Ohio State Football: CFP semifinal game predictions
Most of the season, I was fairly conservative in my predictions for Ohio State football games. I took heat for not having enough faith in this team.
I like to think I was all in from the start. I predicted this Ohio State football team would win the Big Ten title and make it back to the College Football Playoff. That is what they earned through relentless preparation and execution.
While many in the national media were concerned about Ryan Day and Justin Fields, I knew those worries were overblown. I believed this team’s culture would be the foundation for its success.
The players were clearly locked in on Day’s vision and driven to bury the letdowns from the past few seasons.
Now the next journey is in front of Buckeyes. This challenge that will test them more than any other this season.
Clemson has been a thorn in Ohio State’s side lately.
The 2014 Orange Bowl was a back and forth, down to the wire game. The 2016 Fiesta Bowl was the worst beatdown Ohio State had suffered since the BCS Championship loss to Florida.
Technically these games are meaningless to this one, but there is a mental hurdle to overcome.
I have heard far too many people say Clemson’s schedule was garbage. The Tigers would do well in any other Power Five conferences.
That being said, I am not as sold on the Big Ten’s power this year as many others are. No doubt it is far better than the ACC, but I do question all the love it has been given.
Regardless, the schedules for both teams are irrelevant anyway. Neither team has a weakness to expose. What is relevant are the key matchups.
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I’ll call for the battle in the trenches to be the most important. Put another way, the defense that puts the most pressure on the opposing quarterback will win this game.
Fields and Trevor Lawrence can only shine if they have time to deliver the ball to the playmakers.
The other equally important factor is the offensive line establishing and maintaining a productive running game. Neither team can expect to win if it can’t run the ball effectively.
Some of the smaller, no less important, factors will be tackling well in space and avoiding self-inflicted issues like penalties and turnovers.
These teams are so well coached and disciplined that it is hard to imagine either one not playing extraordinarily well with so much on the line.
Next. Top 5 games of the last decade. dark
Ohio State is the underdog. I think the Buckeyes are ready for this challenge and win 34-30.