We have all kinds of questions.
We are in the middle of the week and the bowl season is finally heating up. Of course, what really matters will happen on Friday night, when the Buckeyes have their chance at redemption against Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. No one is giving Ohio State much of a chance, and that seems to be increasing the motivation of the players.
We all know about the unfortunate conclusion of last year’s contest. This time, we have some of those same familiar faces, as well as a new cast of characters. There are countless stories that lead to the semifinal confrontation. Today, we are looking at the most urgent issues that should help determine who moves forward to dispute the title.
Does Justin Fields return to his usual customs?
Justin Fields has been amazing for about 90% of his career at Buckeye. In 20 games, junior managed to get some eye-popping numbers and established himself as a top ranking choice. However, in Ohio’s biggest games in 2020, he made some unusual mistakes and turned the ball five times.
Chris Olave’s return is undoubtedly a big deal for Buckeye’s passing game, and Olave / Garrett Wilson will be by far the most impressive duo Tigers have faced so far. Fields has completed just 73% of his passes this season. But in games against Hoosiers and Wildcats, that number is significantly less; all the way up to 53 percent. A repeated performance just won’t work on Friday night in New Orleans.
Can the state of Ohio profit from the absence of Nolan Turner?
The fifth-year senior, Nolan Turner, is a veteran in high school and one of the Tigers’ defensive leaders. He played more snaps than any other defender in 2020, leads the team in interceptions and ranks second in tackles. Needless to say, his absence in the first half must be something Ryan Day wants to take advantage of.
The Buckeyes had a hot start against Clemson a season ago, but unfortunately the success in the attack did not last when they reached the red zone. If I were in Day’s place, I would do everything in my power to aim in the middle of the field and explore a defense that is missing one of its leaders. Turner’s return in the third quarter will certainly give a big boost to what Brent Venables planned in New Orleans. As with the last time, the field goals will not solve this.
Which Trey’s sermon will be on display?
Towards the Big Ten title game, Trey Sermon ran for 344 yards and a touchdown, while averaging just over six yards per pass in five games. His record-breaking performance against Northwestern increased his line of statistics to 675 yards, three scores and eight per attempt. No one is expecting a repeat performance, but another solid display would go a long way to taking some of the pressure off Justin Fields.
I think we have a good idea of who exactly Master Teague is as running back. The jury still seems to have decided on the Sermon, however, since most of its season was “well” before the explosion in Indy. The offensive line was certainly creating holes against the Wildcats, but Sermon was breaking tackles and finishing races in a way we hadn’t seen before. We will see which version will appear on Friday night against the country’s ninth defense against rush.
Trevor Lawrence did all kinds of leg damage a season ago. Via Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Can defense limit Trevor Lawrence’s running ability?
When the two teams last met, Trevor Lawrence ran for 107 yards and his 67-yard touchdown run gave the Tigers a serious boost going in half. Now, he is coming out of a 14 carry and 90 yard performance against Fighting Irish in the ACC title game. Outside of Nebraska, the Buckeyes did not deal with much mobility in the center. The future Jacksonville Jaguar obviously presents an entirely different challenge.
Ohio’s rapid defense has been robust (No. 7 nationally), but Clemson’s pass-through option attack can be tricky for any team to defend. Travis Etienne did most of his damage in the passing game last year, but the speedster should also count in the RPO game. Tommy Togiai and Haskell Garrett will need to continue with their excellent game and the defense as a whole will need to stick to their gaps and duties to prevent – or at least limit – some of the great moves we saw at the Fiesta Bowl.
How will Kerry Coombs deal with Amari Rodgers?
Last year’s Tigers had two excellent external recipients: Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins. This time, the Amari Rodgers slot machine is the main threat in the passing game. The biggest advantage of the game is likely to be Clemson’s attack on the secondary Buckeye, and I’m intrigued to see what kind of plan Kerry Coombs is preparing for this one.
I saw some suggest moving Shaun Wade back to the crevice to be with Rodgers. If Cam Brown was available, it might be an option. But the way things are sold out, I’m not sure how feasible that would be at this point in the season.
Assuming Wade stays outside, we could be looking at Josh Proctor and Marcus Williamson lining up against Clemson’s best wideout. This could obviously present some problems for the secondary. Can we see a little more of the Buckeye defense zone? This is another possibility and may be the right attitude, considering the circumstances.
The state of Ohio ranks 104th nationally against the pass, and many eyes will be on Coombs in what will surely be his biggest challenge since he took on as a defensive coordinator.
Clemson remains a 7.5-point favorite for the rematch on The Big Easy. Dabo has been doing his usual weird antics, and I don’t think he heard anyone in the national media choosing the Buckeyes to win. It looks a lot like things in late 2014, before the confrontation with Crimson Tide.
Buckeyes and Tigers should start shortly after 8 pm on New Year’s Day. What are your biggest doubts for this season’s semifinals?