.
- I expect the game to be as physical as any game I've watched in college football this season. I think we will see some bone-crunching hits from both teams.
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X's and O's: Three Keys for the Buckeyes to Beat Clemson in the Sugar Bowl
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Five Major Storylines for Ohio State, Clemson CFP Rematch
Three Most Pressing Questions Ahead of the Sugar Bowl
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