Sugar Bowl Betting Preview – Clemson vs. Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes have not had much success against the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff. Clemson blasted Ohio State 31-0 in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl and overcame an early deficit to beat the Buckeyes 29-23 in last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are hoping that a change of scenery will perhaps lead to a different result as this CFP semifinal will be in New Orleans. They are sizable underdogs though as Clemson still has Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne.

The Sugar Bowl will take place at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Friday, January 1, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

College Football Betting Odds

Clemson -7.5

Ohio State +7.5

Total 68

There was some slight line movement on Wednesday as Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott was declared out for this game due to COVID-19. In his absence, Brandon Streeter is expected to be the play caller against the Buckeyes.

Clemson Offense vs. Ohio State Defense

There isn’t a scarier backfield in the nation than Clemson. The No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has been the best quarterback in college football since he first stepped onto the field three years ago. Trevor Lawrence can make all the throws and is the most pro-ready quarterback since Andrew Luck. He has led the Tigers to the CFP National Championship Game in each of his previous two years, beating Alabama and losing to LSU. Lawrence is completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 2,753 yards (9.6 YPA) with 22 touchdowns against four interceptions this season.

Travis Etienne hasn’t been as dangerous as expected in 2020, but he is still one of the most complete running backs around. Etienne has run for 882 yards (5.6 YPC) with 13 touchdowns this year, and he ran for 124 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game. He is extremely dangerous as a receiver too with 44 receptions for 524 yards and two touchdowns in 2020.

Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell have been the top two receivers for the Tigers this season. Rodgers leads the team in all categories with 69 receptions for 966 yards and seven scores, while Powell has 45 catches for 743 yards and five touchdowns. Their play has been great considering how many players Clemson lost to injury and graduation.

The Buckeyes have not been sharp on defense this season. Ohio State is allowing 21.0 PPG and 357.5 YPG, but the pass defense has been susceptible to big plays. We saw Indiana torch this unit earlier this season, and Ohio State didn’t play another good offense as the quarterback play in the Big Ten was not good in 2020.

Ohio State Offense vs. Clemson Defense

Justin Fields will need to shake off his worst performance of the season in the Big Ten Championship Game. Fields was bad against Northwestern, nearly leading to Ohio State losing the game and missing out on the CFP. He struggled against the two best teams Ohio State faced in 2020, but he shined against everyone else. For Ohio State to pull off the upset, Fields will need to play at an elite level.

Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave have been Ohio State’s top two receivers all year. Olave is questionable to play in the Sugar Bowl though, putting more pressure on Wilson. Wilson leads the team with 38 receptions for 621 yards and five touchdowns. No other player on the Buckeyes has more than 10 receptions or 80 receiving yards.

The two-back tandem of Trey Sermon and Master Teague III have done a great job moving the ball for the Buckeyes this season. Sermon leads the way with 675 yards (8.0 YPC), and he had a massive game against Northwestern with 331 yards and two touchdowns. Teague has run for 449 yards (5.0 YPC), and Fields is a dangerous runner too.

Clemson has one of the best defensive minds in college football in Brent Venables. The Tigers are allowing just 2.9 YPC and 101.2 YPG this season under his watch, but the pass defense has been a little shaky at times.

Prediction

This is a bad matchup for Ohio State. The Buckeyes probably aren’t one of the top four teams in the country anyways given the state of the Big Ten, and they now have to face a Clemson team that matches up against them really well. This game could be a bigger blowout than the first semifinal.

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