This year’s meeting between the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 2 Clemson Tigers in this year's semifinal, Fiesta Bowl has all the makings of an epic classic. The matchup is headlined by the Buckeyes punishing defense that thrives on forcing turnovers against Clemson's explosive offense and a multitude of players who you will see playing on Sunday’s in the years to come.
Ohio State and Clemson are both programs with experience on the College Football Playoff stage as they prepare to face off in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes won the inaugural CFP title by beating Oregon and the Tigers reached the final last season before losing to Alabama.
Opening Line: Ohio State -3, Total 61.5
Current Line at BookMaker.eu: Ohio State -3.5
Clemson is the higher seed, but Ohio State is the favorite. Early betting action favors the Buckeyes who opened at -3 and went up to 3.5. Ohio State was 6-6 on the year ATS and Clemson was even worse at 6-7.
Clemson Tigers 12-1 vs Ohio State Buckeyes 11-1
December 31, 2016
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona - 7:00 p.m., ET - ESPN
No. 3 OHIO STATE -3
Ohio State has one of the youngest teams in the playoffs, playing 30 freshman this year and they are counting on their triple option rushing attack to beat Clemson. The Buckeyes average 5.5 yards per rush this season, and its top four rushers, including quarterback J.T. Barrett, all have runs of 39 or more yards. Those monster gains on the ground will be key to flip field position, especially in what should be a close game in the second half. Someone needs to step it up in the wide receiver area for the Bucks. Losing Jalin Marshall and Mike Thomas to the NFL didn’t help, but someone need to step up. Curtis Samuel will be off to the NFL after this game. The junior has 65 receptions on the year for 822 yards and seven touchdowns and another 822 yards rushing and eight more TD’s. He’s a stud, we know that, but Noah Brown or Marcus Baugh need to have good games because I have a feeling, the Buckeyes are going to find it hard to run on the Tigers quick defense.
No. 2 CLEMSON +3
The Tigers are led by quarterback Deshaun Watson who lived up to the hype as a Heisman Trophy contender by accounting for over 4,400 yards of total offense and 43 touchdowns in 2016. Now the question is whether his big-play ability will lead to enough game-changing moments against a stout Ohio State defense that is littered with ball-hawking playmakers in their secondary. Watson has a lot of weapons to choose from but none better than tight end Jordan Leggett. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder had
38 receptions for 637 yards and seven touchdowns this year and is Clemson’s Go-To guy.
Clemson and Ohio State have played twice before, both in bowl games. They met in the 2014 Orange Bowl, which the Tigers won 40-35 after Sammy Watkins caught 16 passes for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Clemson also won the 1978 Gator Bowl over the Buckeyes 17-15 in Woody Hayes' last game as Buckeyes coach when he was ejected for punching a Clemson player.
THE PLAY
Early action is on Ohio State and it’s hard to bet against Urban Meyer who is 61-5 since he arrived in Columbus in 2010, BUT if there’s one team that has the Buckeyes number, it’s the Clemson Tigers who are one of the few teams in the country with more actual playmakers on both sides of the ball than their opponent, Ohio State. Deshaun Watson knows the end is near and he outplays J.T. Barrett and the Tigers pull the UPSET. Clemson Wins!
The College Football betting odds and props for this week’s games were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. Live wagering during commercials offers adjusted moneylines, totals and spreads. Log in and start gambling during the game now! The Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes square off in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday, December 31 at 7:00 p.m., ET. ESPN will televise the game live.
