Scarlet and Game
Fansided

Ohio State Football: This game will be much different than 2016

By David Wysong

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 07: Chase Young #02 of the Ohio State Buckeyes on the stage after winning the Big Ten Championship game over the Wisconsin Badgers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 07: Chase Young #02 of the Ohio State Buckeyes on the stage after winning the Big Ten Championship game over the Wisconsin Badgers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

It’s official, the Ohio State football team will play the Clemson Tigers in the CFP semifinal, a matchup we have seen in the CFP before.

The Ohio State football team came in at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings and will play No. 3 Clemson in the semifinals as No. 1 LSU and No. 4 Oklahoma will play in the other semifinal game.

Clemson and Ohio State played in the CFP semifinals back in 2016 and that game was awful as the Buckeyes got embarrassed 31-0 by the Tigers. This game should be a lot different though.

Back in 2016 the Buckeyes’ numbers were decent as they scored 39.4 points per game and allowed 15.5 points per game. This year they are on a whole other level though. Offensively, Ohio State is scoring 46.1 points per game and defensively they are only allowing 10.9.

In 2016 quarterback J.T. Barrett had a decent year as he threw for 2,555 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also ran for 845 yards and nine touchdowns. However, this year Justin Fields is a much better passer as he has thrown for 2,654 yards, 37 touchdowns, and only one interception.

Those are video game-like numbers.

Their running game is also much better as Mike Weber led the team with 1,096 yards on the ground in 2016 while J.K. Dobbins has been out of this world with 1,657 rushing yards this year.

The one-two punch of Fields and Dobbins will not get shut out against the Tigers.

Additionally, on defense the 2016 team of course had some solid players. Nick Bosa – who was only a freshman – Raekwon McMillan, Jerome Baker, Malik Hooker, Sam Hubbard, and others. They did not have a player and a pass rusher quite like Chase Young though.

Young has 16.5 sacks this season. The 2016 team’s leading sack man was Tyquan Lewis with eight sacks. Young will give Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence a very tough time, something no one could do to Deshaun Watson back in 2016.

This Clemson team is very good as they are scoring 41.8 points per game and are allowing 9.3 points per game, but their competition has been weak this year and they have not faced anyone nearly as good as Ohio State.

Next. Buckeyes need a healthy Justin Fields in the CFP. dark

I expect this to be a dog fight that either team could win. It will not be like 2016. This team is just too dang good.

Home/Ohio State Football