We’re less than two weeks away from the College Football Semifinal matchup in the Fiesta Bowl between Ohio State and Clemson. As a Buckeye fan, we know you’ve been up at night thinking about this matchup and what to be aware of. So, we’ll be bringing you things leading up to the game, and first up is a cliff notes version of the best five players on this Tigers’ squad.
It’s not Clemson is the great unknown opponent. You don’t win a couple of national titles over the last three years and go under the radar, but still, with the schedule and lack of coverage of the ACC Champion’s year, you may not be completely up to speed on who has been the biggest playmakers for Dabo Swinney’s club.
Here’s the Clemson Tigers five best players of 2019 so far, and ones that the Ohio State coaching staff will no doubt have to have an answer for.
Next … No. 5
No. 5 – WR Justyn Ross
Overview:
Ross isn’t the only wide-receiver on this list you’ll see, but he’s a game-breaker that the Ohio State secondary needs to find. He might technically be the No. 2 guy in the offense in 2019, but he’s shown in the past that he can be the guy in any system in America.
With Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, Clemson will spread the ball all over the field in the passing game and look to exploit mismatches on the outside and vertically down the seam. Ross leads the team in receptions and will most likely be targeted often in the Fiesta Bowl too. He goes underneath a lot, but don’t let that lull you to sleep.
Stats:
55 catches for 742 yards (13.5 avg.), 8 touchdowns
Next … No. 4
No. 4 – WR Tee Higgins
Overview:
Did we mention that Clemson has a deep and talented wide receiving corps? Higgins had the best year of any wide-receiver on the roster, and is one of the best in the country at his position despite what the national award circuit says. At 6-4, 215 lbs. he can go up in traffic with shorter defensive-backs, but also has the game-breaking ability to get separation.
He’s a big-play waiting to happen and can take the top off the defense. He leads the team in receiving yards and touchdowns and is going to be a handful to contain. We will most likely see Jeff Okudah matched up with him and hope he can limit the big-play yardage.
Stats:
52 catches for 1,082 yards (20.8 avg.), 13 touchdowns
Next … No. 3
No. 3 – RB Travis Etienne
Overview:
Truth be known, Etienne might be undervalued, and if possible, even a little underutilized. The Clemson offense is a balanced one, but with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, and the receivers running through defenses like an arrow through wind, it doesn’t have to rely heavily on the running game.
Even still, Etienne is one of the most skilled backs in the country. He’s got great vision and explosiveness and is a big play waiting to happen if he gets into the second-level of the defense. It usually takes more than one guy to bring him down too. He makes it awfully tough put a focus on clamping down on the passing game.
Stats:
182 rushes for 1,500 yards (8.2 avg.), 17 touchdowns
Next … No. 2
No. 2 – LB Isaiah Simmons
Overview:
Without question, the leader of the Clemson defense is the guy you’ll see at the SAM linebacker position lining up all over the field. Simmons was a finalist for the Bednarik and won the Butkus Award this year for good reason. He’s technically a linebacker, but is used in run support, pass coverage, and a blitzer off the edge at times. He might even have the assignment of spying Justin Fields.
His role is much like the bullet position Ohio State employs, but the aggressive scheme of defensive coordinator Brent Venables is a perfect marriage for his talents. He can cover receivers, tackle in the box, but more importantly simply create havoc all over the field as one of the most versatile players in college football.
Stats:
93 total tackles, 6 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 forced fumble
Next … No. 1
No. 2 – QB Trevor Lawrence
Overview:
You know him, but may not necessarily love him. Lawrence was supposed to be the odds-on favorite to take home the Heisman this year, but came out of the gate a little slower than anyone expected in 2019. Since then, he’s been operating under the radar because there weren’t too many bright-lights games for him to make an impression.
He’s still one whale of a talent though. He stands tall in the pocket at 6-6, 220 lbs., and can throw lasers with precision. This team is playing much better since the North Carolina scare because he’s been back to his 2018 ways. If Ohio State can’t generate pressure on him, it’ll be a long day of him sitting back in the pocket and picking out receivers for big plays.
If he has a big day, Ohio State loses.
Stats:
3,172 yards on 232 of 337 passing (68.8%), 34 TDs, 8 INTs, 176.4 Rating
