It seems like the only people giving Ohio State a chance in the Sugar Bowl against Clemson had Buckeye Battle Cry ringtones. Even most of those folks that have scarlet and gray in their blood probably didn’t see the absolute beatdown the Buckeyes administered to Dabo Swinney’s club.
Before the game, we provided five bold predictions that are designed to go out on the ledge a wee-bit. In other words, we didn’t predict things like Justin Fields having a passing touchdown, but more stretch type predictions we thought would be difficult, yet possible to attain.
As we wait for the national championship game to play out on a television set or streaming device near you Monday night, we thought we’d revisit those bold predictions and see what we got right, and where we totally blew it like the Clemson defense (too soon?).
Here’s how we did on all five of those predictions and what we could have done better with.
Next … Bold Prediction No. 1: Ohio State will hold Clemson RB Travis Etienne to under 80 yards on the ground
Bold Prediction No. 1: Ohio State will bottle up Travis Etienne on the ground
The Prediction:
The Buckeyes have been very stingy against the run this year, giving up less than 100 yards total per game. OSU has a scheme that plays downhill in support against the run, and the front seven is very violent and gap sound.
Ohio State kept the wraps on Etienne on the ground last year, and look for that to be the case again in this one. The Buckeyes will have to do a better job finding the All-American back in the passing game, but he won’t get loose too often with handoffs.
How we did:
Pat on the back time here. We felt good about Ohio State’s defensive line to control the line of scrimmage, and the linebackers behind it to fill gaps and stretch things out to the sideline. All told, Etienne had just ten carries for 32 yards. In all honesty, seems we gave the Tigers’ offensive line too much credit. Clemson got almost all of its big plays through the air.
NEXT … Bold Prediction No. 2: Justin Fields will have over 300 yards passing
Justin Fields will light it up through the air
The Prediction:
The last time we saw Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, he was struggling a bit against a Northwestern defense that forced him to check down and be patient. It didn’t go well and you would think that Clemson has taken notice. The problem there is that the Tigers aren’t built for that type of defense.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables is going to be aggressive and challenge the OSU receivers. There will also be multiple looks and a ton of pressure packages built on getting to the OSU quarterback. There will be some sacks and misfires because of it, but it’s a risk/reward that Fields will take advantage of with 1:1 matchups and open receivers that get separation.
He’ll be much better in this one and sling it around for over 300 yards.
How we did:
We nailed this one. Clemson couldn’t get much of a rush on Fields because the offensive line did a fantastic job all night. It wasn’t because of not trying though. Brent Venables still called an aggressive game that left a lot of receivers in 1:1 matchups that Fields and company were able to exploit to the tune of 385 passing yards total. We expected the OSU quarterback to show up big, and he did. And then some.
NEXT … Bold Prediction No. 3: Trey Sermon will go for over 150 total yards
Trey Sermon will have a big game again
The Prediction:
Ohio State found something against Northwestern, and we still don’t know if Master Teague has cleared concussion protocol. Either way, Sermon showed he’s a difference-maker against a good defense, and OSU will need to be balanced in this one against an athletic Clemson squad.
Look for Sermon to have some running lanes on the ground, and to be present in the passing game out of the backfield. With the aggressive tendencies we’re likely to see from the Tigers, hitting the running back out in the flat is going to be there. Sermon is ready to continue his climb with confidence in this one.
How we did:
Bingo. I have to admit, I really thought Clemson’s defensive line would be able to slow down OSU’s running game just a wee bit. I did, however, think Sermon would get loose a few times and still get his yards with some big plays. Turned out, Sermon went for 193 yards on the ground, and 61 more as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. So yeah, again, I undershot here because the Ohio State running back wracked up 254 all-purpose yards.
NEXT … Bold Prediction No. 4: Trevor Lawrence will throw two INTs
Trevor Lawrence will be picked off twice
The Prediction:
There’s no doubt Lawrence is one of the most electric players in college football. He stands poised in the pocket, has a big, accurate arm, and can get free with his legs if he has to.
However, this is the best front seven Clemson will have played this season (Notre Dame included). The Buckeyes are going to get home on more than one occasion and speed up the clock in Lawrence’s head. He’ll rush a few throws or get hit making some passes. As a result, some throws will find the breadbasket of the wrong team in Ohio State’s favor.
How we did:
We’re going to blame Josh Proctor on this one because he had one right in the breadbasket and dropped it. That INT — should he have held on — would have been two since Marcus Williamson forced the ball out to Sevyn Banks late in the game with Clemson looking to score. Still, the score says we missed this one by one. We were right though that the OSU defense harrassed Lawrence more than he is accustomed to.
NEXT … Bold Prediction No. 5: Justin Fields will have over ten designed runs
Bold Prediction No. 5: Justin Fields will get things going on the ground
The Prediction:
The days of Justin Fields sitting back in the pocket and trying to force too much against a quality defense will change the coaches’ gameplan in this one. We’ve seen the Ohio State quarterback hold the ball too long at times when he could have taken off in open running lanes.
Because of that, and because the Clemson defense somewhat dictates the need for an added dimension in the running game, look for Fields to get more designed running calls in this game. It’s one area of his game that isn’t taken advantage of as much as others, and we’re calling for at least ten designed runs that are a part of things in this one.
How we did:
Almost. Fields ran the ball eight times, though not all of it was by design. Early on though, he was looking to gain some yards on the ground more than normal and it was working. Getting trucked by the crown of James Skalski’s helmet in the ribs changed all of that though. For the record, we were going to be right. We think. Look for this to resurface against Alabama if Fields is healthy enough.
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