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5 things to know for the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Need a brief primer before you attempt to watch all 40 bowl games this season? We’ve got you covered. Here are three things you need to know about the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
PLAYSTATION FIESTA BOWL
No. 2 Clemson (12-1) vs. No. 3 Ohio State (11-1)
Dec. 28, 7 p.m. ET ESPN
– Can Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett throw effectively vs. Clemson’s secondary? We already know that Barrett isn’t the best quarterback the Tigers have faced this season — according to safety Jadar Johnson — and Clemson has been especially stingy vs. the pass in 2016.
The Tigers are allowing 5.85 yards an attempt, below Barrett’s relatively pedestrian 7.02 yards an attempt. And while Barrett hasn’t thrown downfield a bunch, he’s been very good at limiting mistakes. He’s thrown 24 touchdowns to just five interceptions.
Clemson has to figure out a way to limit Ohio State wide receiver Curtis Samuel’s production. Samuel is averaging 13 carries and catches per game at nearly 10 yards a touch. Samuel has scored 15 touchdowns and has scored in all but two games this season.
He’s also by far Ohio State’s biggest breakaway threat on the outside. No other receiver on the OSU roster has a catch longer than 50 yards while Clemson has three receivers with catches of 50 or more yards.
– If you want to find a comparable team to Clemson’s offense on Ohio State’s schedule, you have to go back to Week 3 and the Buckeyes’ 45-24 win over Oklahoma. OSU’s “basic” defense did a great job limiting Baker Mayfield to just 226 passing yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. The game was Mayfield’s second-lowest passing output of the year, surpassed only by his 15-attempt effort in Oklahoma’s blowout win over West Virginia.
The Buckeyes’ success vs. Oklahoma should give OSU fans reason to be excited the team can contain Clemson and quarterback Deshaun Watson. But Mayfield and Biletnikoff-winning wide receiver Dede Westbrook hadn’t truly clicked early in the season. While Westbrook torched the Big 12, he had 5 catches for 51 yards vs. the Buckeyes.
Clemson has more receiving depth too. In addition to star wide receivers Artavis Scott and Mike Williams, tight end Jordan Leggett and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow are reliable security blankets. How much do you want to bet that Renfrow has a huge catch at some point during the Fiesta Bowl?
– While Clemson has the passing edge, the rushing edge goes to Ohio State. Barrett can break the 1,000-yard mark with 153 more rushing yards and running back Mike Weber has 1,072 yards and is averaging 6.1 yards a carry. When you add Samuel into the mix, OSU has three players with over 700 rushing yards.
For Clemson, running back Wayne Gallman is the barometer. Gallman has 1,002 yards rushing while Watson is second on the team with 529. No one else has more than 209 yards rushing, and it’s not like Ohio State has run the ball a bunch more than Clemson has. The Buckeyes have just 59 carries more all season.
– Both defenses are very good in the red zone, though Ohio State’s is exceptional. Ohio State has given up just 12 touchdowns on 36 opponent trips inside the OSU 20 while Clemson has allowed 21 touchdowns in 36 red zone attempts.
Ohio State’s excellence puts the onus on a Clemson offense that hasn’t been great inside the opponents’ 20. The Tigers have 48 touchdowns in 68 red zone trips. When you add in field goals, Clemson’s red zone scoring percentage ranks just 68th in the country. Meanwhile, Ohio State is 40th, though its scoring percentage is boosted by 12 field goals. OSU has 40 touchdowns out of 62 red zone jaunts.
– If the Buckeyes win, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer will move to 10-2 in bowl games as a head coach. Meyer’s last bowl game loss? Yep, it came to Clemson and coach Dabo Swinney. The Tigers beat the Buckeyes in the 2013 Orange Bowl.
Swinney, whose bowl record is 5-4, had won four straight bowl games before the Tigers lost to Alabama in the 2015 national championship. A win not only pushes Swinney to 6-4, but could give the Tigers a chance to avenge that loss to the Tide.
And if Ohio State wins, not only does Meyer get a 10th win, he’d have the opportunity to tie Alabama coach Nick Saban for most bowl wins by an active coach if the Buckeyes beat Alabama in the title game. And if Ohio State plays Washington, Meyer would be coaching for the chance to pass Saban.
Mascot prediction: Pretty sure we don’t have to justify why the Tiger wins this one. Sorry, Brutus.
Real predictions:
Graham Watson: Clemson 24, Ohio State 20
Nick Bromberg: Clemson 31, Ohio State 30
Sam Cooper: Clemson 30, Ohio State 27
Chris Herbert: Clemson 27, Ohio State 24
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
