Pre Fiesta Bowl Thoughts (Peach Bowl & Others included) | Barking Hard

Pre Fiesta Bowl Thoughts (Peach Bowl & Others included)

Been a busy, busy week. I was planning on doing a pretty in depth break down...but I'll keep it simple.

Who has the advantage?

Coaching - Clemson
Experience - Clemson

QB - Clemson
RB - Push
WR - Clemson
OL - Clemson
TE - Ohio State

DL - Ohio State
LB - Clemson
DB - Push

ST - Push

The major feather in Ohio State's cap..."Clemson hasn't played anybody". The problem is that all 11 starters on offense and 10 of the starters on defense played in last year's college football playoff semi final and/or National Championship game. That experience matters.

Ohio State does a good job of cutting the field in half for Fields and giving him 1 read...sometimes 2, but rarely. Fields does do a good job of extending plays with his feet...both to run and to allow his WR's to break off routes. The problem is that the Clemson defense will bring pressure from all over and it will be impossible for Fields to predict where it's coming from. That having been said, he is slow to process and holds onto the ball too long...27 sacks says as much. That will be the kiss of death vs Clemson.

Everything Ohio State does depends on Dobbins having a huge game. He is most effecting off tackle...Clemson will need to seal the edges and force him back inside.

Clemson's secondary will be the most athletic and talented the OSU WR's have faced all season by a country mile. They won't be running wide open all night like they do against every single slow B1G secondary. No out-athleting here.

Conversely, OSU is boasting about a secondary of NFL draft picks. Remember last time? OSU had multiple NFL draft picks in the secondary that got ripped apart by Deshaun Watson. The Clemson WR's will be unlike anything these OSU DB's have ever tried to cover. No more big, slow B1G WR's. now they have to cover big (6'4"-6'5"), strong (210, 220), fast (4.4) WR's for the first time all year. Good luck.

The bottom line is that Clemson is more talented overall. They are better coached overall. They have the experience. Clemson will win this game by double digits.

35-24 Clemson

Bring on LSU.
 
After Clemson extended it's overall record to 4-0 all-time vs Ohio State with last night's 29-23 victory...3rd win over OSU in the last 5 years...I find it absolutely hysterical that we have reduced the Ohio State fan base to whining and crying about refs. It's really a new and embarrassing low for the Buckeye faithful. Did Buckeye fan already forget that they won a National Championship because of a phantom PI call? Probably the worst call in big game sports history?

Losers whine about refs and calls. But I digress....

OSU Football:

- Dobbins was excellent and the best player on OSU's football team. Unfortunately for him, the refs got the call correct as he did not secure the football on his way down and clearly trapped it against the ground. Again, the correct call based on the rules of the game.

- OSU offense had 4 red zone opportunities and came away with 0 TD's.

- After throwing 1 INT all year, Fields threw 2 INT's vs the best defense and team he has ever played...including an INT from the CU 23 w/ under 1 minute left & chance to win the game.

- Young...the supposed best defensive player in college football had a grand total of 2 tackles & 1 QBH. That's it. He was a non-factor. Probably should have been ejected with Wade when he delivered a blow to Lawrence's head. When the lights were the brightest...he was non-existent.

- undisciplined play from OSU all game. The only call that was even remotely questionable was the Ross fumble that was over-turned. However, OSU forced a punt on that drive and had their chance to capitalize. This isn't the shitty B1G and you aren't the big dog on the block anymore who gets every single call.

- with the game on the line put together an 8 play 54 yard drive that ended in an interception that sealed the Clemson win.


Clemson football:

- lost our best WR for the entire first half.

- Got down 16-0 in very quick fashion.

- Didn't panic...stayed calm, made adjustments and executed.

- Trevor Lawrence proved he was the better, tougher QB both through the air and on the ground. Took a nasty, illegal hit by Wade that was clearly targeting...came back and led this team to the win.

- The defense stepped up forced a lot of mistakes out of OSU

- Simmons proved he is the best, most versatile defensive player in America.

- with the game on the line, put together a 4 play, 94 yards drive to score the go ahead TD.



Bottom Line and moral of this game:

- outside of Dobbins, OSU's best players (Fields, Young, Olave, etc...) all choked when the pressure was on, the lights were the brightest and the game was on the line.

- Clemson's best players (Lawrence, Higgins, Etienne, Simmons, etc...) stepped up under pressure and played their best with the game on the line and won the game. That is what championship players, coaches and teams do.
 
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